Oban
The only town on Stewart Island, built around Halfmoon Bay and linked to Bluff by ferry. Its small harbour has a pub, shops and the Rakiura Museum, and walking tracks lead into the national park.
- Where
- Stewart Island, Southland, New Zealand
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- -46.8990, 168.1270
Get the Oban stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Oban. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Southland volume with your photos and a note.
Near Oban
Stewart Island / Rakiura 21 km
The third largest island of New Zealand, lying 30 kilometres south of the South Island across Foveaux Strait. Most of it is Rakiura National Park, and it is one of the best places to see the kiwi in the wild and the southern lights.
Curio Bay 78 km
A coastal bay in Southland best known for a petrified forest about 180 million years old, visible on the rock shelf at low tide. It is also home to a breeding colony of yellow eyed penguins, one of the rarest penguin species.
Cathedral Caves 101 km
A large V shaped limestone sea cave on Waipati Beach, 15 kilometres south of Papatowai on the Catlins coast. Its two main entrances join inside the cliff, and the cave can only be entered safely around low tide.
Lake Hauroko 122 km
The deepest lake in New Zealand at 462 metres, lying in a forested valley in Fiordland National Park. The lake, close to the south coast, is known to Maori as a place of burial for chiefs.
Nugget Point 138 km
A steep headland on the Otago coast at the northern end of the Catlins, reached by road from Kaka Point. A lighthouse built in 1870 stands at its tip, surrounded by rocky islets, with seabirds, seals and sea lions below.
Kepler Track 171 km
A 60 kilometre circular hiking track near the town of Te Anau, within Fiordland National Park. The route crosses rocky mountain tops, beech forest, glacial valleys and the shores of Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri.
Fiordland National Park 179 km
A vast national park in the south west corner of the South Island, covering 12,607 square kilometres and making it the largest in New Zealand. Deep glacier carved fiords such as Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound cut into its steep rainforest and mountains.
Lake Te Anau 191 km
The second largest lake in New Zealand by surface area, at the gateway to Fiordland. Glowworm caves on the western shore can be visited by boat, and the lake is the start of the Kepler and Milford tracks.
More hidden gems in Southland
Questions
Where is Oban?
Oban is in Stewart Island, Southland, New Zealand. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Stewart Island / Rakiura (21 km), Curio Bay (78 km), Cathedral Caves (101 km).
How do I get the Oban stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Oban and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Southland volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Oban before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Southland volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.