Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience & Tours - Stewart Island

Fantastic experience: We had booked the morning Ulva Island birding tour, however weather conditions prevented us from getting across. The guide was very accommodating to work with us and our tight schedule to ensure that we got an excellent birding tour, and we ended up enjoying our tour around the island more than we would have across to Ulva Island, as we were able to see more wildlife, birds, and the island itself than we would have otherwise. Very knowledgeable tour guide and we highly recommend this experience!

Fantastic experience: We booked three outings with Furhana of Ruggedy Range during a September stay on Stewart Island/Rakiura - a boat trip to look for seabirds, a walk round Ulva Island to look for endemic birds and an evening kiwi safari. Despite contending with some pretty bad weather, all of these were really successful and we saw everything we could have hoped for: penguins, close-up albatrosses, spoonbills, weka, kaka, yellowheads, saddlebacks and a kiwi that walked past us just a few yards away. As well as being completely committed to the wellbeing of the birds and other wildlife, Furhana is a skilled and expert guide who spares no effort to make each outing a success - even if it means teaching the clients how to walk quietly in the dark! If you want the best chance to see the exciting birds that the island can offer, we can 100% recommend Ruggedy Range.

Fantastic experience: Have never tried bird watching before but what a wonderful experience it was!! Went with my older brother, super cool learning about plants and birds from Furhana still can’t believe she recognized a bird by the sounds it was making when it was foraging on the floor I was totally blown away by this. Furhana was an amazing guide that kept us interested the whole time!! Definitely deserves 5 star review purely because of her vast knowledge of plants and birds

Fantastic experience: Easy 5 stars, Furhana has now inspired a 20yr old into bird watching and flora. We were thoroughly impressed by her vast knowledge and recognition of bird sounds, we saw many amazing things. If we visit again, we’ll surely book again. Thanks for the amazing experience! Hunter S

Fantastic experience: We do an Ulva Island tour. Furhana was a super knowledgeable guide and took care to understand what our group wanted to see. She has a deep knowledge of the local natural history and clearly loves sharing.

Fantastic experience: Very informative and great guide on Kiwi spotting operator not to mention a skilled water taxi/tour skipper.

Fantastic experience: I can really recommend the evening kiwi spotting guided tour! After hiking the Rakiura track and not seeing any kiwi we were so lucky to see them with Furhana. She has extensive knowledge about the kiwi, so much that she actually is able to identity an individual during our night, just wauw! The tour begins with an informative talk to prepare and make sure you get the most out of seeing them. I learned so much! Also she explains the clear guidelines how to behave around kiwi as to not threaten them. This is to ensure that we don’t interfere with their natural behavior and also make it possible to observe them closely if you’re lucky. They are so fascinating and precious! If you’re looking for a responsible way to see kiwi in a small group definitely go with Ruggedy!

Fantastic experience: Furhana is brilliant! Absolutely recommend booking your Stewart Island tours with Ruggedy Range. My husband and I did 3 tours with them recently (kiwi spotting, Ulva Island birding and Pelagic birding) and we spent all that time with Furhana. We were thoroughly impressed with her skill as a tour guide/ornithologist/botanist/water-taxi skipper/tour van driver - it was a one-woman show; she did everything for us and gave us some unforgettable experiences of Stewart and Ulva Islands. What we loved most was how deeply Furhana cares about protecting the unique, wonderful, endangered wildlife here. During our kiwi-spotting tour, she taught our group how to move as quietly as possible and took all the necessary precautions to ensure first and foremost, that we respect the kiwi and try not to disturb it (to the extent we can). We spotted 2 kiwis and were able to view one of them for a long time with Furhana's guidance. She made sure that everyone in the group got a chance to view the birds. She has been a guide for over 25 years and has an intimate knowledge of local birds, birdsongs, trees and regional history. During our Ulva island walk, she found the best angles for the photographers in our group to take their bird photos, but also made sure the rest of us could watch the birds. We learned so much about the native flora and fauna of these incredible islands because we had the best tour guide, thank you Furhana!

Fantastic experience: We used this company to organise our ferry crossing, accommodation and nature experience on Ulva Island. Would absolutely recommend them. We had a hassle-free stay on Stewart Island. The highlight was the tour Ruggedy provided on Ulva Island. Don't go with anyone else. Her knowledge is second to none. You will miss a lot without a guide. Thanks Ruggedy

Fantastic experience: I did this experience in mid-December and to be honest, I cannot believe we saw anything when it was such a windy/rainy night on Stewart island. Our group was incredibly lucky to have Furhana to guide us — she made it a terrific experience; I’ve always wanted to see a kiwi and I learned more than I ever dreamed! The kiwi is a very special bird. Thank you, Furhana!

Fantastic experience: Furhana has encyclopedic knowledge of everything on Ulva Island and the trip was a delight. She was good at managing time, rotating people to the front of the group, giving clear answers, etc. Scheduling required a little juggling despite an advance booking, but it all worked out.

Positive experience: Rented a sleeping bag. Lacks a bit service. Was a bit harsh getting me off the phone and didn't call back later as said. Sleeping bag was old and not best but did its job. Would probably look for another solution next time.

Fantastic experience: Excellent tours both for South Island Brown Kiwi and the rare endemics of Ulva Island. Small groups help everyone to get great views of the birds. The guide is super knowledgeable and skilled.

Fantastic experience: We had a brilliant experience with Furhana at Ruggedy Range. We hired gear from her to do the Rakiura track including sleeping bags, bowls and mugs - everything was clean and in good condition. Furhana showed us how everything worked. We then booked a kiwi tour which was fantastic - Furhana taught us loads about the amazing kiwi and we really appreciated how she put the kiwi first and genuinely considered their welfare as well as trying to get us a good sighting of them. We would recommend Ruggedy Range for anyone looking to hire kit or do an experience tour on Stewart Island. Thank you Furhana! Lily, Patrick and Alice.

Fantastic experience: We had an amazing visit to Stewart Island thanks to Furhana and Ruggedy Range. We did a kiwi spotting tour and a trip to Ulva and just had a great experience. We saw kiwi on Stewart and all sorts of other birds and plants on Ulva. Furhana is knowledgeable and a great guide. Definitely recommend booking in advance and reaching out early so she can speak to you about possible times and dates.

Fantastic experience: We booked a kiwi spotting tour with Ruggedy Range, and we were not disappointed! Furhana's knowledge and respect for the kiwi is abundant, and I appreciated the care she took in guiding us to view the kiwi. It was clear that viewing the kiwi while being conscious of not disturbing them was a big priority, which made us feel like we chose the right tour company.

Fantastic experience: We joined Furhana's kiwi spotting experience and were very impressed by her knowledge, passion and commitment to the protection of kiwi on Stewart Island. We were educated on the use of red lights and how to approach and watch kiwi respectfully. We felt privileged to have seen kiwis completely wild in their natural habitat. We were lucky enough to spot four kiwi and loved our experience with Ruggedy Range!

Fantastic experience: Two fantastic trips with Furhana. A day on Ulva Island and then the three day Rakiura Great Walk. Furhana is incredibly knowledgeable and a very generous host. Our group was quite awestruck by her knowledge of birds, trees and the whole area. The food on the tramp was excellent and Furhana looked after us brilliantky. Highly recommend Ruggedy Range. whole area.

Fantastic experience: We very much enjoyed the Kiwi spotting tour. It was such a privilege to see Kiwi’s with such a knowledgeable guide. If we had been staying longer on the island we certainly would have done another tour with the same company.

Fantastic experience: We were travelling with friends, they suggested we explore around Oban with Furhana from Ruggedy Range as they had been on a tour with her 15 years ago and had found it excellent. We took the Ulva Island tour on Saturday and the Wildlife Cruise on Sunday. Both were exceptional. Furhana is an outstanding guide. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of the islands and their flora and fauna. We were always in the right place at the right time, saw everything we wanted, learnt heaps and had great fun to boot. Our friends said it was even better second time round. Two awesome experiences, Ruggedy Range rocks.

Fantastic experience: Probably THE BEST guide on Stewart Island, knowledgeable and knew right where to find the elusive kiwis. We saw several the night we went out, even tho conditions were not optimal. Also saw penguins, deer and a possum.

Positive experience: This review only for shuttle service. Owner seems like did worry about getting Covid so she asked every one to use sanitizer before hop on. She also direct us to put our bag in certain place in vehicle. the feeling from us she was not so politely and treat us as kids but not using common sense communication. The cancellation policy not very flexible. However we did a great trip still thanks for this service.

Fantastic experience: We had a great experience and got to spend time with 3 kiwi and saw a 4th crossing the road! We initially contacted another tour operator but they would not take kids on the night walks, which was frustrating. Farhana was open to bringing kids, given they could keep quiet, and open to understanding that if they weren’t interested or tired they could hang out in the van. Starting off with an information session was helpful. We went searching and came up empty at a few sites but Farhana didn’t lose confidence. We doubled back to an early site and had our first encounter - about 20 minutes of watching a male feed near the beach. Farhana is good about communicating what she needs for everyone to do and because of this she gets results!! Our kids were so excited that they wanted to stay out late to see more!! Thank you!!

Fantastic experience: Lovely experience touring with Furhana! We saw a bunch of kiwi. Furhana is very knowledgable about kiwi and their environment, and was able to answer all of our questions about their behavior. She was very careful to respect their environment. I highly recommend this tour. :)

Fantastic experience: Awesome trip Furhana is a amazing guide with huge knowledge Loved the experience and the tranquility

Negative experience: Knowledgeable guide but very inflexible re operating times

Fantastic experience: Furhana is an extraordinarily knowledgeable (ornithology, botanics, history, etc.) and helpful guide. She was extremely determined to find Kiwis for us on the Kiwi spotting tour in particular. The Ulva island trip was another wonderful experience with a huge variety of birds and plants and interesting stories and explanations. I really appreciated that Furhana always fully respected nature and wildlife and successfully explained/transferred that to all participants (being quiet, step technique, using red light, etc.). To my mind this is a fantastic tour operator and really worth the money, I highly recommend it. Thank you very much, I learnt a lot.

Fantastic experience: We did a cruise and guided walk with Furhana from Ruggedy Range. We had a really nice time, saw many birds and learned a lot about the flora. She is very knowledgeable and generous of that knowledge about plants, birds and history! Definitely recommend! Thanks again!

Fantastic experience: We did the Kiwi experience and were very successful, luckily seeing three kiwi! Furhana was very informative and knowledgeable. We were part of a small group and Furhana created a patient and calm atmosphere that allowed us all opportunity to see the kiwi. We were very happy and she made sure we had the best chance of seeing a kiwi.

Positive experience: We did a three-hour kiwi spotting tour last week and unfortunately didn't see any kiwis. Furhana kindly offered us another try free of charge the next night but we still didn't see anything. This wasn't down to Furhana's lack of trying or knowledge - or great humour and efforts in keeping our spirits up! The tour was not as expected and we ended up sitting in the minivan driving along the same roads for five hours. Although it was a nice opportunity to chat - we didn't stop for any short walks to search for kiwi, listen to bird calls at night, or gaze at the magnificent southern stars on clear nights - as described on the website.

Fantastic experience: Ruggedy Range and Aihe cruises offer the best walking tours of Ulva Island. Our host, Furhana, was knowledgeable about the wildlife and vegetation and interweaved this into the stories about the birds that live on this predator free island. A unique experience, thank you for sharing. John ;)

Positive experience: Furhana shared some of her extensive knowledge with us on an Ulva island trip, part of the raikura great walk and kiwi spotting.

Fantastic experience: Amazing guide and kiwi tour! Fantastic experience and the guide really knows what she is doing. Definitely worth checking out

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend them! We had an amazing night kiwi tour with Furhana and spent 40 minutes with a kiwi in the wild!

Negative experience: Rude, unwelcoming service and expensive

Fantastic experience: Furhana is an excellent guide. After 26 years on the island she is a mine of information. We did the bus tour with local history and Ulva Island forest and bird 4hour tour. Furhana knew just where to find the most threatened native birds and we were treated to the sight of the rare rifleman, saddlebacks, brown creeper, kakabeak, yellow head and greywarbler, as well as parakeet, oyster catchers and weka. Her knowledge of the trees and bush plants revealed how the forest works cooperatively. Stunning. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: Lovely tour guide with extensive knowledge of kiwi and Stewart Island who catered to the only evening we were available. We had three encounters with kiwi, the third being past the finish time of our tour however Furhana wanted us to have the best experience possible. Would highly recommend this tour and will be booking other tours with her on our next trip. Thank you so, so much for a wonderful evening! Aimee & Michael.

Fantastic experience: Furhana, was amazing we went on 2 excursions one to Ulva Island we did the 3 1/2 hour tour there is no way we would have seen the wide variety of birds on our own, her knowledge of the rain forest, it’s history, and plant life was so extensive, and recognizing the bird calls, identification and then pointing us in their direction was awesome, the time flew by. In the afternoon we cruised Paterson Inlet, again rich with history and went over to the whaling station, both trips are a must if your in Stewart Island and definitely check out Ruggedy Range these trips are certainly so much more incredible with a guide like Furhana.

Positive experience: Furhana was enthusiastic and informative about the history and natural history of the island. She accommodated us on a day when she was already busy and put together the best trips for us in the time available. Much appreciated!

Fantastic experience: I found it good to navigate around.

Fantastic experience: Furhana was an amazing experienced and knowledgeable guide who was very passionate about making sure everyone had a really good experience. She keeps the group under control so that people don’t make noise and therefore scare the kiwis and birds away which I really appreciated. I would really highly recommend Ruggedy Range. We did the Kiwi spotting and Ulva island with them and they were far better than the other tour we did on Steward Island with another company.

Fantastic experience: Done! Rakiura Track, Stewart Island. Three days of hills (many, many, many “undulations”), valleys, streams, beaches, forests, sunshine, mist, rain, and mud. Not to mention the numerous stories, jokes, and outright fabrications shared amongst our small group of eight wonderful companions. We were a mixed group - two in their 40s, two in their 50s, two in their 70s, and one in his 80s. The track is quite tricky at times and is certainly a test of fitness and stamina. But, accompanied by our Ruggedy Range guide, Furhana, we were in excellent hands. Some of us also went to Ulva island the day after completing the track. Again, with Furhana, we saw so much that we might otherwise have missed (including the afternoon kiwi!). Many thanks to our very professional guide, Furhana, and Ruggedy Range for making it all such a marvellous experience.

Fantastic experience: Great experience. We did several trips with Ruggedy Range - kiwi spotting, Ulva Island and a full day walk. Furhana is very professional and very knowledgable. Would definitely recommend

Fantastic experience: Amazing morning on Ulva Island. Thanks Furhana.

Fantastic experience: We did a small van tour of Stewart Island. Furhana was great, excellent knowledge of the island. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: We did the 1/2 day tour Ulva Island- the owner operator guide was very professional and shared a wealth of knowledge about fauna & flora. We all definitely recommend this company.

Fantastic experience: The bus tour was great. I learned a lot about Stewart Island. Thank you for operating in August. :)

Fantastic experience: Incredible experience and professionalism/friendliness beyond what we could have asked for. Would recommend 10/10.

Fantastic experience: Furhana was a very good guide

Fantastic experience: Do not miss a tour or two with Ruggedy Range. Fantastic experience for any level hiker/birder/naturalist. We did the Kiwi spotting and Ulva Island tours and they were excellent. It’s not just a tour. You gain some knowledge about the flora and fauna from a well educated guide. Been to NZ three times so far and this was the best!!!

Fantastic experience: We did the Island Scenic Tour, Ulva Island Birds and Forest, and the Pelagic Bird Cruise. Furhana is a brilliant guide, she is very knowledgeable and passionate. My wife is mildly disabled and Furhana looked after her and made sure she didn't miss a thing. If you are coming to Stewart Island, we thoroughly recommended booking your tours with Furhana at Ruggedy Range...she really made our stay memorable. Like a previous reviewer, we too discovered Furhana loves chocolate !!

Positive experience: My wife and i very much enjoyed the two tours we did however the business itself seemed pretty disorganized.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic knowledge and passion

Fantastic experience: Furhana from Ruggedy Range might be one of the if not the best guide on Stewart Island. Although I have not tried the rest of the tours for comparison, from observation, she showered us with knowledge that she has over the years on bird watching and on nature. Thanks again for the wonderful experience!

Fantastic experience: The guided tours that we joined (Evening Kiwi Spotting and Ulva Island Bird and Forest) are the best tours that we have joined. Furhana (the guide) is so knowledgeable that we all learned so much from her. The places and scenes were gorgeous. And the chances to see Kiwi, Kea, Tui, Stewart Island Robin were very memorable experience. Furhana has very detailed yet interesting explanations about the plants and animals. And we could feel her enthusiasm and respects of the nature around, which I think is of utmost importance for such guided nature tours, for people to learn and respect our mother nature

Fantastic experience: We had a Kiwi spotting tour with Furhana. She is very serious and passionate about the wildlife. We had a thorough introduction of Kiwi birds and how to best spot them. We encountered a Kiwi and traced it until it settled down. We had a extremely good view of the Kiwi for a long period! I am so happy to have chosen this tour, I highly recommend it!

Fantastic experience: Did the kiwi-spotting tour, which was amazing! Good information before we went and instructions on correct behaviour. Well worth the price.

Fantastic experience: Furhana has the most amazing knowledge of the flora and fauna of Stewart Island. An intelligent and serious tour by someone who knows what she is talking about, is very experienced and shows so much passion for what she is doing. I have to Stewart Island several time and so regret not doing the Ulva Island and Kiwi tours before. Make sure you book ahead of time so you and Furhana can plan for the best weather. Highlights were seeing a Saddleback and finally a kiwi in the wild!

Fantastic experience: A really great tour in Oban. We saw many great spots and got great recommendations fur the rest of the day. Big thank you to Furhana!

Fantastic experience: We booked this four months prior from Australia. Communication with Furhana was excellent and she was very reliable. Our half day bird and flora trip to Ulva Island was a fantastic experience. Furhana taught us about bird watching and we sighted over 10 different native NZ birds including some endangered species. The flora we saw was incredible and her historical and botanical knowledge interested us all. We highly recommend this tour - you will not be disappointed.

Fantastic experience: We had a fantastic time with Furhana on Stewart Island where we did the driving birding tour. Not only did we see plenty of the local bird life, but the knowledge of the island and wildlife was beyond anything we had experienced with other companies. We were scheduled to do kiwi spotting with another operator, which was subsequently cancelled, after hearing this Furhana offered to add on some kiwi spotting to our tour which was really appreciated! Personal touches like text communication prior to our tour and Furhana's professionalism made this both an easy experience, and an unforgettable one. 100% recommend to anyone and hope to go on a tour with Ruggedy again in the future.

Fantastic experience: Furhana does a wonderful job as tour guide on Ulva island. If you want to see birds and the fauna of Ulva island go with her ...

Fantastic experience: We chose the Ruggedy Range four hour tour of Ulva Island. It cost a little more than some of the shorter tours, but well worth it. Furhana led our party through the majesty of the pristine rainforest, ears and eyes attuned to the environment. She knew every birdcall, every tiny plant, every massive tree, and her knowledge and passion flowed out and into us all. My few photographs are a poor show. There were many more birds, some of them literally a metre away, including a saddleback, and a robin Furhana charmed down from the trees. She paid careful attention to each member of the group, making certain everyone had a good view of everything. She made sure we trod quietly in the wilderness, respected the birds and plants, were one with the forest. And after, as we bounced across the bay in the water taxi, she encouraged us to sing, tell stories, entertain the boat driver, who rewarded us by pointing out a trio of blue penguins. I left a half block of hazelnut chocolate for her. We discovered Furhana loves chocolate!

Fantastic experience: Absolutely spectacular! Furhana was a simply amazing guide who really knew her stuff! Got some fantastic pictures of birds, as well as lots of time to just appreciate the view. I do not regret for a minute taking this tour - Furhana did a wonderful job of talking about both the birds and the environment, both of which were stunning! She is obviously passionate about the island, and I'll be recommending this to anyone I know who goes to Stewart Island.

Fantastic experience: Penguins and Yellowheads and Weka oh my! Great selection of bird tours. Just got back from an all-day tour of Ulva Island and lost count of the number of different bird species we saw. Also included information on the local and imported vegetation in the area.