The Bluff Lighthouse

Bluff is one of the earliest European settlements in New Zealand. It is a working port and particularly busy in the oyster season. The main fishing throughout the year is for lobster and cod, and we have several restaurants where both are available most of the time.

The Oyster season runs from April to August. In May we have the most wonderful festival to celebrate our oysters with people coming from many different parts of the world to partake.

There is a wonderful maritime museum which tells our local history and tales of whalers and ships which came and worked and sailors who sometimes never left.

We have many coastal walking tracks with great views from Bluff hill where you can see Stewart Island and many other outlying lying islands. Bluff hill is now home to biking tracks as well and many people spend a great deal of time practising for the yearly Burt Munro events which happen there.

Take the obligatory photo at Stirling point at the Beginning of State Highway 1 which runs from Bluff to Cape Reinga in the far north.

Bluff is also the take off point for the Stewart Island Ferry which takes about 40 minutes to arrive at the Raikura National Park.