Discover a lost world - Ulva Island, Stewart Island
If you are curious about birds and wildlife or just intriguied to experience a unique habitat at the bottom of the world then a day at Ulva Island is for you.
I say a day, as no one is able to stay overnight on Ulva Island without permission so a day trip is the most you are allowed. to be honest though a few hours is all the time that is needed to discover an Incredible natural environment. I ended up getting an earlier water taxi back as the area of the island you can visit is limited. Only a small corner is open to the public, the rest belongs to the native New Zealand birds who despite being sadly nearly obliterated in the rest of the country remain blissfully well and flourishing here.
Organizing a water taxi to take me across the small passage of water from Stewart Island to Ulva was easy. There is a ferry that runs to a timetable too but I like to do things at random therefore the taxi worked better for me. The water crossing was a little trubulant at times but then this is the southern ocean where sea legs and big swells seem to go hand in hand.
Ancient forest and lots of birds
I had picked up a map from the Department of Conservation centre in Oban, the main and only settlement on Stewart Island. For a few dollars I uncovered a great deal of knowledge about the island, it’s history and it’s habitat. I had also read up on the three or four loop tracks available and memorized the endangered birds I hoped to spot. With the cheese, ham and jalpeno scones I had picked up from the local Oban café I was primed and ready to go. I didn’t at this stage appreciate though how popular the said scones would be with the petite yet tame Stewart Island Robin.
Leaving the small wharf behind at Ulva I following a pathway to a smattering of street signs pointing me in several different directions. It was hard to believe that just close to me was the only remainng homestead on the island, privately owned and therefore sealed off from prying eyes. It used to be the local post office for the area. It was a slice of history well worth reading up about. When the post arrived the flag would be raised at the nearby Flagstaff Hill (which you can climb yourself for worthwhile views across Paterson Inlet), and the families of the Stewart Island sawmill, boat buildings and fishing settlements from all around would row across to retrieve it. Considering the water was choppy and cold enough inside a decent size water taxi, I cannot imagine how it must have been in a rowing boat or canoe! They were hardy souls to say the very least.
The reason I had travelled to the island though was not so much the human history but the bird kind. For Ulva offers us a habitat to discover what New Zealand as a whole would have been like prior to human settlement. The bird song here is incredible and reminiscent of how the country would have sounded when the first settlers arrived. Give or take the odd tune of course, for the birds here on Stewart Island are slightly different varieties from those on either the North or South Islands. It’s all interesting stuff.
Super tame and curious Stewart Island Robin
So I started out with a Stewart Island Weka, busy scurrying around the wharf area. Weka’s are found in numerous places on the South Island and are often mistaken for a kiwi as they are similar in size and colour. They don’t have the long beaks though and are often more active in daylight hours than there more famous counterparts. I’ve had numerous encounters with Weka and know they are highly curious birds with a mischievous tendency to pinch things. My water proof jacket was pulled into the bush on more than one occasion by a crafty Weka whilst I was hiking the Heaphy Track!
Strolling along it wasn’t long before I came across my first Kereru, the New Zealand wood pigeon, which swoops past landing clumsily in the branches of a tree. Then I met one of the Stewart Island Robins happy to have a conversation with me as it hopped along my pathway. Overhead the Kaka squawked as they flew between the trees in groups of three or four. It soon became quite boring to spot another of these large and critically endangered parrots – oh another kaka became a common saying and theme. As did the robins that kept appearing at my side. I followed the well formed walkway towards the beaches on the north side of the island. In between times I spotted numerous Bellbird, Tomtis and Tui. As I approached the coastal area I came across my first New Zealand Parakeet, they travel in pairs and the red-crowned ones are much more common than their yellow counterparts. I held my breath listening to the chattering call and spotted a fellow parakeet companion not far away. Soon the dense camouflage of bush opened up to a lovely beach with great views across the inlet. It would have made an ideal spot for a sit down and picnic but unfortunately the weather wasn’t playing well for me and the cold wind made it harsh on the senses. I soon opted to continue my walk into the canopy of the forest.
Wait for it… more about my visit to Ulva Island shortly….
“By discovering nature, you discover yourself”