Stewart Island :)

So from leaving Milford I headed down south to invercargill as a base to go to stewart island and the catlins. It was funny reaching invercargill, it's only got 50,000 people or so living there, but it gave me a shock having to wait at traffic lights to cross the road - I hadn't had to do that for months! Didn't think much of invercargill really, but it did have a nice park to sit in, and the museum next to the isite had tuitaras (lizardy reptile things) living there which was cool.

Anyway, I met a Scottish girl called Lynne in the hostel and turned out we were getting the same ferry over to Stewart island the next day which was nice. We had to get a transfer from invercargill to bluff, and this is run my the same people who run the ferry - it's the only shuttle you can use to get there so it's really expensive :( but anyway, it needed to be done. The ferry across the Foveaux Strait took about an hour and the crossing was very calm (it can be rough as anything apparantly). We saw some mollymawks (smaller albatross type birds) and a yellow eyed penguin fishing. They do this thing called porpoising when they fish and they jump out of the water like dolphins (or porpoises, hence the name I guess) which was pretty cool to see.

We got there mid morning and me and Lynne went on a walk straight away round the bay to Ackers point which has a lighthouse at the end... Well, I say lighthouse, it's more of a box with a light on top... But it was a nice walk and a pretty spot looking out to sea. That afternoon I took myself off to another of the bays and did a walk and had a mooch around the township of Oban.

That evening I met Lynne again and we had fish & chips for tea from the Kaikart, which was delicious as it was all freshly caught, and then went to the pub. As only 300 people or so live on Stewart island, there's only one pub and it reminded me of the blue duck in Milford with the regulars and the tourists, it was a cool place, I liked it a lot. We had a pretty good drinking session and while we were there, saw this amazing rainbow stretch all the way across halfmoon bay, it was gorgeous. That's one thing I love about new Zealand, the way the rainbows go right down to the ground, you never see where they end in the UK.

So the next day, the forecast wasn't looking all that great, but I didn't want to waste my day being stuck indoors when I was in such a fab place, so I donned my waterproof and headed out on another tramp. This one took me north west of Oban to Kaipipi Bay and round Ryans Creek to lots of inlets and beaches. I was so glad I went as the rain cleared up pretty much as soon as I started off and stayed away most of the time. The sun even made an appearance a few times :) I got completely covered in mud though but it was great!

The next day I headed out north east of Oban and did a hike to Maori beach. It was a really pretty walk along, passing lots of pretty beaches and inlets. Then through Lee bay which is the start of the national park and there's a chain link sculpture across the pathway. The Maori legend goes that ... Fished the north island out of the sea, the south island was the canoe he did it from and Stewart island is the anchor the south island was attached to, so there's a chain going into the sea from lee bay, coming out at Bluff on the south island. Maori beach was really pretty, it used to be used a lot for saw-milling on the island and there were old remains from the factory on the beach. I had a nice sit at Horseshoe bay on the way back, with its lovely white sand and blue sea... aaah :) I also headed up Garden mound to get some nice views of Oban and the half moon bay area, got a bit lost, went round in circles for a bit, getting covered in mud in the process, but found my way out in the end :)

That evening I went kiwi spotting and saw 3! 2 females and a baby which was really cool! They foraged around either in the bush or on the beach, getting the little insects that live under the dead seaweed. The milky way was looking so bright, it was beautiful to see.

The next day I rested my legs and had a sit on a beach, beautiful white sand and blue sea & sky! And went on a boat trip round Patterson inlet and onto ulva island to have a look at all the birds there. I saw so many little blue penguins on the way over to Ulva island! On the island, the birds are so tame, having never had anything to fear, its lovely. The Stewart Island robin was a very inquisitive little chap, but they dont have red breasts over here, they're grey/brown and white.

Its funny to think that Stewart Island's on the same latitude as Paris. It seems so far down south! I was sad to leave Stewart Island, it was a beautiful place and there was still loads I didn't get to see and do... Maybe next time :)