From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Stewart Island (Maori: Rakiura) is the third largest island of New Zealand. It lies 30 km south of the South Island. The island has an area of 1746 square kilometres and its permanent population is less than 400 people.
Captain Cook was the first European to sight the island, but he thought it was attached to South Island so named it South Cape in 1770. Europeans realised it was an island at the beginning of the 19th century. It was named after Captain William Stewart, who was the first to chart the island in 1809.
Although some tourism, forestry and farming takes place on the Stewart Island, the main industry is fishing. Much of the island is set aside as Rakiura National Park.
