Stewart Island 1 - Sunday

The bags had all been packed on Sat, & as my bus to the Bluff ferry was due at 8.30, I was up early. When I got to the kitchen at Tuatara, there was this bloke - Mark, making 3 days worth of ham & cheese butties for himself & his brother. They were going tramping on Stewart Island & planning to live off butties for 3 days ! ! !
Apparently, Mark drew the short straw of getting up to make them all as his bro had paid for the stuff. Fair dos, I suppose.








The bus driver's name was Kevin & he gave the '1 finger wave' to every vehicle on the road between Invercargill & Bluff (where the oysters come from).


This pic was taken from the ferry - a catermaran, just out of Bluff harbour.









This one's looking back towards the Bluff peninsula. Incidentally, they say SH1 starts at Bluff & goes the whole way up north. There are signs on the road about it, but the bus windows were runny with persistence, so it wasn't worth trying for a commemorative pic.









Shortly after, someone spotted dolphins playing in the wake, so there was a rush onto the deck & the helm did a few U-ies so we could all get some pics.




If you look closely, you can see the fins





















This is father & son, Steve Bidois.
I got talking to them on the ferry & kept bumping into them on Sunday.

Usually they were sitting have a drink & I walked by!

Young Steve was born in Rotorua, so I pumped him for some info as I'm due there on the 27th.








After checking in at Bunkers, I wandered round all the shops on Oban seafront - all 3 of them ;-p
Then I went for a paddle & saw these seagull tracks in the exceedingly soft sand (I'd been sinking a few inches).
I figured an arty-farty pic was in order!











Back on dry land I discovered there was another shop up by the DOC info centre, & on the way there got this 1 of 3 Stewart Island Oyster Catchers. They're not black & white like ours are.
Well you can see that, can't you? hehe

It makes me smile every time I see it & glad I spent a few min following them about.






At the gift shop, I spoke to the owner, Megan, who was up a ladder painting, & her Mum, Ulva. Ulva does nature tours to Ulva Island (no relation!), & I arranged to go the following day at 9.
I was to go to Golden Bay to get the water taxi, so I went to check out where this was via Fuchia Walk. This started near Bunkers & ended up at the rugby pitch.



The 3 tree pics are of interesting fuchias I saw down Fuchia Walk. Aptly named obviously ;-)



Fuchia's are the ones with the tan coloured bark.




As I said, the walk came out at the pitch. You can see the back of the sign slightly to the right of centre, & there are also a pair of ducks - one's got a white head, about midway up the inside of the R hand post.

I was told there was an annual game on the pitch. Good job it was only once a year - it was full of puddles, holes & ruts!





Just across from the pitch are the Rugby Clubrooms. I thought it looked like someone's house & it is! ! !


The bird is a wood pigeon. While I was manouvering for it, I was buzzed by 3 Kakas - a kind of parrot. I tried a few times while I was on the island to sneak up on them to get a photo, but they always flew off just before I pressed the button.

I tried to get 1 of a Tui as well - they have a bizarre call - sort of clicks & clucks as well as whistles & songs.

Well, been sat here >2 hrs doing these & the game pics, & it poured. A good job I didn't go up Aoraki, then.
However, my hands are freezing & tum's complaining, so I'm back off to my room for a brew & a bit of scran before I set off back up the road.

More tomorrow - they have a hole here hahaha
OAO