Days 21 - 27 of NZ 2022 Trip

DAY 21: Doped up and prepared in every way possible (good breakfast, medication concoction, 1x earplug - that's the latest antidote to travel sickness I learned from the Cook Strait ferry people), I rocked up with Pete to the Ferry Terminal prepared for the worst. The ferry arrived from Stewart Island and looked so small up against a big fuel carrying ship beside it. 

Although I cannot say the experience was pleasant,  I did survive and was not sick. Our choice of seats,  again recommended was up the back in the middle. The weather today was better than forecast,  the seas calmer than yesterday (thank goodness).

The ferry drops its passenger off at Oban, the main settlement on Stewart Island.  

We found ourselves a map,  had some morning tea,  then fortunately were able to check into our backpackers' accommodation. This meant we didn't have to carry around packs around any longer than need be. 

I then headed off to Ulva Island while Pete amused himself around Oban.  Lots of jellyfish at the wharf. 

Ulva Island is meant to be a wildlife haven and it was certainly beautiful. By getting rid of rats,  the  Department of Conservation is helping the Island to become one of NZ's best examples of native forest.  Apparently Ulva Island is one of the few places in NZ that has never seen a stoat, ferret or possum. 

I managed to see a number of birds I hadn't seen before and many different plants. Among other birds,  I saw some Yellowheads, some Saddlebacks and two of NZ's parrot family,  the Kākā and the common red-crowned parakeet or Kākāriki. I didn't realise how big the Kākā is. It is like a smallish cockatoo.

I even found an interesting fly!

Fortunate I had had a good day otherwise,  because it didn't end so well for me. We decided to go out for dinner. I had a yummy, even if a little too rich, seafood chowder but unfortunately it didn't agree with me. No mention of oysters on the menu but ... Let me put it this way, the toilet and I were best friends for a good part of the night.

Day 22. Today was the start of our 3-day hike on the Rakiura Track on Stewart Island, an easy 3-4 hour walk following the coastline with a few ups and downs but on a very well-formed track. Still we felt we exercised well given that our packs were fullish and it was 96% humidity.   While it was misty for much of the day, the sun shone through the mist occasionally to highlight the beautiful colour of the water.

This southern forest is beautiful, full of ferns, lichens and mosses covering everything else. There are tall tree ferns, gnarly vines and many trees I do not know the names of.

Flowers are few and far between but I did see a few on our walk today. A tiny little orchid, a large white Clematis, and the flowers of a few beach plants.

On reaching the end of the first day of the hike at Point William Hut,  we were surprise to see some huge Eucalypts there.  Apparent, they were probably planted in the 1870s. They are now regarded as historic trees and are therefore protected!

Maybe someone could work out what species they are...

There are quite a few feral animals on Stewart Island including rats, cats, possums and deer. All of these have an impact, of course, on the native fauna such as kiwis. However,  kiwis still outnumber people on Stewart Island so we were hopeful of seeing one on this walk. Lots of people staying at the first hut (Port William Hut) we were in went out to search for kiwis at night (they are generally nocturnal) but only one group, which walked quite a distance from camp and persisted in heavy rain,  found one. Glad we decided that going out in the night rain and wind wasn't worth it. 

DAY 23: Today's hike was a bit more difficult.  The first half was quite up and down and there was lots of mud! While it wasn't as bad as we were led to believe it might be,  it still required careful crossing and so took quite some time. 

After about 45 minutes walking we came to the historic site where two old steam engines remain from the logging days.  It is hard to believe that timber getters were desperate enough to try logging here.  It didn't last all that long and obviously none thought that the effort of retrieving these two steam engines was worth it! They are known as log haulers.  One was used to haul logs into a tram.  The other used to haul (using a pulley system) logs down the line to the dock. 

From steam engines to kiwis! A little under 2 hours into our walk,  Pete and I were very excited to come across a kiwi on the track. It dashed off the track pretty quickly and I thought that would be the last of it,  but to our surprise and delight it stayed just a couple of metres off the track and entertained us with its foraging and rather mammal-like running for about 15 minutes! What a treat! Because it was daylight we had no trouble getting photos and videos. Yay! - We didn't even have to stay up till 11pm, as we had been intending. (Just as well as it rained heavily again for a while.)

Today's walk really highlighted the difficulties people must have had trying to live in this environment.  It is always damp - ferns,  mosses and lichens grow on EVERYTHING! It is steep and it is muddy. While there were sealers and whalers and loggers here in fits and starts, there was no real permanent settlement so, in the mid-1800s, an effort was made by the government to bring settlers from the Shetland and Orkney Islands to Stewart Island.  The plan was an abject failure with the whole 30 who arrived leaving the island within a year! Even Maori people are thought to have just made seasonal visits here before European occupation. 

Nevertheless,  the forest is beautiful - from a nature- lover's perspective.  I would never want to live here. 

After arriving at our second hut (North Arm Hut) before it started raining,  we settled in for a bit before the rain stopped and the tide in the bay had gone out.  I then spent quite some time fossicking around rock pools and the beach.  Heaven! A lovely spot to spend rest time. There were some interesting rock formations around the beaches and cockles and mussels galore! I did not attempt to sample any that had been brought in by others in the hut. 

Unfortunately,  Pete has caught a cold,  so he is not feeling the greatest and tried to grab some rest. 

DAY 24: We woke up to yet more blue sky and although that quickly changed to a cloudy one,  as has been the case for the whole walk we have been lucky with the weather. Perfect hiking weather. The sun comes out for a peek, then disappears for a while, and there is an occasional light shower, noticeable but not heavy enough to need a raincoat. 

This hut was quite a bit lighter than the previous one, so most people were up bright and early. We left not long after 7am and enjoyed an hour and a half of pleasant hiking. 

We passed a couple more steam engines. These had been left to deteriorate in the water.  Someone had got them out of the forest,  but perhaps the last boat had gone.  

Onwards we strode, Pete weary but doing okay, when about an hour and a half into the walk,  I realised that I'd left my raincoat back in the hut.  We kept walking for a while thinking that we'd get the NZ equivalent of National Parks to somehow forward it on to us,  when I suddenly remembered that it had our camper keys in it.  Nothing to do but go back! Pete went on slowly ahead with both packs while I did a walking sprint back to the hut - all I needed! By the time I had retrieved the raincoat and caught up to Pete my hamstrings were burning and Pete was stuffed. Still a way to go... We survived.

And, we got back to Oban in plenty of time to have lunch, have a drink,  visit the museum (very good), the Department of Conservation office and catch the ferry back to the mainland. Again we were supremely lucky with the weather - the seas were very calm and with all my medication I suffered no ill. We farewelled Stewart Island looking very Stewart Islandish. 

By the end of the day Pete was stuffed.  We decided to do a RAT and lo and behold,  Pete has Covid! I tested myself too,  despite feeling fine.  I am negative.  Isolation for Pete for 5 more days in a campervan to start with and then onto our house in Queenstown. What are the chances I won't get it?  Pretty low methinks. However,  while I test negative,  I am free to go about my ways providing I test myself everyday, test negative and wear a mask. We were camped at Invercargill in a caravan park,  not ideal for isolation so we had to up and leave in the morning for free camps where Pete can isolate properly. Luckily we have a little portaloo.

DAY 25:  We headed to camp the night at Slope Point, the southernmost part of the South Island.  I went for a wander along the beach of a lake we were camped beside.  Lovely! I needed the walk to stretch my legs out after yesterday's walk followed by sitting in a camper or driving! Dusk was beautiful!

Like in so many other places, there are baches (beach houses) and farms right up to the coast and the coast is not coping. 

DAY 26: Although poor Pete is confined to barracks,  I got out and about today, all masked up.  Fortunately,  I barely passed a soul. First point of interest was Slope Point itself.  This southernmost tip of the South Island is on private property, on a sheep farm.  It is a very blustery 15 min walk from the carpark. I was all rugged up as you can see in my pathetic selfie! I have not yet mastered that art!

Around this part of the country,  Monterey Pines are often used as wind breaks. At Slope Point,  the persistent strong winds push them into misshapen creatures. 

When they are young and unaffected by winds,  they need no extra decorations to perform admirably as Xmas tree.

My next port of call was McLean's Falls. I am driving all day of course because if Pete got pulled over (as he so often does - not) he would be breaking isolation by talking to the police!

McLean's Falls didn't disappoint. The walk up there takes about 20 minutes following the watercourse.  Beautiful cold country rainforest. How many different species of green are there in the first photo I wonder?

The falls were gushing and rather dirty as there must have been a lot of rain upstream. Nevertheless,  a noisy, splendid sight. 

While I leave Pete in the camper reading or resting or both,  I next go off to Curio Bay to check out a petrified forest that is visible on the rock shelf at low tide.  I would love to visit Curio Bay again.  It is a fascinating and beautiful part of NZ,  even if rather chilly and windy when we saw it. 

You are also able to see sea lions and Yellow-eyed Penguins here but my timing was no good for that.  Next time. 

The petrified forest was fascinating especially since across the road is a forest of trees descended from the ones in the petrified forest. Some of the trees were like fallen logs,  others like stumps. 

I had two more places I wanted to visit today,  but one was enough.  I was pretty tired after it. That was Jack's Bay Blowhole. It was another 20 minute walk up to see it.  The coastline around here is pretty spectacular and you could imagine a blowhole anywhere along it. 

But no.  What makes this blowhole special is that it is 200m away from the coast.  When you see it,  literally behind a line of shrubs and a fence is a sheep paddock.  Unfortunately,  it wasn't blowing when I was there,  but it is so strange to hear the sound of the sea thrumming against rocks and caves when you are not actually right at the beach. The water must come right through a tunnel from the coastline. 

Tested myself again and still negative.  A little surprised given that my walk up to the blowhole felt tough. Oh well, masked up and ready to move on. I drive on to a place a little closer to Queenstown,  where we are meeting up with family, for the night. 

DAY 27: Drove into Queenstown today to our AirBnB accommodation.  I have tested positive,  damn it all! Sharing a campervan with someone who is positive never sounded very encouraging. Good news is that Pete is feeling a lot better. Tom,  Sam and Ella arriving this evening.  At least we'll have some slaves to get us meals.  I did some shopping before I tested positive and so have had to sanitise it all for the others.  Now, we are shut away in our room.  Luckily,  this is a room with a view,  even better than this photo shows. 

Long wait for dinner (not long before 10pm) as we had to wait for our slaves to arrive.