Campervaning in New Zealand & Motoring in Australia: Stewart Island

Signpost at Sterling Point - the southern end of Hwy 1 on the South Island.

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends and family back home. Since the Pilgrims did not make a side trip to New Zealand, Thanksgiving is not celebrated here and we did not get our traditional turkey dinner. Even though we missed the dinner we are still very thankful for being in and enjoying such a beautiful place here.

We spent a couple of days taking it easy for a change. One evening we enjoyed supper and conversation with some friends from Texas that are here on a 6-month work assignment. It was also time to replenish our food supply and get a routine blood test done (fortunately this was made very easy since our friend is a doctor and could write the request for lab work). It was also enjoyable to be able to go thru the museum here in a more relaxed mode. Cathy, of course, had to visit the local quilt shop.

Last evening we drove down to Bluff for the night. This is the most southern town on the South Island and we have now made it from the start of Hwy 1 at the very northern tip of the North Island down to the end here on the South Island.

One of our goals has been to visit Stewart Island – the 3rd largest island in New Zealand which is an hour ferry ride south from Bluff. Rakiura National Park takes up 85% of the island and 400 residents live in and around the small community of Oban (also known as Halfmoon Bay). There are less than 30 kilometers (18 miles) of roads on the island and most of the national park is a huge wilderness area with no tracks (trails) in most of it.

Today , we fulfilled our goal with a very full day to the island. We started out with a 1 hour catamaran ferry ride across Foveaux Strait from Bluff to Stewart Island on very rough seas (so rough that Cathy got seasick and Jan got a headache). After arriving on the island, we took it easy in the visitor centers and then enjoyed a light lunch in the “southernmost” café in New Zealand. At 1 o’clock ,we rode on a boat to Ulva Island (a small island in the national park) that has been set aside and restored back to its natural state. Major efforts have been made to rid the island of introduced animals (rats, possums, deer etc.) that harm birds and the vegetation. What a treat to be able to enjoy the bird calls and walk thru the lush rain forest with our guide pointing out numerous trees and plants that are unique to this area. After a driving tour of the community and supper we came back to Bluff on the ferry (much better ride back) and drove into Invercargill for the evening.

Harry (a “living fossil”), the Tuatara who is over 120 years old. He is the star in the Tuatarium in the Southland Museum in Invercargill and was brought there from Stephens Island in 1970. The tuatara is not a lizard, but is a separate reptilian species that is descended from the dinosaurs and has not changed significantly over millions of years.