Fernweh: Home
    ExploreTravel GuidesPlan a tripMy tripLast visited
    de|en
    All Places & RegionsAll highlightsAbout FernwehFAQPrivacy PolicyImprint
    ExploreTravel GuidesPlan a tripMy tripLast visited
    Bluff

    New Zealand

    Bluff

    Town

    Bluff is a port town at the southern tip of the South Island, about 30 kilometers south of Invercargill. Here State Highway 1 ends, the ferry to Stewart Island departs, and the famous Bluff oyster comes from the Foveaux Strait.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. New Zealand
    7. Southland
    9. Bluff
    Bluff is a port town at the southern tip of the South Island, about 30 kilometers south of Invercargill. Here State Highway 1 ends, the ferry to Stewart Island departs, and the famous Bluff oyster comes from the Foveaux Strait.

    Sehenswürdigkeiten

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Flox Mural - South Sea Spray

    1Flox Mural - South Sea Spray

    The large-format mural by New Zealand street artist Flox features motifs from the coastal animal and plant world.
    Open in Google Maps
    Stirling Point

    2Stirling Point

    State Highway 1 ends at Stirling Point. The yellow signpost indicates distances to cities worldwide and the South Pole; on a clear day, you can see across Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island. However, the southernmost point of the South Island is Slope Point in the Catlins. Coastal paths like the Foveaux Walkway start from the car park.
    Open in Google Maps
    Greenpoint Domain

    3Greenpoint Domain

    Green space at Bluff harbour with a short waterfront path and views across the bay. Nearby are old, abandoned shipwrecks on the shore.
    Open in Google Maps

    Essen & Trinken

    1

    BLUFF KITCHEN FOOD TRUCK Roadside

    Food truck on the road at the village entrance, offering takeaway dishes, and seasonally also oysters and fish.
    Show on Google Maps
    2

    Anchorage Cafe bar

    Cafe and bar in Bluff for coffee, lunch, and a drink before or after the ferry to Stewart Island.
    Show on Google Maps
    3

    TJ’s Kitchen Bluff

    Snack bar on Gore Street with burgers and takeaway dishes.
    Show on Google Maps
    4

    Hayz @ The Anchorage

    Restaurant on Gore Street, with Bluff oysters on the menu during the March-August oyster season.
    Show on Google Maps
    5

    Stella's In Bluff

    Cafe and takeaway on Gore Street with Chinese dishes and simple cafe snacks.
    Show on Google Maps

    Port and Oysters

    Harbour and OystersBluff is considered one of New Zealand's oldest continuously settled places by Europeans, with whalers establishing themselves here as early as the 1820s. Today, the deep-water port and the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter define the economy. The oyster fleet sails from March to August, and in May, the town celebrates the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival.

    Arrival

    Getting ThereFrom Invercargill, it's about a 30-minute drive on SH1. The ferry to Stewart Island departs multiple times daily and takes approximately one hour; parking at the terminal is paid.

    Accommodations in Bluff

    Find perfect stay in Bluff

    Booking.com* (Affiliate link)
    Search Hotels
    Agoda* (Affiliate link)
    Search Hotels
    Airbnb
    Vacation Rentals

    * Affiliate link: if you book through it, we earn a small commission. The price stays the same for you.

    Nearby

    Invercargill

    Invercargill is New Zealand's southernmost city and the hub of the Southland agricultural region. Wide, grid-patterned streets, historic buildings on Dee and Tay Street, the large Queens Park, and vehicle collections centered around motorcycle racer Burt Munro characterize the city. The Catlins, Bluff, and Stewart Island are close.
    Stewart Island (Rakiura)

    Stewart Island (Rakiura)

    Stewart Island lies approximately 30 kilometres south of Bluff, across Foveaux Strait. A good 80 percent of the island belongs to Rakiura National Park, and its only settlement is Oban on Halfmoon Bay. The island is one of the best places in New Zealand to see kiwis in the wild, and the offshore Ulva Island is a predator-free bird sanctuary.

    Southland

    Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region, from the peaks of Fiordland to Foveaux Strait. It includes vast farmland, the city of Invercargill, Bluff Harbour, Stewart Island, and the southern Catlins.
    The Catlins

    The Catlins

    The Catlins are a sparsely populated coastal region in the southeast of the South Island between Invercargill and Balclutha. The Southern Scenic Route passes by waterfalls like the Purakaunui Falls, the rugged coastline of Nugget Point, and the petrified forest of Curio Bay, where Yellow-eyed penguins and Hector's dolphins live.
    Manapouri

    Manapouri

    Manapouri is a small town on the eastern shore of Lake Manapouri, approximately 20 kilometers south of Te Anau. Boats for Doubtful Sound tours depart from Pearl Harbour, and it's also a quieter overnight stay option than Te Anau.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI