Saturday 4^th January 2003

Again our departure is determined by the tides. This time we have to be at Curio Bay at low tide to see the Petrified Forest. Again travel over gravel roads for long distance - roads seem worse after rain. Here there are fossilised tree trunks and stumps in a bed of rock which has been exposed by sea erosion. Arrive in time but on first sight are not impressed. It is still raining gently and the rocks look very slippery but we go down to look and find, at close proximity, the fossilised wood is quite clear.

Today off to Stewart Island, ferry leaves Bluff, south of Invercargill at 5pm. Because of early start actually have some time to kill. Decide to stop first at Waipapa Point (passing Slope Point - most southernmost point of South Island), where there is chance of seeing Sea Lions. No luck, but walk along beach where there are many paua shells washed up. Also people out with wet suits and snorkels presumably looking for live ones to eat. Rules strictly control size and number of paua that can be collected per person per day. Paua shell very attractive colours and used in many local crafts.

Make our way to visitor information centre in Invercargill which is located in the Southland museum. Interesting displays with live tuatara (living dinosaurs?), Maori artefacts and Victoriana (cf Okains Bay), NZ Geographic photographic display, and Roaring Forties - wildlife, history. Drive on to Bluff.

Ferry tickets reserved well in advance which pick up and pay for (2 @ $84 return). Car to be left in secure storage at cost of $5 per day (6 days). Heavy luggage is placed into large metal bins which are forklifted then craned aboard. There is very little wind for which we are both very grateful but we have each taken half an Avomine as a precaution - unfortunately this makes us very sleepy. The crossing will take about an hour. Everything goes smoothly, Pete sleeps, waking for a cup of coffee just before arrival. Ron is waiting for us on the wharf - we recognise him from Betty's video - and takes us up to the house where we meet Elspeth. Ron's Land Rover is white with blue stripe and flies the Saltire for Scotland.

Our crib for the week is much bigger than we expected and has all the comforts we could need - thanks to Betty we have fallen on our feet here. Ron and Elspeth cook dinner for us (Pete nips down to village for bottle of wine) and we stir some old memories of the Torridon area.

A rata tree is flowering just outside the sitting room window and while we sit in the half light two kaka's land in it making a lot of noise. These are quite large parrots which are fairly common here but rare elsewhere.

Sunday 5^th January 2003
Walk down to "Ship to Shore" (local shop) to stock up with provisions - only brought limited stock with us. Call in at Elspeth's shop - The Fernery - on our way. Our house is at the top of a steep hill and the centre of the village is at the bottom. In fact there are lots of steep ups and downs all round Halfmoon Bay. Also visit the Visitor Information centre. Although there are less than 400 permanent residents on the island, Oban - the principal settlement - has all the amenities one could require - including petrol/diesel; library; school; post office; church; hotel; fish and chip shop; museum; taxi; car, scooter and kayak hire; several backpackers…

After lunch we take a walk up to Observation Rock, a high point above the house with excellent views over Paterson Inlet which is a vast inlet lying to the south of us. Within the inlet are lots of bays and islands, including Ulva Island which is a nature reserve. From there we walk back down past the house and down to Golden Bay. The house lies near the summit of a peninsula separating Halfmoon Bay from Paterson Inlet and Golden Bay is on the southern (inlet) side. Quite a lot of boats are moored in Golden Bay and further along at Thule Bay. This gives them good access to the rest of the inlet. It is quite windy and while on the wharf at Golden Bay two water taxis stop to offload passengers. A tricky operation with the boats bouncing up and down. Walk back through Raroa Scenic Reserve (just 20 mins) but is a small area near the town composed of rich natural forest untouched by early milling operations. Large areas of Stewart Island were logged and are now regenerating, but the big trees are only found in areas that were not exploited.

Glyn cooks a chicken stew, which is going to last for two or three days. This wouldn't be possible in a backpackers.

Ron has offered to take us out in his boat and Pete is planning to do a 3 day walk in 1 day! Depending on the weather we will try to do these over the next two days.

Monday 6^th January 2003
Wet this morning - in fact all day - feels a bit like home. So don't do any of our planned activities. Instead do crosswords and Pete does "Flower Fairies" jigsaw! Don't mind lost day - there have been very few in eight weeks. In the afternoon take a walk to Moturau Moana gardens - up and down several hills. Pass the Bathing Beach which looks very nice and Butterfield Beach.
Chicken stew again, and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" on TV. Weather dries up and Ron says we'll decide at 9am tomorrow what we are doing.

Tuesday 7^th January 2003
Ron arrives at 9 and we decide to go boating. We meet at the wharf in Thule Bay where Ron has taken his boat - Mokararua (Maori for butterfly). It is a wooden boat with character. Big cabin with diesel engine, inside wheel as well as outside tiller, galley, and plumbed loo. The water in Paterson Inlet is a bit choppy and we head out across the wind to Ulva Island.

Ron is qualified in botany and zoology and has worked as National Park ranger. He has also run private nature tours. He is obviously very knowledgeable and interested in local natural history and gives us a very interesting tour of his home patch - with rata, rimu, totara, miro, manuka, parakeets, Stewart Island robins (black with white breasts), kaka, brown creepers (so-called because they're brown and creep), grey warblers (so-called because …), tomtits (not tits), tui, bellbird, weka (lots), kiwi (no we didn't see any), supple jack (the new shoots of which look like asparagus and we ate). He took us off-piste into the bush - Pete got completely disoriented. We didn't see the saddlebacks (birds) that have been introduced. Ulva Island echoes with birdsong - all rats and feral cats have been removed. The ecology is fascinating. There are no mammals so birds have developed to fill the niches. This forest is completely benign - there are no predators and food supply is all that limits the bird numbers. With no predators several birds no longer fly - such as weka and kiwi. There aren't even any sandflies in the bush. No snakes, but take care - there is a carnivorous snail!

Back to the boat for a brew up and to eat our sandwiches. Spot a yellow-eyed penguin, but it dives before we get the binoculars trained. Weather is beautiful. Ron then takes us for a tour round some of the rocks and islands before setting off to Price's Inlet on North Arm. On the way a Mollymawk lands on the water behind us. This is a relative of the albatross - although smaller it is still very large. Turn around for a closer look. Flies off while Glyn is filming it and glides over the water in the classic albatross way. In Price's Inlet is an old Whaler's Base where there was once a major ship yard for the Norwegian whaling boats. We look from the boat but go on past Kidney Fern Arm where Pete takes the dinghy to gather mussels before we go ashore and walk part of the Rakiura track across North Arm peninsula to Sawdust Bay. Here there was a large saw mill from 1914-18. Meet Brendon an ex-student of Ron's on the beach, walking the track to North Arm. The wood here is much quieter - the presence of rats and feral cats drastically reduces bird numbers and species. Ron spots a cat right on cue!

Back to the boat and then "steam" back to base. See a little blue penguin along the way. An excellent day, thank you Ron!

Mussels and the rest of the stew as a soup. Fail to find anything worth watching on TV.

Wednesday 8^th January 2003
Weather fine again so Pete makes an early start for his walk. Not sure whether will be able to complete track so take sleeping bag, warm clothes, plenty food in case have to stop overnight. Ron drops him at the track end, saving 5km of road walking, at 0820. Track follows west coast up towards Port William (where there is a hut for those taking 3 days), but cuts inland and heads west before reaching the hut. On this first section the main feature is Maori Beach, with old sawmill remains and wide sandy beach. A swing bridge (suspended) crosses the river at the far end. At turn off meet two walkers returning to Halfmoon Bay after night at Port William. 38 stayed at hut with bunks for 30 and most left early (maybe to make sure of bunks at next hut). Sounds like most walkers do 3 day track rather than the long North West Circuit which is 10-12 days. Track then heads west to North Arm hut. Two swing bridges to cross. Most of the track is "boardwalked" to protect forest floor and avoid mud, but some sections are not and the difference is clear. Two thirds of way to next hut is a lookout tower at the highest point of the track. From here good views over Paterson Inlet to the south. Meet/pass quite a few people near and at the lookout. Arrive here after 3 hours walking. North Arm Hut takes another hour and a quarter. This is end of second day. Get fresh water at the hut. Water is collected rain water and therefore safe to drink. About another hour to Sawdust Bay which is where we walked yesterday. Follow same section of track to Prices Inlet where we moored the boat previously. After a total 6 hours walking reach first creek into Kaipipi Bay (Kai=food, pipi=shellfish). By this point feeling tired and right shin quite painful - decide problem is boardwalk. Avoid where possible which seems to ease the problem. At Kaipipi Bay two sawmills employed over 100 people in 1860's. From the bay follow former Kaipipi Road, used by sawmills, back to Halfmoon Bay. Just over seven and a half hours for the circuit and home just after 4pm. Strenuous day but quite satisfying. No camera so no pictures.

Meanwhile Glyn stays home. Generally cleans the house and windows, makes a couple of trips to shops and spends money on some presents to take home. Lights range for hot water but hadn't expected Pete quite so early. Invites Ron and Elspeth to dinner but fails - we may be going to them for sundowners tomorrow! Elspeth receives call for Ron asking if he can help - there has been a stranding of 150 pilot whales on Ocean Beach. By time Ron gets message enough people have volunteered so doesn't go. Ocean Beach is on east coast south of entrance to Paterson Inlet.

In evening take some pictures round house including nice silhouette of cabbage palm against sunset and kaka in rata tree by house.

Thursday 9^th January 2003
Bit of a lie-in this morning. Weather is dull but Ron promises it will lift. Decide to walk out to Ringaringa beach taking lunch. On way call in at museum. Interesting collection of artefacts Maori and colonial from island life. Hear that only 39 of the whales were rescued - and they may return - very sad. There have been two other mass strandings in recent years.

Walk past Post Office and on to Lonnekers Beach which is a very attractive sheltered cove, then over the peninsula to Ringaringa. Long sandy beach with offshore reefs and rocks. Its low tide so can clamber around headland at southern end to beach on east of Ringaringa point. Glyn is delighted with large numbers and variety of shells to be found. Selects some to keep and displays others for photograph. Says this is her most favourite beach yet. Ron is right and the sun comes out. Sit and eat lunch before climbing up on to headland and visiting graves of Rev Wohlers and his wife (early missionaries to area). Then back along headland before turning west and passing the 6 hole Golf Course and on to Deep Bay. Decide to walk back along coastal path to Golden Bay and complete the circuit back to the house.

Decide that our visit to Stewart Island has been well worth doing - once again seeing and learning something new - greatly enhanced by Ron's input of guidance and information. Tomorrow we have to leave early (0730) as ferry departs at 8am so must get packed up and cleaned up this evening.

Ron & Elspeth invite us up to the house in the evening for wine and cheese and to watch the sun go down. We have some good "crack" and are not disappointed with the sunset. See an amazing cloud formation which seems totally unfamiliar. Elspeth flatly refuses to have her picture taken.