Oban, New Zealand

Oban is the principal settlement on Stewart Island, the southernmost inhabited island of the New Zealand archipelago. Oban is centred on Halfmoon Bay (sometimes used as an alternative name for the town), and stretches over a peninsula to Paterson Inlet. It has aircraft connections with Invercargill and a ferry service to Bluff, both on the mainland South Island.

The settlement was named after Oban in Scotland (An t-Òban in Scottish Gaelic, meaning The Little Bay), due to the strong influence Scottish settlers had in the south of early colonial New Zealand.

The island has received a moderate boost of commerce and some millions in government funding since tourism increased markedly after the opening of the Rakiura National Park.

It is possible to see kākā during the day and kiwi during the night in Oban. Efforts have been made to eradicate many of the introduced predators of native birds in Oban, such as stoats and domestic cats, with bigger plans to target possums, three species of rat, and hedgehogs.