Rakiura (Stewart Island)

Our trusty guide, Peter Tait

 Back in Canada we saw some films on Stewart Island or as the Maoris call it, Rakiura, Land of the Glowing Skies. Their legend says that a Maori chief in his search for a wife was doubly embarrassed because his only choices were already spoken for so he left the region. The glowing sunsets of Rakiura are caused by his glowing cheeks. This is a lovely story, and though it rains a lot on Stewart Island, we had two lovely days with glowing sunsets at the end. Stewart Island is famed as a wildlife sanctuary for rare and endangered New Zealand birds. A short boat trip to Ulva Island nearby allows one to see some of these birds up close. As the island is nearly predator free,  some birds are willing to come closer. In fact the little black robins are downright friendly just like the locals.

We flew from Invercargill on Stewart Island Air to save Duncan the boat trip and to save a bit of time as it takes only fifteen minutes. We are instantly whisked off, along with a British couple from Hampshire who were the same flight, to the house we coincidentally happened to be sharing for the new two days. We drink a quick cup of tea with homemade ginger biscuits  and then we get fifteen minutes to buy some essentials at the one small grocery before being hustled off to Peter’s ocean worthy yacht, the Talisker, for our prearranged nature walk to Ulva Island.
Our hosts, Peter and Iris Tait, met on Stewart Island and decided to stay so they are considered “first generation” Stewart Islanders.  She was the visiting nurse on the island, and met him when he came to be the one forest ranger. They love the island and “in retirement” have tried a number of ventures here to make a living. At one time they had a charter business taking tourists on fishing trips of several days. Currently they run a bed and breakfast and also rent out “our” self contained cottage an investment for their daughter who is a pediatrician off island. Peter organizes and leads different tours listed on his Sails Ashore website. The British couple are retired biologists interested in pest control, hence their interest in Stewart Island and Ulva Island, which is a pest-free sanctuary. The poor defenceless New Zealand birds have served as the prey of a number of introduced species e.g. rats, mice, possums, stoats and ferrets. Why did the British settlers want to bring such creatures when they emigrated in the nineteenth century? Apparently the Maori introduced rats, and they also came on ships.  Dogs and cats are also a problem for NZ birdlife.

Peter and Iris are typical friendly enthusiastic New Zealanders. Peter affirms my theory that this amicability is due to New Zealand’s small population of roughly four million inhabitants spread over three islands. I tell him I think New Zealanders must get a terrible shock when they travel to some of the sometimes less hospitable destinations in the world. They must have to harden up a bit when they get to the London or New York City!

His absolute joy at taking us around Ulva Island for three hours is palpable. He claims he loves to spend hours here just observing birds and searching for rare plants like miniature orchids. In fact he apologizes because we linger too long. We’ve signed up for a Kiwi Spotting Tour that evening and must eat dinner beforehand so we have to rush back from Ulva Island for our dinner reservations at the local hotel.  We enjoy warming bowls of seafood chowder and Duncan opts for local battered Blue Cod with chips and I enjoy the fish pie made with smoked seafood.

The tour was amazing by the way.  Being familiar with the birdcalls, Peter listened intently and bounded into the woods to locate the sources. He got us up close to the South Island Saddleback and lured little black robins right up to us by scratching on the soil. They will fly down to look for insects and stand obligingly as the tourists photograph them from all angles. The tiny creatures have little fear of humans and are impossibly cute as they stamp their feet to bring the insects to the surface of the soil. We also saw red crowned parakeets (parrots to us), and Wekas and Oyster Catchers that are unique to Stewart Island. He lectured us on the trees and plants also and I wish I’d been able to record his voice, but he generously shared DVDs with photos, and we purchased a DVD entitled Primeval Paradise, a professional production that essentially recaps his tour.

Stewart Island Brown Kiwi

After dinner we head off with about twenty others including the British biologists and many birdwatchers from all over the world to spot Kiwis on another part of Stewart Island. We are looking for the Brown Kiwi, another species unique here on Stewart Island. Unlike mainland Kiwis, these creatures are diurnal, meaning one might see them during the day too. In fact Russell Beck from Invercargill reported that they just walked across his feet when he was looking for rocks on the island. As there are very few predators, they are unafraid to search for food during daylight hours, though one sees them less frequently.
Philip Smith, a fourth generation Stewart Islander, has the concession to lead Kiwi spotting tours to Ocean Beach about forty minutes away by boat. His literature bills his tour as a David Attenbough type experience, and, in fact, he and Peter Tait were actually hired by the famed naturalist when he visited Stewart Island. Peter and Iris warned us to be at the boat dock on time, because otherwise we’d be waving goodbye to the boat. Peter is a reserved no-nonsense fellow who doesn’t wait for anyone! The boat leaves as scheduled at 8:45 p.m. with all passengers accounted for (they must all have been warned too) and returns us to Half Moon Bay at midnight! Duncan is alarmed at this because he is convinced he must get his eight hours of sleep EVERY night or he will be wasted the next day. Since I don’t sleep that well anyway, I convince him to make an exception. What could be more fun than seeing Kiwis searching for food along a starlit beach? The tour operator says we are 99% certain of seeing the birds but he won’t refund the hefty fee of $140 per person if we don’t so we keep our fingers crossed. Peter pilots the boat and Greg, another local, leads us on a walk up and down and across the neck, a narrow strip of land, to the remote Ocean Beach. Greg warns us not to laugh, talk or make loud noises as the birds are easily spooked and absolutely no flash photography. We are rewarded within five minutes when he shines his light on a juvenile female (according to him) who is foraging for insects next to the boardwalk.  The entire group files past silently before she decides she’s had enough of us and flees into the cover of darkness. This is a good sign! When we arrive at the beach we parade in two directions and wonder how on earth he can see these creatures. We think every shadow looks like a potential Kiwi. He finds us two other larger Kiwis who bound away quite quickly. Kiwis are territorial so he thinks these two are nervous interlopers who are embarrassed at being caught out. This beach “belongs” to a mating pair and their family. Kiwis mate for life by the way.

The night sky is beautiful and we can hear but find it difficult to see the waves crashing on the beach. Someone points out the Southern Cross, Orion and a satellite moving across the heavens. No more Kiwis make an appearance so we trudge back to the jetty in silence still searching for Kiwis on the way. We pass through an abandoned camp for deer hunters who worked here to cull the herds in the sixties. Deer haven’t been removed completely as Stewart Island is a destination for deer hunters who provide a much needed source of revenue for locals during the deer hunting season. As we saw three Kiwis that night, Duncan being the accountant figures that each Kiwi cost us $100 NZ dollars! Some things are worth paying for!

Deep Bay Stewart Island

Fern Gully

Our last day on the Island the wind is blowing a gale, but we hike four hours with a lunch break in the middle. We go around Golden Bay and up Fern Gully, the site of an old logging operation. Backpackers come from all over the world to hike to the more remote parts of Stewart Island. Many of the trails are reputed to be quite muddy at this time of year. One must wear gaiters over the hiking boots and rain gear is essential. Russell Beck told us he wears gum boots and short pants with long polypropylene underwear that dries quickly because the island can be so wet. We’ve had two sunny days - again just blessed by good weather.
However the following day begins with rain, and our return flight is not until 1:30 p.m. so we content ourselves  relaxing in our well equipped cozy cottage, reading nature books from the extensive library and watching local nature DVDs. Most inhabitants live at Half-Moon Bay in the small village of Oban. There are several enticing shops so I take advantage of a bit of free time to browse around and make small purchases. One of the frustrations of a trip like this is the weight restriction imposed by airlines and the space restriction of relatively small suitcases. Anything I buy, I must transport myself, and Duncan is quite pleased about that by the way.
Click Below to See Map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Stewart+Island,+Southland,+New+Zealand&hl=en&ll=-46.980252,167.783203&spn=24.800632,56.513672&sll=-45.460131,167.695313&sspn=25.474172,56.513672&vpsrc=6&hnear=Stewart+Island,+Southland,+New+Zealand&t=h&z=4