Bluff – Oban
Ferry to Stewart Island
Bluff – Oban
Ferry to Stewart Island
Bluff Ferry Port serves as a crucial link between New Zealand's South Island and Stewart Island, presenting a compelling mix of natural beauty and local culture. Visitors often marvel at the rugged coastlines and the chance to spot rare wildlife, including the iconic kiwi. The port is a stone's throw from some of Bluff's renowned attractions such as the Bluff Maritime Museum and the historic Oyster Boat. The town is famous for its Bluff Oyster Festival, celebrated annually in May, showcasing sumptuous seafood and local music. From Bluff Ferry Port, explorers can easily reach Invercargill, the southernmost city of New Zealand, by a short bus ride. This makes the port not just a departure point but a place where adventures around the South Island begin.
Oban, the charming main settlement of Stewart Island, serves as a prime entry point to pristine natural beauty and a slower pace of life, captivating travelers. Notable attractions include the Rakiura Museum, which provides insights into the island’s rich Maori and European heritage, and the nearby Ulva Island, a sanctuary teeming with rare wildlife. Visitors can easily access the untouched beaches and dense forests of Stewart Island, ideal for hiking and bird watching. From the Oban ferry port, one can continue their adventure to other southern gems via local bus services that connect to key spots around the island. For those arriving by ferry, the port is conveniently located, with most amenities and accommodations just a short walk away, embodying the island’s compact and accessible nature.
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Bluff is a town and seaport on the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Stewart Island Experience have four daily sailings heading to the country’s southernmost inhabited island settlement, Oban, from the port with journey duration taking just an hour.
What should I do in Bluff?
The Maritime Museum is a must visit for anyone who is travelling along the Southern Scenic Route. Being the home to the oldest European settled community in the country brings with it a wealth of maritime history. There are displays of whaling, oystering and shipwrecks for you to admire. The town is dominated by Bluff Hill and this provides world class walks along the coastline and native bush. Along the shoreline is the beautiful Omaui Beach and freshwater lagoon which is well worth a trip. The Southland area is also the ideal place to play some magnificent and picturesque golf courses
What are the transport links like?
The town is the southern terminus of the Bluff Branch railway service and lies twenty miles south of Invercargill. It’s also well connected by road with State Highway 1 running straight into the town.
What services run from the port?
The Port of Bluff provides four daily sailings south to Oban on Stewart Island. The twenty eight weekly journeys are all provided by Stewart Island Experience with the trip taking just an hour to complete.
