March16

On our second day on Stewart Island, we had booked a nature and bird watching tour of Ulva Island, a protected habitat, free of predators since rats were eradicated about ten years ago. Dianne begged off the excursion with a sore back that needed a day of inactivity. The rest of us show up at the wharf at 8:20 am, right on time, except there was no boat. We had no idea that such a small place would have more than one wharf. A nice young man called a cab for us, and in a minute we were transported over the ridge to a small wharf on the opposite shoreline, where a small group with our guide Kari patiently waited. Our water taxi made the crossing to Ulva Island in ten minutes. The day was perfect, about 65 degrees, clear sky with a slight breeze. We were dropped off at a small harbor, which was the original site of the first post office in Stewart Island. Kari proved to be an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. Our group of seven slowly made its way across the island, through primordial forest, tree that have never harvested, with some of them over 1000 years old. The bird life was varied and having no experience of predation, showed little hesitation in approaching our group. The robins were particularly charming, hopping along beside us, until someone would scrape away some ground cover with their shoe, exposing soil, rich with bugs. The robin then hopped over, and gently tapped the earth with its foot, to mimic raindrops hitting the ground. The bugs, fearing drowning, would soon surface and become a meal for our clever robin. The Weka, a bold and flightless bird about the size of a large chicken, ran to greet us as we came to the beach. He brazenly checked our shoes and packs for any good bugs, but left disappointed. Our tour of the island complete, we reboarded the water taxi for the return to Golden Bay.

We had lunch at a little chip stand by the harbor. Pretty good fish, says Colleen, not sure what kind. The chips are good kumara (sweet potato) fries. Back at the house, Dianne has been off her feet, on ice. In the afternoon, the others go off on hikes around the bays, exploring this very interesting island. After a simple but delicious home cooked dinner, we pack up to prepare for an early flight back to the mainland Tuesday morning.

The next morning, 7:30am, on the dot, Donn is there to collect us and our gear and take us to the depot in the village 3 minutes away. Dianne is feeling better and tolerates being vertical. Our concern about getting delayed by fog is unfounded. The weather is perfect again with a gorgeous sunrise. We are shuttled out to the airstrip, stuffed into a tiny plane and make the hop back to Invercargill. With such clear skies we all enjoy seeing the landscape from a God like perspective. Traveling in a small plane is a great ride. Small airports are great too. After a perfect landing, our baggage was at the curb before we got to the terminal exit. The car was parked 100 feet away, parking for the two days was $8. We loaded up the bags and were off for this days day’s destination, Te Anau (pronounced “tee-an-no”, accented like “piano”).