Discover Stewart Island from the water on a leisurely cruise of beautiful Paterson Inlet and a guided walk in Ulva Island Wildlife Sanctuary.
The cruise will showcase some of Paterson Inlet’s stunning scenery with its hidden coves and unspoilt beaches. You’ll hear fascinating stories of early Maori history and European settlement from your guide as we pass various landmarks. Your guide is passionate about this area, provides informative commentary and is more than happy to answer questions. While on board, keep a look out for fur seals and penguins – we see a lot of them around this area.
Paterson Inlet is home to renowned wildlife sanctuary Ulva Island and we’ll stop there for a 45 minute guided walk. The island is home to weka (native woodhen), bush robins, rare saddlebacks and yellowheads amongst other species. It is also a protected habitat for some of New Zealand’s rarest plant species. A regular highlight is to encounter an inquisitive weka on the beach.
For the remainder of the cruise around Paterson Inlet, relax on board our modern catamaran and enjoy the coastal scenery before heading back to base.
Duration 2 hours 15 minutes
Modern comfortable catamaran
Suitable for most ages and fitness levels
Small group size
Picnic lunches available to pre-order (Cut off at 12pm the day before travel)
45 minute guided walk on Ulva Island Wildlife Sanctuary
On board nature guide
What to bring
Non-slip shoes/boots, waterproof jacket, warm sweater/fleece jacket, sunscreen/ sunglasses, insect repellent, camera and personal medication (including for asthma and allergies).
Picnic Lunches
Price: $22pp - Must be pre-ordered prior to 12pm the day before travel.
Please note: If you require a vegetarian, diary free, gluten free or vegan lunch, please add this into the comments box during the booking process. Menus are indicative only.
Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara
Tui
The island sanctuary is located within Paterson Inlet (Whaka a Te Wera) and offers the opportunity to view rarer native species including weka, kākā, kākāriki, tūī, bellbirds (korimako), pigeons (kereru), fantails (piwakawaka), tomtit (miromiro) and brown creeper (pīpipi).
The saddleback (tieke), yellowhead (mohua), Stewart Island robin (toutouwai) and rifleman (titipounamu) have all been successfully reintroduced to Ulva Island.
Some lucky visitors to the sanctuary have also seen the Stewart Island brown kiwi (tokoeka) during the day.
Ulva Island is part of the Rakiura National Park and covers an approximate 269 hectares which are mostly managed by the Department of Conservation.
The island, which has no permanent human population, is supported by the Ulva Island Charitable Trust, a group of Stewart Islanders, who raise funds for research, maintain the tracks and infrastructure, and help with bird releases.
Since the eradication of rats, Ulva Island has offered a predator-free environment for the birds and plant life.
In 2005, common skinks were transferred to the island from the other side of Paterson Inlet. A rodent dog ensures that the predator free status is maintained and traps are located across the island to minimise the chance of re-evasion.
The rainforest on Ulva Island consists of rimu, southern rātā and kamahi, and also diverse varieties of broadleaf and ferns.
Ulva Island has easy walking tracks and is an aspiring place to visit for anyone interested in native birds or plants.
Karen was our guide and was extremely knowledgeable. We saw so many beautiful species of birds. Karen was quick to describe them by their singing before even spotting them. The trail is beautifully done and the whole tour was just magnificent.
Absolutely wonderful experience. Guide Bevan was fantastic. Picnic lunch gluten free option was excellent. 10 out of 10. One of New Zealand's best experiences. Thankyou!
Ferry from Oban to Ulva Island with scenic views and commentary by Karen on way. One hour walk on island with Leah, seeing protected fauna and flora and learning about both as well as the history of the island. Tame Stewart Island robins, saddleback, kereru, weka, kakariki including yellow crowned and orchids in flower- Corybas oblongus (Spider orchid) and Earina aestivalis (Bamboo orchid). Great experience.
A great tour with an informative skipper and an exceptionally good and well-informed guide on the island. We learned about the natural features and interesting history of Stewart Island and Paterson Inlet. On Ulva Island the wonderful guide showed us otherwise hidden flora and fauna and explained the fascinating story of the island's recovery from predation and misuse to be now a small piece of natural paradise.
Looks like this is the trip mum and I did today. For $95 it was excellent value. A bit of history, two free cups of tea/coffee, stopping to watch albatross fly near the boat, various little bays and (often old) buildings, and Ulva Island. Luckily the weather held out, I imagine Ulva Island wouldn't be so good in the wet unless you've got good raincoats & rainhats. One by one we came across a lot of different birds, led by our guide (Erin?). I'd never seen Yellowheads before. I missed the Stewart Island Robin the first time around (others saw it) but right near the end myself and another got a fantastic view of one. Though not fast enough to get a picture.
A nice cruise combined with an informative guide made this trip interesting and useful. They use a catamaran which tours the Inlet before stopping at Ulva Island for a 45 minute nature walk. Guide was excited about the fauna and knew a lot about the nuances of trying to keep an Island pest free for native species. Very enjoyable trip.
Thoroughly enjoyed this 2.5 hr cruise including walk on Ulva Island. If you have limited time on Stewart Island, this trip is a great introduction to bird, plants and trees. Ulva Island is absolutely beautiful, guide Leah was very knowledgeable & informative. We saw many bird species as well as learning about the plant life, trees, orchid spotting and a short beach walk. I would love to return for more hours walking on Ulva Island as this brief trip whets the appetite for more. The crew were good, boat comfortable; this is an excellent short trip.
In case you haven't found the information you were looking for, we've put together some of the most common questions our customers ask about our trips. If you need more specific answers, please contact us directly.
+ Expand All- Close All
What time do we need to check in?
For visitors travelling on the Stewart Island Ferry Service, you are required to check in 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time (to allow for luggage loading, etc). The check in and boarding gates are closed 10 minutes prior to scheduled ferry departure. For all our cruises and tours, check in is required 20 minutes prior to the schedule departure.
What sort of birds will we see on Ulva Island?
The bird life on Ulva Island and Stewart Island is of exceptional interest, not only because of the presence of high profile species such as weka, wood pigeon, Stewart Island Robin and kaka, but also because Stewart Island and its small outliers provide a refuge for a range of less well-known birds, among them the NZ dotterel, South Island saddleback, Rifleman, Oystercatcher and the red and yellow-crowned parakeet.
What other activities and sightseeing are available?
There are a huge range of activities available on Stewart Island, from kayaking, fishing trips, golf, walking tracks and more. To find out more information and to make bookings, we operate the Oban Visitor Centre. The Department of Conservation (DoC) also operates a Visitor Information Centre and can provide more information on walking tracks and activities.
Is Stewart Island worthwhile for a day trip?
Yes, there are many activities you can fit into one day on Stewart Island. Ask our reservations team for suggested itineraries.
Online transactions/prices are conducted in what currency?
All prices and transactions on the RealNZ website are in New Zealand dollars (NZD). This is specified on the Terms & Conditions page.
What happens if there is an emergency?
Our staff are trained to deal with incidents and in case of an emergency you should listen to their instructions. We have a portable defibrillator on each of our overnight cruise vessels (Milford Mariner, Milford Wanderer and Fiordland Navigator). In addition to this we also have portable defibrillators at the following locations: • Milford Sound Visitor Terminal • RealNZ Visitor Centre, Manapouri • Cavern House (Te Anau Glowworm Caves) • Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant, Walter Peak • TSS Earnslaw Vintage Steamship • Stewart Island Ferry (Bluff - Oban - Bluff)