Ferries to Oban

The ferry port of Oban lies on Stewart Island in New Zealand. Oban is the island's only settlement and sits on Halfmoon Bay. From here you reach Bluff on the South Island. A ferry leaves up to 6 times a day. The crossing over the Foveaux Strait takes around an hour. The port is served by Stewart Island Experience.

Getting there and the terminal

On the island the ships berth at the Stewart Island Visitor Terminal in Oban. The counterpart on the mainland is the Bluff Visitor Terminal at 21 Foreshore Road in Bluff. The car park for cars, motorhomes, motorcycles, bicycles and boat trailers is right next door: you take a ticket on entry and pay on the way out, and spaces cannot be reserved. Without your own car you can get from Invercargill to Bluff on the operator's shuttle bus. It is timed to the sailings and stops at the airport, in the town centre and at several places to stay.

Check-in

Stewart Island Experience expects you at the terminal 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. Check-in and boarding close 10 minutes before departure, and anyone arriving later stays ashore. Luggage is limited to two pieces per person, one small carry-on and one stowed; larger consignments have to be registered in advance. Booking in advance is required in every case, as the service makes no provision for turning up on spec.