We leave Manpouri and Fiorland behind as we start our convoy to Invercargill a quick stop at the museum and the Isite to book our ferry and we were all set.
The Journey
We head off for Bluff where we will spend the night and get our ferry the next morning. Bluff is famous for oysters I have still never tried one. However its also famous for Paua which are just on the rocks ready to pick. We missed the tide but the guys next to us had some so I get to try them for the first time. They taste good but look wierd.
This would be our first multiday trek and I didnt know what to expect other than sore legs and cool views in the bush. So we tried to pack light. This is not as easy as it sounds when you realise you have to carry a tent, mats, sleeping bags, food, water and thats just your survival stuff.
We tried our best and still managed to find space for fishing gear! Ready to go we jumped on the ferry its choppy but fun and pretty quick.
Welcome to Stewart Island we are now officially at the closest point to Antarticta and its surprisingly warm.
Before we even check into our hostel we are fishing off the pier with Sam who is a pretty good fisherman, compared to me and Chris he is practically professional. I get to use a hand line for the first time and we pick mussels off the pier for bait. The water here is so clear you can see the bottom. I spend more time looking at the water than fishing the more you look the more you see. So many giant star fish.
Suddenly all the fish disapear I dont notice them leave just that the seas looks empty now. The explination swims up to us under the pier in all his glory, a shark!
A local tells me he is a baby seven gill shark (hes still 2meters long thats some baby) Its the first time I have seen a shark up close.
We check into our hostel and before we know it are back for some night fishing the locals tell us we can catch Blue Mokie at night and we hear all the tales of giant mokie that have been wrestled in the moonlight.
The locals are right there are lots of giant blue mokie we just didnt catch any we saw loads and even fed them some bait but they are a clever fish much to clever for me ha ha.
Its a dark night and there is a firey light in the distance and I think I know what it about to happen I have seen this phenomenon before. We settle in to watch a huge orange moon rise like the sun from the horizon its so bright the whole harbour is now light up.
Next morning we get up early double check we have everything we need and set off on our three day adventure into the wild bush of Stewart Island.
Day 1
Spirits are high we are joking and laughing as we walk into the bush our packs dont feel too heavy and its hot very hot. We make it into the bush and start to climb so many birds and insects to see along the way. We only have about 5 hours walking today so its not too bad.
We make camp for the night and set up our tents and sleeping bags its time to try our dry pack rations. Mmm just add water to them and wait 10 mins aparently then you have venison rissotto (you have something I dont know that I could tell you it was venison rissotto)
Looking to explore the camp area we headed to the sea for some fishing Sam being the little ninja he is goes ahead to find a better spot over the rocks Chris and Mandy put the finishing touches to her bow staff/walking stick and I am just taking in the view as I dip my feet in the water.
Sam is victorious and brings back some interesting looking fish, two tiny bait fish and a baracuda. You cant eat baracuda here they have worms but he got stuck on Sams line so we took a look inside.
Off to the camp to cook up the bait fish it was more of a gimick than a meal but worth the night on the beach.
The boys go exploring and Mandy and I sit in camp and chat. We are joined by a Kia beautiful and close the Kia is a cheeky forest parrot that steals your stuff you can build little piles of stones and step back. They are naturally curious so will go to the pile and unpick it to see what you might have burried.
Day 2
Today is the most challenging walking day we have 8 hours of mountains, boggy ground, mud, rocks and trees between us and our camp for tonight.
Quick bite of porridge and we are on our way. My bag feels heavier today so does my legs after yesterday. Climbing through the bush there is so much to see so we stop to play with the birds take photos and have a cracker and cheese lunch on a log to rest. Reading the map I dont think we have come that far but the guys are sure we are almost half way. I'm not sure the map looks like you climb one hill then head to a deep valley before climbing the biggest hill of the day. They all celebrate having conqured the biggest hill of the day but I am not so sure.
We start to go down and down and down some more we are not over the biggest hill yet! We are in the valley, it is next. Steps lead you to the top of the hill so many steps. At the top is an old logging railway and settlement. Finally we have taken on the biggest hill. We head down towards the ocean and tonights camp. We are sleeping on the beach tonight.
Tired and hot we set up our tents and relax. Mandy decides to take a swim in the sea and is chased by a sealion which we all find pretty funny.
That night we are asleep in our tent and war breaks out! Fighting, snuffling and squeeking its a Kiwi war. Kiwi birds are New Zealands national bird. They are nocturnal, shy, brown birds with long beaks. They are hard to see in the wild and by the time I looked out I could see nothing just hear them fighting in the bushes and running around. Stewart Island has the highest population of Kiwi anywhere in New Zealand.
Day 3
Our final day a cold beer and the thought of not having to carry my backpack anymore is waiting for me at the finish line.
Its a shorter day only 4 hours walking so should be ok. We head along the beach before we go back into the forest and round the bays on the way to the finish line. We made it I feel great about what I have achieved and we all celebrate the last few days. One problem we still have 6km to walk back to town not quite over yet. Every km is a hill 500m up 500m down. Where is the cold beer I'm ready now.
We made it! We get a good meal and a cold beer after the dry ration packs and walking its a welcome change.
Our last night on the island and Sam and Mandy head out kiwi hunting in the rugby ground they see them and can tick of see wild kiwis from the list.
The next day we went to Ulva Island, a bird sancturay island just 10mins away by boat. This is a protected place and the home to some species of bird and plants that have died out on the mainland. We walk through the forest and play with the birds Kia, Yellow Heads (super rare), Fantails, and little birds that if you kick the dirt they will follow you looking for food. Off to the beaches for Waka who will come right up to your hand if you hold it out.
Then back to the boat and Stewart Island for some last minute fishing off the pier and to catch our ferry back to the mainland and Bluff.
This is where Sam and Mandy leave us its been fun having some company but its back to Chris, Norman and me as we look next to the Catlins and Southland.
The Journey
We head off for Bluff where we will spend the night and get our ferry the next morning. Bluff is famous for oysters I have still never tried one. However its also famous for Paua which are just on the rocks ready to pick. We missed the tide but the guys next to us had some so I get to try them for the first time. They taste good but look wierd.
This would be our first multiday trek and I didnt know what to expect other than sore legs and cool views in the bush. So we tried to pack light. This is not as easy as it sounds when you realise you have to carry a tent, mats, sleeping bags, food, water and thats just your survival stuff.
We tried our best and still managed to find space for fishing gear! Ready to go we jumped on the ferry its choppy but fun and pretty quick.
Welcome to Stewart Island we are now officially at the closest point to Antarticta and its surprisingly warm.
Before we even check into our hostel we are fishing off the pier with Sam who is a pretty good fisherman, compared to me and Chris he is practically professional. I get to use a hand line for the first time and we pick mussels off the pier for bait. The water here is so clear you can see the bottom. I spend more time looking at the water than fishing the more you look the more you see. So many giant star fish.
Suddenly all the fish disapear I dont notice them leave just that the seas looks empty now. The explination swims up to us under the pier in all his glory, a shark!
A local tells me he is a baby seven gill shark (hes still 2meters long thats some baby) Its the first time I have seen a shark up close.
We check into our hostel and before we know it are back for some night fishing the locals tell us we can catch Blue Mokie at night and we hear all the tales of giant mokie that have been wrestled in the moonlight.
The locals are right there are lots of giant blue mokie we just didnt catch any we saw loads and even fed them some bait but they are a clever fish much to clever for me ha ha.
Its a dark night and there is a firey light in the distance and I think I know what it about to happen I have seen this phenomenon before. We settle in to watch a huge orange moon rise like the sun from the horizon its so bright the whole harbour is now light up.
Next morning we get up early double check we have everything we need and set off on our three day adventure into the wild bush of Stewart Island.
Day 1
Spirits are high we are joking and laughing as we walk into the bush our packs dont feel too heavy and its hot very hot. We make it into the bush and start to climb so many birds and insects to see along the way. We only have about 5 hours walking today so its not too bad.
We make camp for the night and set up our tents and sleeping bags its time to try our dry pack rations. Mmm just add water to them and wait 10 mins aparently then you have venison rissotto (you have something I dont know that I could tell you it was venison rissotto)
Looking to explore the camp area we headed to the sea for some fishing Sam being the little ninja he is goes ahead to find a better spot over the rocks Chris and Mandy put the finishing touches to her bow staff/walking stick and I am just taking in the view as I dip my feet in the water.
Sam is victorious and brings back some interesting looking fish, two tiny bait fish and a baracuda. You cant eat baracuda here they have worms but he got stuck on Sams line so we took a look inside.
Off to the camp to cook up the bait fish it was more of a gimick than a meal but worth the night on the beach.
The boys go exploring and Mandy and I sit in camp and chat. We are joined by a Kia beautiful and close the Kia is a cheeky forest parrot that steals your stuff you can build little piles of stones and step back. They are naturally curious so will go to the pile and unpick it to see what you might have burried.
Day 2
Today is the most challenging walking day we have 8 hours of mountains, boggy ground, mud, rocks and trees between us and our camp for tonight.
Quick bite of porridge and we are on our way. My bag feels heavier today so does my legs after yesterday. Climbing through the bush there is so much to see so we stop to play with the birds take photos and have a cracker and cheese lunch on a log to rest. Reading the map I dont think we have come that far but the guys are sure we are almost half way. I'm not sure the map looks like you climb one hill then head to a deep valley before climbing the biggest hill of the day. They all celebrate having conqured the biggest hill of the day but I am not so sure.
We start to go down and down and down some more we are not over the biggest hill yet! We are in the valley, it is next. Steps lead you to the top of the hill so many steps. At the top is an old logging railway and settlement. Finally we have taken on the biggest hill. We head down towards the ocean and tonights camp. We are sleeping on the beach tonight.
Tired and hot we set up our tents and relax. Mandy decides to take a swim in the sea and is chased by a sealion which we all find pretty funny.
That night we are asleep in our tent and war breaks out! Fighting, snuffling and squeeking its a Kiwi war. Kiwi birds are New Zealands national bird. They are nocturnal, shy, brown birds with long beaks. They are hard to see in the wild and by the time I looked out I could see nothing just hear them fighting in the bushes and running around. Stewart Island has the highest population of Kiwi anywhere in New Zealand.
Day 3
Our final day a cold beer and the thought of not having to carry my backpack anymore is waiting for me at the finish line.
Its a shorter day only 4 hours walking so should be ok. We head along the beach before we go back into the forest and round the bays on the way to the finish line. We made it I feel great about what I have achieved and we all celebrate the last few days. One problem we still have 6km to walk back to town not quite over yet. Every km is a hill 500m up 500m down. Where is the cold beer I'm ready now.
We made it! We get a good meal and a cold beer after the dry ration packs and walking its a welcome change.
Our last night on the island and Sam and Mandy head out kiwi hunting in the rugby ground they see them and can tick of see wild kiwis from the list.
The next day we went to Ulva Island, a bird sancturay island just 10mins away by boat. This is a protected place and the home to some species of bird and plants that have died out on the mainland. We walk through the forest and play with the birds Kia, Yellow Heads (super rare), Fantails, and little birds that if you kick the dirt they will follow you looking for food. Off to the beaches for Waka who will come right up to your hand if you hold it out.
Then back to the boat and Stewart Island for some last minute fishing off the pier and to catch our ferry back to the mainland and Bluff.
This is where Sam and Mandy leave us its been fun having some company but its back to Chris, Norman and me as we look next to the Catlins and Southland.
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