Stewart Island, New Zealand

I've been a bit slack at writing this post. We've been home for a week now, but I've been spending my time reading instead of getting some posts written! I didn't want to get out of holiday mode I guess.

We had a few days away to celebrate a milestone birthday and decided to run away to the end of the earth. Not really but pretty close. We went and had a few days at Stewart Island.

For those who don't know where that is, it's the 3rd largest island in New Zealand and is situated off the coast of the bottom of the South Island. This map below will hopefully help.

Stewart Island is where the red pointer is

Stewart Island is beautiful. Its the second time we have been there (first time for my daughter) and everytime I'm there it makes me think that it is how the entire country was before it was settled. The native bush is so lush and thick and the bird life is something special. It really is lovely.

The population of Stewart Island is 400 people and you gain access via a ferry or plane. We took the plane, I am terrible with boats in the ocean and Foveaux Straight is not a piece of ocean I want to cross by boat!

Here are a few pictures of the island from our first day.

Oban. The only township on Stewart Island and the main bay where the ferry comes in to dock.

This is the view from Observation Rock

Looking back towards Oban

Here's another shot from Oban

I plan on doing other posts about what we did to fill in our time while on Stewart Island and hope to get them up in the next few days. Stewart Island is a fabulous place that I really want to do justice showing to the world.