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Stewart Island Cruise

Stewart Island Cruise

STEIE
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Description

Join Island Escape Cruises on this voyage taking you to the most remote and untouched part of the Fiordland World Heritage park. Enjoy the view of the steep majestic fjords carved out by glaciers over thousands of years as we slowly make our way into the very bottom of them. Watch the waterfalls cascading from the mountains and into the fiords and the lively wildlife both in the air and under water.

We visit Stewart Island (Rakiura) another undiscovered tourist destination. It´s densely forested hills, many beautiful bays and golden beaches creates picturesque landscape. Stewart Island is a haven for brown kiwi which outnumber the humans on the island and are active day and night. Blue penguins and the rare yellow-eyed penguins waddle among the rocks.

Trip Name
Stewart Island Cruise
Days
9
Overview
Vessel Type: Yacht Length: 53.5 metres Passenger Capacity: 32 Built: 2020/2021 At Island Escape Cruises we are passionate about preserving the beautiful water in which we are travelling. We have built a yacht which goes above and beyond the future global standards for emission, but we want to go further. The elimination of single use plastic is our goal. Onboard each guest receives a reusable water bottle which can be refilled around the yacht and taken with you as a souvenir. We have installed an advanced wastewater treatment system onboard enabling us to have zero impact in sensitive areas. Our new yacht complies with SOLAS and is fitted with state-of-the-art stabilisers, fuel-efficient diesel-electric propulsion, and catalytic invertors that reduce NOX emissions to air up to 90%. With this innovative technology and our 15 years of experience, Island Escape will set a new standard, making her one of safest, most environmentally friendly and comfortable yachts of her class. To further reduce energy consumption, we have installed a waste heat recovery system that uses waste heat from the engines to make hot water for your showers and the galley.  We want to leave any destinations we visit in the same or even better condition than we found it to make sure future generations will have the chance to experience it as we did. Therefore, we have fitted our yacht with a dynamic positioning system, which allows us to be stationary in areas where the use of anchors would damage the seabed. The Art Of Dining Relaxation, exceptional food and carefully selected wines are an essential part of your vacation. Fresh sea air not only clears your mind, it also makes you hungry. Our chefs are dedicated, ensuring that every meal is magnificent. Local seafood, maybe even some that you caught yourself, is featured daily. You´ll enjoy locally sustainable specialities and even an opportunity for the chefs to prepare some of your own fresh catch. All Inclusive We strive to give you a relaxing lifelong memorable experience on-board our yacht. All food, drinks, activities, unlimited Wi-Fi and services are included in your fare. Our Suites With only 32 guests on-board our yacht is spacious, yet intimate enough to give you a truly exclusive private yacht atmosphere. All seventeen suites are designed by Tillberg Design of Sweden and come with ocean views. Our premium Owners suite and six Horizon suites are located on the upper deck and have floor to ceiling panoramic doors to your balcony. The spacious Ocean Suites are available in king, twin or single configurations.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 Queenstown
Arrival in Queenstown is always spectacular, especially by air. Your comfortable room and a warm welcome await you at the Heritage Hotel. We recommend you plan in enough time to explore this world-class alpine destination and enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants beside the lake. It’s a beautiful location, and you’ll find numerous tempting dining options.
Day 2 - Day 2 Doubtful Sound
Soon after breakfast, we’ll have you out in the big scenery on a private coach trip to Lake Te Anau. You’ll have time to explore Te Anau township before boarding the helicopters for a 20-minute scenic flight to the ship. The helicopter flight is an experience-of-a-lifetime, a chance to take in the panoramic grandeur of Fiordland, before descending into the wild solitude of Doubtful Sound – and the helipad on Island Escape. Once bags have been stored in your cabin, we will ask you to gather on deck so our crew can acquaint you with the ship layout and the safety systems. Your cruise begins – we make our way to the Tasman Sea along Doubtful Sound then down the coast to anchor for the evening in Dusky Sound. Chef has prepared a welcome dinner that is served alfresco on the aft deck.
Day 3 - Day 3 - 4 Dusky Sound
Our journey starts to delve into the early history and exploration of Fiordland. The Captain will give an orientation of the history of the area and on the life of Captain James Cook and his visits to this part of New Zealand. We head ashore in Pickersgill Harbour to explore the area where Captain Cook beached his ship Resolution in 1773 to repair her hull. Nearby is Astronomers Point, the site of a temporary observatory set up during Cook’s stay. Back onboard, feel free to relax and take in the view from the jacuzzi on the Island Escape top deck. On clear evenings this is the perfect place for some stargazing into a pure NZ dark sky.We explore inland to the head of Dusky Sound and Supper Cove. This cove is the western trailhead for one of New Zealand’s greatest wilderness hikes – the Dusky Track. We visit Cascade Cove, Cook Channel, Fanny Bay and Nine Fathom Passage. There will be an opportunity to join the Zodiac´s excursion to Seaforth Hut and perhaps explore the Seaforth River. Morning tea will be served in peaceful Sportsman’s Cove. Lunch is served underway, and with a taste for adventure, we sail to Long Sound for the evening.
Day 4 - Day 5-6 Chalky Inlet, Preservation Inlet and Long Sound
Captain James Cook was the first European to see Taiari / Chalky Inlet during the second voyage in 1773, naming both it and Chalky Island after the white cliffs on the island’s seaward side. Cook did not enter the fiord. The first Europeans known to have entered and explore came in 1813, when the cutter Snapper entered the fiord and established a camp for a number of months.Pest control efforts on the islands in Chalky Inlet have led to the eradication of pests from Great Island, the Passage Islands and Chalky Island, with the latter three having been declared predator free since 1999. This has allowed the islands to become a sanctuary for many native species which have been reintroduced to the area since 2002, including the mohua, orange-fronted kakariki, little spotted kiwi and tieke. Chalky Island is also home to the Te Kakahu skink.With 3,672 hectares, Long Sound Marine Reserve is the largest reserve in Fiordland. It includes the main Long Sound basin, ‘the Narrows’, and Revolver and Useless Bays.The first shore-based whaling station in New Zealand was established here in 1828 exploiting southern right whales in the area. In the 1890s gold deposits were found. Two settlements, known as Cromarty and Te Oneroa, were established in Kisbee Bay for miners. By 1904 only a few miners were left, and few traces of the settlements remain.This is an amazing area of NZ history we explore as only a very few have ever visited here in the recent past.
Day 5 - Day 7-8 Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island
We arrive for breakfast within the shelter of the inlet. Oban is the only town on Stewart Island. It is located in Halfmoon Bay within Paterson Inlet, with access via aircraft from Invercargill and regular ferry services from Bluff. It has a choice of places to eat, a few souvenir retailers, and all the essential shops. We walk the numerous tracks across the islands, kayak the beautiful coastline and cruise the very nearby islands.Ulva Island is a small island about 3.5 km long lying within Paterson Inlet. It has an area of 267 hectares. Ulva Island’s relative isolation, but easy access from Stewart Island has allowed it to become an important natural resource area. It is a sanctuary for both birds and plants, holding species that on the mainland of New Zealand are rare or have died out. In 1997, the island was declared rat-free, following an eradication programme, and extirpated birds have been reintroduced to the island. The birds include the South Island saddleback, yellowhead and Stewart Island robin Other birds on the island that are rare on the mainland include the Stewart Island subspecies of southern brown kiwi, rifleman, yellow-crowned and red-fronted parakeet and South Island kaka while the endangered yellow-eyed penguin uses the island for breeding sites.
Day 6 - Day 9 Bluff/Invercargill
We sail at breakfast to arrive alongside the main Bluff wharf by 10:30am and disembark by 11am.
Day 7 - Please Note:
Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type

Inclusions

    • Discover the wonders of the Doubtful and Dusky Sound
    • Visit rarely explored Chalky and Preservation inlets, deep into Long Sound
    • Spend two days on Stewart Island

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