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Tracks & walks

Southern Circuit Stewart Island/Rakiura

Southland region

View of the Rakiura Southern Circuit.

View of the Rakiura Southern Circuit

Southland region.

Separated from the South Island by Foveaux Strait, Stewart Island/Rakiura is New Zealand's third largest island and home to its most southern national park.

The island's Southern Circuit Track is regarded as a remote, challenging tramping experience and requires a high level of fitness and good route-finding skills. It can be accessed from the North West Circuit Track or by utilising boat transport on Paterson Inlet.

Time:

4 - 6 days round trip from Freshwater

Distance:

71.5 km round trip

Features

Find out about the history and natural features of the Southern Circuit area on Rakiura/Stewart Island.

Track description

View a daily track description and walking times for Rakiura/Stewart Island's Southern Circuit Track.

Places to stay

Information about hut accommodation and camping on Rakiura's Southern Circuit Track.

Plan & prepare

Information you need to help you plan and prepare for a safe visit.

Highlights:

Rakiura National Park

Rakiura National Park is located on New Zealand's Stewart Island/Rakiura. The park covers about 157,000 ha and makes up about 85 percent of the island.

Stewart Island/Rakiura

Stewart Island/Rakiura is home to Rakiura National Park. The main settlement in Halfmoon Bay has several visitor centres and various accommodation options. From Halfmoon Bay you can take a range of day walks.

Rakiura Track

The Rakiura Track Great Walk is found on Stewart Island/Rakiura, just a 20 minute flight from Invercargill or an hour by ferry from Bluff.

Find out more

Publications

Rakiura North West and Southern Circuit Tracks brochure (PDF, 877K)

Easy access walks - North Island
Easy access walks - South Island

Weather

Maps

Rakiura circuit tracks map (PDF, 285K)

New Zealand topographic maps are available from DOC Visitor Centres

Learn more

Rakiura track updates and weather information

Stop the spread of didymo
Check, Clean, Dry all items before entering, and when moving between, waterways.

Safety

Safety information

Always contact the nearest visitor centre for the latest information about facilities and conditions.

Safety alerts for Rakiura National Park

Contacts

Rakiura National Park Visitor Centre
Phone:	+64 3 219 0009
Address:	15 Main Road Stewart Island
Email:
Full office details

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