This small port town at New Zealand's southern tip has been an active fishing center since 1800. Local oysters and fresh seafood draw visitors to its waterfront restaurants.
Bluff, New Zealand's southernmost mainland town, sits at the edge of Foveaux Strait below Bluff Hill. Local fishing boats bring in the region's famous Bluff oysters from March to August. Walk to the Stirling Point signpost for photos with its distance markers, spot sooty shearwaters from the Foveaux Walkway, or join a cage diving expedition to see great white sharks up close in the strait's cold waters.
Walking and Biking on Bluff Hill
The 265-meter Bluff Hill has a network of walking tracks through native bush. The 2.5-kilometer Foveaux Walkway climbs through coastal shrubs and flax to concrete viewing platforms overlooking Stewart Island and Foveaux Strait. The gravel paths can be slippery after rain. Mountain bikers can ride the gentle cross-country loops starting at Pearce Street, or tackle the steep, rocky descents on the eastern side of Flagstaff Road.
Wildlife Watching Opportunities
Sooty shearwaters and mottled petrels fly past the Foveaux Walkway between September and May, with peak activity at dawn and dusk. Bar-tailed godwits migrate from Alaska to feed at Awarua Bay's mudflats. Look for the endangered Southern New Zealand dotterel on the bay's southern shore during winter months.
Street Art and Local Culture
The 2021 South Sea Spray Motupōhue Festival transformed Bluff's walls with fifteen large-scale murals. Walk along Gore Street to see works by artists Flox, Mr G, and Charles & Janine Williams. The Jimi Rabbitz gallery displays sculptor Helen Back's original works.
Getting to Stewart Island
Catamaran ferries cross the 60-kilometer stretch of Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island twice daily. The working port handles commercial ships and the local oyster fleet. Between December and June, shark diving operators take groups to observe great white sharks from protective cages in the strait.
Maritime Museum
The Bluff Maritime Museum displays items from local shipwrecks and the oyster industry. The Monica, a restored oystering boat, sits in the main hall next to detailed ship models and a working triple expansion engine. Exhibits trace the town's growth from its 1836 whaling station beginnings to its current port operations.
