The Burnhams in Kiwiland 2001-2

Continued from Episode 6: Page 1 Queenstown to Kepler Track

It seems we got the best three days possible for our hike. Clouds that had been gathering all day finally resulted in rain that night. By then we were safe in our hostel in Te Anau. Then weather was a little better when we left the next morning, but had degenerated into full rain by the time we reached Invercargill. Our plan was go over to Stewart Island and do the three day Rakiura Track, but the weather was so bad we delayed for another day.

We put in some time at the Invercargill Museum. There was a very interesting display of the sub-arctic islands that are protectorates of New Zealand. They were variously used as sheep stations or weather stations, but mainly it was their history of shipwrecks that was of most interest. Some people did manage to survive more than two years on the islands after having been shipwrecked off their rocky coasts. Now they are just nature preserves.

We finally left for Stewart Island on Wednesday 6 February. We had a choice of a one-hour ferry ride or a 20-minute plane ride. We found out we could go stand-by on the plane for very little more than the boat. We could even reserve a seat on stand-by after 5:00 PM the previous evening and we were able to be on the 8:00 AM flight.

We arrived in Oban, the main town on Stewart Island, just in time to catch the morning downpour, so we did the only sensible thing. We headed for the nearest café to wait out the storm. Luckily, that was the last rain we had for our entire visit. Before setting out, we checked into the local DOC office, got the latest maps, booked a room for Friday night and signed up for a guided tour of Ulva Island for the day after our hike. Ulva is just next to Stewart Island and is a bird and plant sanctuary.

We found the Rakiura hike relatively easy, just 12 K each day up and down small hills, but hard on our feet. Stewart Island has a well-earned reputation for mud, the result of high rainfall and lots of trees. To make it easier for trampers, wooden boardwalks and steps have been constructed. The track brought back memories of Junagadh Hill in India. I have renamed Rakiura the Track of 10,000 steps. Each step is about 40 cm wide, covered in chicken wire for a better grip, but the builders have never heard of a standard stair height. Sometimes the steps are very short, but mostly they suit a very long-legged person. I felt like saying 'fee foe fie fum" as I went down the steps. I must admit that the sections without boardwalks were pretty muddy, but I think the DOC got carried away or else got a special on wood they just had to use up.

Boardwalk

Rakiura Bay

Anyway, the first day we hiked part of the way across small sandy beaches, but the majority of the track was through native bush. It was very quiet and peaceful and Ray and I were alone on the track nearly all the time. The first night we stayed at Port William Hut, on a nice beach. The warden was an Israeli, Haim, who was working there for the summer season. He was having a ball, fishing for his supper and rebuilding walkways. We talked to him as he fished at high tide in the evening. He baited a hook, dropped it in the water and told us to count to ten. Sure enough, he had a nibble even before we finished counting. He caught a barracuda and another small shark that he threw back, but many of the varieties he caught were good eating.

My only disappointment is that we didn't see any penguins or kiwis on our tramp. The second night we talked to several trampers who had hiked further around the island and had actually seen kiwi. The price you pay to see them is hiking eight hours in the mud to the next mud! I think an easier option would be to join a kiwi spotting trip. You go by boat in the evening to one of the more remote beaches around the evening and sit in the dark hoping you have not frightened off the kiwi. Maybe next visit we will do that.

Golden Bay

On our last day of the tramp, we took an extra loop along the coastline to end up in Deep Bay, around the corner from Oban. We stayed that night in a small cabin deep in the woods. It had been built and lived in by a couple for two years while they constructed their main house next door. The new owners now rent it out to people like us. It was pretty simple, but comfortable for the night. It had a small kitchen, the bedroom had two sets of bunks and the toilet was a 'long drop' in a converted garden shed outside. The shower stall was off a small entrance room and was very ingenious. You heated water in a kettle on the stove, poured it into a bucket and hand pumped the hot water up into a plastic container that was suspended above the shower. To get shower action, you opened a plastic nozzle attached to the water reservoir. It worked to get the tramping dirt off us.

  

Weka

Robin

 The next morning we joined our guide, Chris form the DOC office, and ten others for our nature walk on Ulva Island. We found it fun and very informative. The biggest accomplishment for DOC was to have eradicated rats on the island. These introduced pests wrecked havock on the native bird species, many of whom were flightless. Now the curious Weka, similar to a kiwi, were there to greet us as we landed on the island, looking for a handout. All the birds were amazingly fearless of humans. We were able to see many varieties right up close. Chris told us many interesting tales of the history of the island and pointed out the many unique plants and trees. We had a tea and cookie break on a sandy beach, trying to fend off the Weka, then it was time to return to Stewart Island. Ray and I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around some of the nature walks and the town before boarding a 4:30 flight back to Invercargill.

After lunch today we will drive along the south coast to explore the Catlins. We hope to see more animal and sea life, maybe even a penguin or two. From there it is on to Dunedin and then a visit to Mt Cook. The weather seems to be cooperating again, so maybe the cold rainy days are truly over.