Stewart Island Ferry

The Stewart Island Ferry connects Bluff, on the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island, to Oban on Stewart Island, covering the 35-kilometre Foveaux Strait crossing in approximately one hour. Stewart Island, known in Māori as Rakiura, is one of New Zealand's three main islands and sits roughly 30 kilometres south of the South Island mainland, making this ferry the primary passenger link between the two.

The crossing operates across one of the Southern Ocean's more exposed stretches of water, so conditions can vary considerably by season. Passengers travelling to Stewart Island typically use the service to access Rakiura National Park, which covers around 85 percent of the island and offers walking tracks, birdlife including kiwi, and remote coastal scenery. Tickets cover a one-way or return passenger crossing, and the ferry departs from Bluff, which sits about 27 kilometres south of Invercargill.