South Sea Hotel, Stewart Island, New Zealand

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At the end of February I made a short visit to Stewart Island, the small island about 30 km south of the South Island New Zealand. It's an isolated place and just what I needed for a few days break. The Maori name for Stewart Island is Rakiura, meaning glowing skies. This is a popular place for viewing the Southern Lights or southern skies, though I was there at the wrong time. Fewer than 450 people lve on the island, and most of them in or near the village of Oban, the only settlement. It was there that I stayed, in the only hotel on the island, the South Sea Hotel. The South Sea Hotel is small, catering for locals and tourists. There are 12 bedrooms, a restaurant and a bar. It's right on the waterfront and made a good base for my exploring what was to offer on the island. The restaurant offered the most amazing fresh seafood meals and it was on these I feasted during my four day stay. The picture above is of the hotel. It looks out across the harbour. My bedroom was on the top floor and I had a view of the harbour if I stood near the window. The weather on the island is usually cool and damp. In fact one local told me it rains two out of three days. Although it was raining the day I arrived and the day I left, my two main days provided lovely sunshine, enabling me to enjoy all the island had to offer. The island provides a much simpler life than the mainland and, in many ways, I wished I could have stayed longer.