Making the most of Oban Stewart Island
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise ships anchor in Patterson Inlet and tender passengers to Golden Bay, a third of a mile from town on foot. The first part of the route climbs a steep hill. Oban is very small, with a few restaurants and shops plus a small museum. A Post Office stands at the foot of Ayr Street, while the tour office near the wharf hires bicycles and scooters. Hiking is the main activity.
It can be easy to overlook New Zealand's third island, Stewart Island, which hangs below the South Island and is almost the final inhabited place before Antarctica. Only about four percent of the island is inhabited, and that is a large part of its appeal: this is an unspoilt fragment of primeval New Zealand. Oban is a very small town with about 800 inhabitants.
Getting around
Set on Half Moon Bay, Oban looks across picturesque coves and bays, with houses tucked into abundant vegetation. The few buildings in its “Commercial Sector” all lie within a five-minute walk of the wharf and one another.
Discover the available Local Tours.
Money
New Zealand uses the New Zealand dollar. A few traders, particularly in tourist destinations, accept foreign money. The approximate conversion from US dollars to NZ dollars is US$1=NZD1.30.