Hiking is one of the main attractions of Oban and Rakiura Stewart Island. You can spend half an hour on a short walk on the beach or seven to ten days on the famously muddy North West Circuit. There’s also the Southern Circuit Tracks, or three days on the Rakiura Track, one of the Great Walks.
You can also walk around one or all of several short tracks that connect to Oban, including Golden Mound at the start of the Rakiura Track, Fern Gully and Ryans Creek near the airport, the Golden Bay and Petersen Hill tracks to the south, and the Ackers Point Track to Fisherman Point.
Another (bit) longer option is the Horseshoe Point Track, which connects Bragg Bay to Horseshoe Bay via the coast. Accessing and connecting all of these tracks is typically an easy, short walk along the (safe) Oban roads. You can also rent a bike or even a small car.
As a day walk, you can also do the first section of the Rakiura Track Great Walk, starting from Lee Bay. In any event, you will see variations on the pretty coastline, stunning native forest, and plenty of birdlife. You may also see a seal or two.
