Stewart Island is a one-hour, notoriously rough boat journey across the Fouveaux Straight from Invercargill but as luck would have it, it was like a millpond the day we crossed for a four day stay. The Maori name for Stewart Island is Rakiura or Land of Glowing Skies and it's easy to see why after witnessing one of its fiery red dawns or sunsets or catching an occasional flash of Aurora Australis.
Home to 30,000 kiwis (birds) and 420 kiwis (people), the feathered type are still difficult to catch a glimpse of, unless you are prepared to go and stand still in a forest for a very long time in the dead of night. Having said that, trampers out walking in the Rakiura National Park which protects this island that is brimming with native birdlife, isolated sandy coves and scenic tramping tracks have almost stumbled over kiwis in the daytime and they have carried on snuffling and poking about for food around their feet regardless.
We were staying at Oban, the only village on the island nestled in Halfmoon Bay. On our first night we had supper at the famous Kaikart, the only chippie on the island, followed by a couple of drinks at the South Sea Hotel, the only pub on the island, then had trouble finding the B&B because we were out of range of the only lampost on the island and this place was real dark!
One of the highlights of our trip so far was a visit to Ulva Island - bird watchers have been known to go all woozy after 5 minutes here. A short water-taxi ride from Stewart Island, Ulva is completely free of predators and grazing animals so the birdlife and vegetation is exactly as would have been found on mainland NZ before deer, stoats, rabbits, possums, rats and mice (all introduced by Europeans) started munching their was through all the native species. After checking our bags and turning out of pockets for any seeds or stowaway rats, armed with a booklet listing all the different species present, we spend a magical day wandering around the maze of tracks at a snails pace being followed by curious little robins and beautiful fantails flitting from branch to branch above us, feeding on insects disturbed by our footprints. We were stalked by a few weka, large flightless birds that would think nothing of rummaging around in your rucksack and running off with your sandwiches!
Until 1921 there was a postal service on Ulva, and Postmaster Traill would hoist a flag to signal the arrival of mail and hopefuls would row in from surrounding islands. Apparently no-one was really bothered if there was mail for them or not as these were great social gatherings that lasted for hours on end. After the flag was raised for the last time, Ulva was declared as a bird sanctuary. By the end of the day we had ticked off just about everything from our feathered list - all except one and no prizes for guessing ...
Saturday, 24 May 2008
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1 comment:
Darling ones!
I'm enjoying the trip almost as much as you are - the blog is fantastic! By far the best travelogue I've ever read. Mae'r rhan Cymreg yn tipyn anodd i mi ddeall ond rwy'n persevering. Practice makes perffaidd.
You haven't written for a few days - what are you up to? You can't keep things to yourselves, you know - this is a shared experience!
Sending you both lots of love,
Myfanwy
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