Overnight in Oban and the start of Stewart Island exploring…..
Tuesday 14 January
Once the Shit Show was over and we were showered and all polished up, we up anchored and set off for Oban around the other side of the island. All was going well….. until that port engine started playing up again and we had to turn it off, which left us with one engine and just the headsail, so a bit slower going than we had anticipated, but it was lovely and very welcome, smooth sailing, although it did provide a quiet bit of anxiety for Tricia who was booked on the last ferry of the day out of Oban at 3.30pm. Not a problem for Skipper Geoff though, we cruised into Golden Bay wharf at 2.40pm, dinghy ready and they were both off the wharf where Nick, Kate and the boys were ready, holding their taxi for Tricia. Geoff and Nick returned with the dinghy piled high with their luggage and very welcome bags of groceries, and then Nick went back and collected Kate and the boys.
Nick had lined up a mechanic to come in and check the engine, and after a few small tweaks, he confirmed that all was well and once again Salanjo is up and running like a dream.
Geoff and I haven’t been off the boat for a few days, so we took the opportunity of going back ashore to Golden Bay Wharf and walking over the hill into ObanTownship for a delicious dinner at the South Sea Hotel in Halfmoon Bay. This place is obviously the hub of entertainment for locals and tourists alike – it was very busy and buzzy with a great atmosphere. Fresh blue cod fish and chips – very tasty! I knew that Oban wasn’t a very big place, but I was surprised at how small it really is…a Four Square supermarket, the South Sea Hotel, Glowing Sky Merino Clothing shop and a few backpackers somewhere that we didn’t see, and the ferry terminal. And that is pretty much it!!!! Unfortunately, it was a bit of a grey evening with a cool wind so we didn’t see the bay at its finest, but there’ll be more trips back there for us during this stay to see it in the sunshine.
And then it was back to the boat and a very welcome early night for Geoff and I after an early start and all the shit-shovelling before we left Waituna Island this morning!
Wednesday 15 January
A beautiful and very welcome sunny day today, so definitely a day to get out and explore. There is a rich Heritage attached to Stewart Island - from the 13th Century the island’s rich resources of native flora and birds, seafood and the very special delicacy, the Titi (the Muttonbird) provided a bountiful harvest for Maori. Early in the 19th century, explorers, sealers, missionaries, miners and settlers from all corners of the world made their mark on the island. Marriage with local Maori women created strong family and cultural links to Rakiura (the Maori name for Stewart Island). Sawmillers, boat builders and fishermen followed. The island population grew, stabilised and settled, mainly around the edges of Paterson Inlet and the heads of Halfmoon and Horseshoe Bays, Port William, Port Pegasus and Maori Beach. In the 1920’s new arrivals came from Norway as part of the Rosshavet whaling enterprise. Those who chose to stay added another thread to the tapestry of nationalities living on Stewart Island. Fishing, agriculture, tourism and conservation are the main pursuits which now support the Island’s population of 500 people, and this affirms the natural attributes of the Island which first attracted Maori and Europeans to its shores.
We cruised to a beautiful beach called The Neck where we could clearly see these huge adult male seals frolicking and lazing around on a lovely sandy shore and then it was on to Ulva Island, a marine reserve, where we anchored and took the dinghy to Boulder Beach for the most awesome walk. Firstly, across the island to Post Office Bay to see guess what….the Post Office of course! Built in 1872 by Charles and Jessie Traill. An irregular mail boat would arrive into Stewart Island waters, pulling into to Ulva Island Post Office. The Traills would then raise a flag from Flagstaff Hill which could be seen by all the settlements dotted throughout Paterson Inlet and nearby islands. The workers and families would then row or sail to Ulva Island to collect their post. This became quite a social occasion where friends could meet those from the other settlements. Our walk was awesome, the majority of Ulva Island is part of Rakiura National Park and a place where native plants and birds can live in a safe environment. Exotic trees – rimu, totara, miro trees with their brilliant red berries (lunch for the wood pigeons!), dinosaur plants, ferns, rata trees with their beautiful vibrant red flowers providing a beautiful red carpet on the forest floor beneath us, and a chorus of birdsong. We’re no ornothologists, but we spied some Stewart Island robins, fantails and wekas, and certainly heard some wood pigeons and tuis, and a lot of other unusual sounds which we were unable to identify. From Post Office Bay we walked to Sydney Cove where we saw another huge seal and then it was back to Boulder Beach via West End Beach – we certainly covered a fair bit of Ulva Island – and that is the beauty of being able to discover Stewart Island by boat – we can go where no tourists are.
We’ve just had a delicious leg of lamb from the BBQ with the stunning backdrop of Glory Cove – and yes, it was glorious of course.