Rakiura National Park is a nature reserve park located on Stewart Island/Rakiura, New Zealand. It is the 14th of New Zealand's national park and was officially opened on March 9 2002. It covers 1,570 km², which is about 85% of Stewart Island, New Zealand's third-largest island. The park area excludes the township area around Half Moon Bay (Oban) and some roads as well as private or Maori-owned land further inland. It is made up of a network of former nature reserves, scenic reserves, and State Forest areas.

Natural history

The popular Rakiura Track is within the national park. Many native birds can be found within in the park, and Rakiura offers perhaps the best opportunity anywhere in New Zealand for viewing kiwi in the wild. This in part due to absence of of stoats and ferrets. Certain coastal areas of this Park are breeding areas for the endangered Yellow-eyed Penguin.

See also

• National parks of New Zealand
• Tramping in New Zealand

References

External links

• Department of Conservation information on Rakiura National Park.