Stewart Island is the kind of place where birthdays are posted outside the grocery store. The town library is a hole in the wall that is open one hour every other day... the kind of library where you can rent a DVD for $2, even if you are clearly not from the township, if you promise you will return it. Serious. We actually did this.
"We can borrow a DVD even if we are not from here?"
"Sure... Just try to remember to drop it in the slot before you leave the Island, since the library will likely not be open. If you forget, just give it to the crew that runs the flights and they will drop it by. Or mail it, if you get back to the South Island with it... as long as we get it back."
Day one was spent exploring the tiny little town of Oban, which took about an hour to visit nearly every inch of it. Day two was spent walking around the bays nearby, and stopping every couple minutes to look at some aspect of nature. Day three, however, was the big day. On the third day, we rented a sea kayak for the day!
The plan was to paddle to Ulva Island, a little island in the Inlet that was predator free, and a wonderful bird sanctuary. We were greeted by a weka, a funny little chicken like flightless bird.
The island was amazing. There were birds everywhere! What is really sad is that they say that this island is what all of New Zealand was like before humans introduced all the many predators that have dramatically reduced bird populations (being a tiny little island in the middle of no where allowed NZ to develop for thousands of years human and mammal free). The air was so full of bird songs, and tiny little robins, tui, and saddlebacks came to explore and say hello. It was really striking, mostly just because it made you realize just how changed NZ was.
I even managed to use all my horticultural knowledge to spot a tiny little orchid growing there!
From Ulva, we paddled around the rest of the inlet. Kristin even saw dolphins (I missed them) and I saw a penguin (Kristin missed him). Towards the end of the day, the wind picked up, and Kristin and I had a hell of a time getting back to the dock, which was both against the wind and waves, but also the tide. But we made it exhausted and soaked, and though we are sore today, it was one hell of an adventure. :)
In case you are wondering, we are in Dunedin on the east coast of the South Island now, feeling much relaxed. We have a couple of days here, then into Central Otago once more before heading to Christchurch to sell everything we can and come home... just 9 days left!
~ matt
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