Isolated and Untouched - Pristine Port Pegasus
Tuesday 21 January
A much needed, quieter day today after the frantic laundry/shopping/cleaning day yesterday. Beautifully sunny, we revisited Port Adventure where there was not much adventure to be had, just beautiful empty sandy beaches, and went back for another nestle in Abraham’s Bosom. A walk on Salty Beach and not a seal in sight – they were obviously having a day off too!
What do you think of this jellyfish that languidly swam up to the boat?
Wednesday 22 January
New ground to cover today, we’re currently cruising to Port Pegasus which is at the southern end of Stewart Island. Yep, we’re getting so far south we’re almost in Antarctica (well not quite!). When William Stewart visited and mapped the island that was later named after him, he named Port Pegasus South Port. From the 1890’s to the 1950’s it was a small fishing community that had had a small tin-mining boom in the 1890’s. South Port was later renamed Port Pegasus to commemorate Stewart’s ship, called (surprisingly!) Pegasus. It is one of New Zealand’s largest rock-wall inlets with virgin podocarp forest right down to sea level and stunning granite domes shaped by the forces of nature, so we’re in for some very different scenery and experiences over the next few days. The harbour is an ancient valley which has been drowned by the sea so the bush-clad slopes which come down to the water are actually old ridges and hilltops and there is very little flat land close to the water.
We’ve just cruised into Observation Cove in Pegasus Passage – it is spectacular! Breathtakingly beautiful scenery and water all shades of blue all around us, surrounded by rocks and foliage - Fifty Shades of Green! - including some that almost look fluorescent! And guess what – oh no - other people!!!!! We have spied another boat in the little bay we are headed for. The nearer we got we could also see two dinghies! Heaven forbid! As we slowly cruised in, avoiding many rocks, a number of guys came out of a hut and onto the beach to watch us, hands on hips! We anchored and got in the dinghy and onto the beach to be met by about eight of them – I told them we were coming in for afternoon tea!!! They were extremely friendly, and we had a lovely chat on the beach. They have rented the DOC hut for 10 days and got dropped off here three days ago. What a set up they had, not exactly salubrious (especially the dormitory) but they were well organised with their beer kegs, BBQ’s, fridges, full pantry and plenty of newly caught fish, they were certainly not going to go hungry. Solar panels also set up and power bars for their phones. They’ve done this before! They’re all from the Dunedin area and come here every year, a couple of them with their teenage sons. There was no cake in sight unfortunately, nor a Royal Doulton fine china teapot with matching cups and saucers, but there was a lovely camaraderie between them, and we had a very entertaining, interesting hour. I think they were probably glad of a few outsiders and different conversation for a bit. They were also pleased that Geoff had Starlink on the boat and was able to access weather Apps on the beach to give them an update on what’s happening over the next few days! Not sure I’d ever fancy staying in a DOC hut though!
And we’re off, got to make the most of this wonderful weather as we’re not sure how long it will last. Past Ben’s Bay (in honour of my eldest son perhaps?) and now to North Arm as we want to see Belltopper Falls, named after a businessman visiting the area in conjunction with the tin mining, who lost his Bell Topper Hat in the river! We passed a stone jetty en route which marks the site of a fishing base and freezer plant which operated in the 1930’s and now appears to be private property. Further on towards the falls is a large wheel on a concrete pillar which apparently is the remains of the compressor for the fish plant. Power for this plant was provided by a small hydro-electric scheme using water flowing along a water race from the stream above the Belltopper Falls. And of course, they are more spectacular than we could have hoped for! The falls are where Pegasus Creek flows into the harbour at the head of North Arm and they are a thundering cascade of waterfalls, with water whipped to a white spray channelling down the sides and into the beautifully calm green/blue water below and they are lined with beautiful rock formations. We got out of the dinghy and clambered up the rocks so we could get the best view and just sat there for ages listening to the water crashing down in front and around us.
Back to the boat for dinner in the sunshine, but as the twilight arrived, so did the rain, and plenty of it. The view changed from sunny blues to yes…Fifty Shades of Grey! However, before we had moved entirely inside the cabin, we heard a definite loud breathing and noise coming from behind the transom by the dinghy! Yep, a seal and it sounded big, and was hanging around, we got the torch out and although we could hear it, we couldn’t see it. We had a lot of tuna in a bucket out there which he probably thought was an easy dinner! That swiftly came inside, along with a rubbish bag and the doors were firmly locked!!! It hosed down for most of the night – nice to be snuggled up in the cabin.
Thursday 23 January
Still wet and grey this morning, but after a hearty egg and bacon breakfast, the rain abated and we left for South Arm – Sylvan Cove to be precise, tucked right up in the corner. The sun finally came out, so it was an afternoon of fishing and a bit of reading for me. Out quota of huge scallops and blue code got hauled in, and it was a bonanza dinner for the fish lovers on board (everyone except me! Spaghetti bolognese tonight!). Another boat in the bay and it looks so pretty against the stunning landscape, almost like a toy boat.
Friday 24 January
Another day, another Bay! This time Seal Creek but with a distinct lack of seals (and somehow I’m not too upset about that)! There are five granite mountains around us here and I’m particularly fond of the two called Gog and Magog a twin rock formation named from the Bible - Ezekiel 38, Gog is an individual and Magog is his land. Geoff has a hookah diving system on the boat which is a battery-powered air compressor that delivers air through a long hose to the diver under water. So Mike donned his wetsuit and he and Geoff got in the dinghy in search of their daily scallop quota – it didn’t take them long to catch it and back they came for more filleting on the deck. See the photo of the little octopus hanging off one of the shells!
Saturday 25 January
Port Pegasus has been a wonderful experience but now it’s time to head back up towards Oban, so we were off early this morning, and the sails are up against a brilliant blue sky. A beautiful sail into Lords River, the Maori name for which is Tūtaekawetoweto and we’ve put the anchor down so we can stop and enjoy its beauty and peace, and listen to our voices echo all around the place! In the dinghy and we discovered a small yacht around the corner and further on to a beach for a walk and lo and behold – the pretty green toy boat from last night was anchored in the bay. We had a chat to its owner Pete, whose father, interestingly enough, was the Captain of the TSS Earnslaw from Lake Wakatipu for 20 years – what a cool job! (for those of you readers from overseas, the Earnslaw is a beautiful 1912 Edwardian twin screw, coal-fired steamship based in Queenstown, and cruises Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak, a high country farm). On to another stunning beach and a walk up to another DOC hut – a tin of baked beans and a tin of apple slices, some pasta and ketchup on the shelf– we wouldn’t have starved if we’d stayed for dinner, but we managed to resist knowing there was a jug of pina coladas to be had on the boat. We had a quick try-out of the bunks, not too bad, but not sure I would be game to be in there with 6 other people. I didn’t notice any ensuite either – nope, I’m definitely not ever staying in a DOC hut!!! Back to Salanjo and of course, another fresh fish buffet (Chicken for me!).
Sunday 26 January
We’re heading back to Oban’s Half Moon Bay and it’s going to be an exciting night as we’re going back for fish and chips at the South Sea Hotel and to be amongst people again! Big day tomorrow, I am heading home - catching Stewart Island Air into Invercargill and connecting with Air New Zealand back to Auckland. A very quick visit – three nights only. My granddaughter Tilly is starting at Diocesan School in Grade 7 and I want to be there to wave her off on the bus on Tuesday morning. A quick catch up with family and some friends and then I’ll be reversing the journey back to Oban on Thursday morning. So you’ll have a short break from the blog and I’ll be back again next week with more exciting adventures! Weather permitting, Geoff and I will leave Stewart Island as soon as I return on Thursday – heading off for Waikawa on the mainland.
Back soon!