Why go: Known as Te Punga o Te Waka a Maui (The Anchor Stone of Maui's Canoe) to Māori, remote Stewart Island is one of New Zealand's most interesting destinations. Around 400 locals call New Zealand's third-largest island home, laid-back Kiwis who share their southern abode with more than a few real-deal, feathered kiwi. Rakiura National Park comprises more than 80 per cent of the island, and the park's Rakiura Track is an accessible way to explore a rugged environment of bush and beach infused with Māori heritage and more recent history. Birdlife includes New Zealand's best opportunity to see kiwi in the wild, plenty of pelagic species including shags, petrels and albatrosses, and a tiny offshore island sanctuary soundtracked by the overlapping calls of many native birds.