Peter operates the ferry from Golden Bay to Ulva Island, where there are various nice nature trails … the bird-song here is pretty amazing. You can see and nearly touch tiny Fantails, chubby Kererus and clucking Wekas.
If you scuff your shoes on the ground, some birds will fly down and try to look for worms in the exposed soil. That’s a good way of attracting them.
The weather here is very cold for us … in some ways we should have come in mid-summer. Our host’s home is not well-heated. I’ve already mentioned the outdoor shower (heated by the stove). And to keep us warm at night, we are given rocks that had been heated in the oven after cooking dinner. We put them into the bed to warm it up after dinner.
But in other ways, it isn’t too bad as there is a big storm sweeping through the North Island causing untold destruction. All we have here are showers and cold air.
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- Golden Bay is the gateway to Ulva Island.
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- The boat sheds at Golden Bay.
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- Ulva Island has only these dwellings on it; it is home to amazing bird life.
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- On the beach at Ulva Island. Brrr … cold.
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- In the bush at Ulva Island.
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- In the bush at Ulva Island.
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- Weka.
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- Wekas.
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- Kereru or New Zealand Wood Pigeon.
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- At Ulva Island.
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- Sea gull.
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- Boat shed at Ulva Island.
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- My favourite house on Stewart Island.
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- Quiet little bay back on Stewart Island.
