Stewart Island (pop. 408) is the most southerly of the three main islands of New Zealand. Foveaux Strait, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) wide, separates it from the South Island. Stewart Island is 370 miles (595 kilometers) north of Campbell Island. The Southland District Council administers Stewart Island; Ruapuke Island, in Foveaux Strait; and the southernmost part of the South Island. Stewart Island is named after William Stewart, first officer of the Pegasus, a ship that visited the island in 1809. Māori call the island Rakiura, which means the land of the glowing skies, because of its sunsets.
A ferry service travels between Bluff and Stewart Island. Shipping companies run services to and from the island. All through the year, amphibious aircraft make several flights a week.
