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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -46.62429, 168.34211. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 7.8 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 2 hr return
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Invercargill area
- Dog access
- Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
An easy, well-paved track to Lookout Point following the Motupohue (Bluff) coastline. This track is part of Te Araroa Trail.
This DOC directory entry covers Foveaux Walkway in Southland, within Invercargill area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 7.8 km return via same track
- Walking time: 2 hr return
- DOC grade: Easiest
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This track is part of Te Araroa Trail.
This track to the lookout point hugs the coastline offering views across Foveaux Strait, taking in Dog Island lighthouse as well as Ruapuku Island and Stewart island/Rakiura.
Interpretation panels along the way tell the historic stories of the area and give information on the diverse flora and fauna of the bush, island and the strait itself.
During winter you may spot New Zealand fur seals in the surf just of the edge of the track or even southern right whales further into the strait.
Return to Stirling Point the same way or turn off via the Glory Track for a bush walk passing by the historic gun pits.
Getting there
From Invercargill, travel South on SH1 for 25km, continue through Bluff township to Stirling Point car park.
Know before you go
Parking and public toilets at Stirling Point.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
