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MapSpeciesParksDiving
  1. Home
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  3. New Zealand
  4. Rakiura (Stewart Island)

Rakiura (Stewart Island)

National Park
South Island (Stewart Island)Designated in 20021,570 km²
Spotted something wrong?

It covers 85% of New Zealand's third main island; one of the best places in the world to see wild kiwi by day

Area

1,570 km²

Protection category

IUCN II

Parque nacional —

Designated in

2002

Declared in 2002, Rakiura covers roughly 85% of Stewart Island, New Zealand's third main island and one of the southernmost inhabited places in the country. It is one of the few places in the world where the southern brown kiwi, a bird strictly nocturnal everywhere else in New Zealand, can occasionally be seen active by day as well, a behaviour attributed to the almost complete absence of introduced predators on the island compared with the rest of the country.

Location

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2 dive sites within 300 km are also shown.

Rakiura (Stewart Island): 19 documented species

Mammals3Birds14Cartilaginous fish1

Flora and ecosystems

Ecosystems found in New Zealand, where Rakiura (Stewart Island) lies.

Temperate forestMarine / coastalTundra / polarWetland

Experiences in this park

HikingNight watchingDiving and snorkellingBirdwatching

Nearby dive sites

Where can I dive near here?

24 km away

259 km away

Wildlife you can see now

What is worth looking out for this month in New Zealand?

Now is a good time: Resident sperm whales in the Kaikoura Canyon (Year-round)

Similar parks

Which other parks are like this one?

Same country: New Zealand

Same country: New Zealand

Same country: New Zealand

Same country: New Zealand

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about this park.

Share your experience visiting Rakiura (Stewart Island), or a tip for other travellers.

Region

South Island (Stewart Island)

Climate

Tropical, Temperate, Mountain

Best season

December to February

Route duration

2–4 days

Route difficulty

Moderate

Plan your visit

Best season
December to February
Route duration
2–4 days
Route difficulty
Moderate
Area
1,570 km²
More places in New ZealandSee location
Insecta1

Threatened:Southern Royal Albatross,Great White Shark,New Zealand Kaka,Southern Brown Kiwi,Yellow-eyed Penguin,Weka,Wetapunga,Hector's Dolphin,South Island Takahe

Endemic species of New Zealand:Hector's Dolphin,South Island Takahe

Black-browed AlbatrossLeast Concern

Black-browed Albatross

Thalassarche melanophris

Southern Royal AlbatrossVulnerable

Southern Royal Albatross

Diomedea epomophora

Kelp GullLeast Concern

Kelp Gull

Larus dominicanus

Great White SharkVulnerable

Great White Shark

Carcharodon carcharias

New Zealand KakaEndangered

New Zealand Kaka

Nestor meridionalis

Southern Brown KiwiVulnerable

Southern Brown Kiwi

Apteryx australis

New Zealand Fur SealLeast Concern

New Zealand Fur Seal

Arctocephalus forsteri

Fiordland PenguinNear Threatened

Fiordland Penguin

Eudyptes pachyrhynchus

Yellow-eyed PenguinEndangered

Yellow-eyed Penguin

Megadyptes antipodes

WekaVulnerable

Weka

Gallirallus australis

WetapungaVulnerable

Wetapunga

Deinacrida heteracantha

Least Concern

Spotted Shag

Phalacrocorax punctatus

See all 19 species found here

New Zealand · South Island (Stewart Island)
what the IUCN categories mean
See on the interactive map→

Stewart Island (Foveaux Strait)

Fiordland (Milford Sound)

Sperm WhaleVulnerable

Sperm Whale

Physeter macrocephalus

UNESCO
National Park

Fiordland

New Zealand

Kea (alpine parrot) · great spotted kiwi

December to February

See park
UNESCO
National Park

Tongariro

New Zealand

Kākā (forest parrot) · blue duck (whio)

December to February

See park
National Park

Nelson Lakes

New Zealand

Kaka · mohua (yellowhead)

December to February

See park
National Park

Abel Tasman

New Zealand

New Zealand fur seal · kākā

December to February

See park
DivingStewart Island (Foveaux Strait)24 km away
CountryNew Zealand
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