Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience - Stewart Island

08/06/2025

Please share this video.

Members of the community speaking out against the DOC and ZIP 1080 proposal for Rakiura/Stewart Island

02/09/2024

Are you are a qualified, experienced safety conscious NZ commercial boat skipper, with outboard motor skills, people, wildlife, outdoor orientated and seeking a new adventure in a special location?

Vacancy, immediate start working for our small nature tourism business in Stewart Island, driving a 7.6 metre boat.

Work is not routine, but varied. Permanent full time or fixed contract available. Including 4 or 5 day weeks.

Fully furnished shared staff accommodation available for rent.

You must be eligible to work in NZ (we are unable to sponsor for work visas).

Please contact us and help us thrive......

08/09/2023

Come and join us on the Rakiura Great Hike in spring as nature re-awakens, with plenty to see and enjoy. All meals and snacks provided. Carry only personal gear and lunch for the day. $200 off our scheduled prices for the 10th to 12th October 2023 hike. We look forward to hearing from you! Call our now or email.

16/08/2023

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Trip Advisor - 2023 Travellers Choice.

We continue to give our best to ensure our customers have a fantastic, rewarding and memorable experience.

Thank you so much to all our customers who have provided their feedback and especially to the staff who have helped and worked hard during the last season.

04/08/2023

We have a couple of different roles including: Nature & Birding Guide and Support Guide. We would love to hear from you if you are passionate about the outdoors, enjoy sharing your knowledge and care about the experience that our customers receive. Contact us for further information at [email protected].

04/08/2023

If you enjoy sales and retail and love the outdoors - this job may be right for you. We are seeking a talented person to join us in our booking office and outdoor shop helping to sell and promote our tours and products to our valued clients. Contact [email protected] for more information.

04/08/2023

We are seeking a special person who loves nature and wildlife and the outdoors and especially sharing this special place with our clients from around the world. Find out more - contact us at [email protected].

23/01/2023

We are searching for an experienced commercial skipper who will be a great fit for our small eco tourism business. Are you that person - able to demonstrate loyalty and keen to work hard as part of our small team to help make our business a success?

04/05/2022

Join us on our guided Rakiura Great Walk this coming season. We are the only local business offering overnight guided walks on the Rakiura Great Walk. Enjoy a better experience with our local expertise gained over 22 years of operation.

Our tours are fully catered - we focus on healthy, delicious meals and of course there are sweet options as well! You only carry your personal belongings.

Check out this link: https://www.ruggedyrange.com/experiences/rakiura-great-walk/

Book early to ensure we can secure accommodation in the DOC huts. For bookings made before 31st July 2022 we are offering a $50 p.p. discount.

The best Stewart Island / Rakiura and Ulva Island tours as rated on Trip Advisor. Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience offers informative and personalised natural history wilderness tours. Join us for kiwi spotting, birding tours, guided walks, wildlife cruises and scenic road trips and much more.

03/05/2022

This year, there have been a number of visits to Ulva Island's beaches by Ho**er sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri), most likely from the nearby small breeding group on the Neck peninsula of Stewart Island. Normally we will see solitary males or solitary females. It was unusual to see a male and female together on this particular beach. They are one of the rarest and most endangered sea lion species. This pair seen here on our Ulva Island Birds & Forest Guided Walk were busy enjoying each others company. Males are darker, 2 to 3.25 metres in length and weigh 300 to 450 kgs. Females are sandy coloured, much smaller 1.6 to 2 metres in length and weighing 160 kgs. Males can live upto 23 years and females upto 16 years. They eat crabs, crayfish and fish and on some occasions eat penguins and fur seals. They are known to dive down to 300 meters and as deep as 600 metres. They breed almost exclusively on New Zealand's sub-antarctic islands with small populations along the south coast of New Zealand and Stewart Island. Breeding is generally from November to January.

25/04/2022

Celebrating all our penguins species around the world.

13/04/2022

It's the time of the year to book your Rakiura Great Walk!
Enjoy our locally run 3-day hike through coastal NZ rainforest to discover Stewart Island's flora, birds, history and fascinating landscapes.

Book before 3rd May to claim a $100 per person discount or visit our page to learn more about this season's itinerary.

Hike through coastal rainforest with picturesque views and beautiful beaches, along regenerating, inland native forest with towering podocarp trees, ferns, mosses and orchids. View historic relics of days gone by. Look out for native birds, even a Kiwi! Discover shell laden beaches. Stay in huts, ca...