4 Tours in Southland to Build a Day Around

1.Stewart Island: Wild Kiwi Experiences

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 177 reviews · 4 hours · from $154Our pick

Cruise from Oban around nearby islands to look for penguins, albatross, seals, sea lions, and other birds. Then walk about two hours through forest and beach at Little Glory Cove or Oneke, using red light and quiet tracking methods to find wild tokoeka kiwi. Guides such as Sarah, Karen, Natasha, Jan, and Matt have helped make the evening memorable.

“We saw 3 kiwis during our evening and were fortunate to see a penguin trifecta - little blues in the ocean, a yellow-eyed penguin on a beach, and a Fjordland Crested penguin on another beach. The guides were very informative and it was really fun walking through the bush with flashlights. They also offered warm drinks and cookies. Bonus!”

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2.Stewart Island: Ulva Island Guided Wilderness Walk & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 165 reviews · 2h 30m · from $86

Cruise Paterson Inlet from Stewart Island, then spend about 90 minutes walking Ulva Island Wildlife Sanctuary with a specialist guide. Look for weka, robins, saddlebacks, yellowheads, seals, penguins, and sea birds while learning about native plants, Māori history, and European settlement. Guides such as Karen, Jan, and Natasha are known for sharp bird-call skills and lively explanations.

“This was a really interesting and informative tour and was lucky enough to see Stewart Island robins, Kaka,Weka,Kerry and Bellaire on Ulva Island. Grace was a grest guide and we would highly recommend this tour to potential visitors to Stewart Island”

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3.Stewart Island: Village and Bays Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 141 reviews · 1h 30m · from $35Best value

See Oban, Halfmoon Bay, Horseshoe Bay, Lee Bay, and Paterson Inlet from a comfortable mini bus with a local English-speaking guide. Rhys, Shona, Jen, Di, Karen, and other guides bring local history, Māori legends, wildlife, conservation, and island life to the short tour, with photo stops and brief walks.

“Rhys, our driver was most informative, great sense of humour & conveyed in understandable terms the history of Rakiura Stewart Island. We highly recommend him as a valued part of our visit & a tour guide.”

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4.Self-Guided Milford Track Day Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 114 reviews · 3h 30m · from $44

Take a short water-taxi ride from Deepwater Basin to Sandfly Point, then follow the flat Milford Track through beech and rimu forest to Giant Gate Falls. You set your own pace on this self-guided walk. English-speaking drivers, including Geoff, provide the boat transfer and useful local guidance.

“Excellent transportation with good instruction to location and times.”

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