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Discover Stewart Island
Experience New Zealand’s newest national park... Rakiura National Park. Opened in 2002 it takes in 85 percent of the island. Amongst the huge array of native birds, it offers the best opportunity anywhere in New Zealand for viewing kiwi in the wild. Contrasting landscapes afforded by rainforests to sandy beaches, jagged mountain skylines to dunelands make for a fascinating visit.
A daytrip from The Lodge at Tikana starts with a short drive (30 minutes) to Invercargill to catch your flight to the island: www.stewartislandflights.com.
You will be met here by Ulva, your guide for the morning. Ulva is a direct descendant of the first peoples of this island, is passionate about her home and committed to giving you a special insight into its uniqueness. She will take you on a short water taxi ride to Ulva Island. This island is a predator-free sanctuary where native plants, trees and endangered birds can live safely in the prehistoric native forest. Under the luxuriant green mantle of the podocarp forest are mosses, ferns, liverwarts and native orchids: www.ulva.co.nz.
This vibrant bush is home to the melody of tui and bellbirds, the raucous call of the kaka and the chattering of the parakeets. The stunning but rare saddleback might also be seen. During this leisurely ramble Ulva provides a quality interpretation and an introduction to Stewart Island and Maori history.
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Around midday you return to Oban, the island’s township for lunch. Your host for the afternoon will be Zane Smith the owner and pilot of Rakiura Helicopters www.rakiurahelicopters.co.nz Zane is a 6th generation Stewart Islander whose local knowledge comes from growing up with the island as his backyard and over a decade of crayfishing and paua diving.
The ultimate excursion for the afternoon has to be circumnavigating the island by helicopter. Fly over Freshwater Valley, its extensive wetlands effectively dividing the island. To the north the jagged skyline of the Ruggedy Mountains burst from the podocarp and hardwood forest, featuring New Zealand's southernmost tall trees - rimu, kahikatea and tôtara.
To the west Freshwater Valley runs out to Mason Bay. A beach landing here allows for a stroll along some of the 12 kilometres of this sweeping crescent of sandy beach. Explore the sprawling, soaring dune lands advancing inland and in places burying native forest. They are some of New Zealand’s best preserved active dune lands.
To the south fly over shrubland, grassland, alpine cushionfields interrupted by massive granite outcrops and then drop in at a sheltered inlet of Port Pegasus. Although uninhabited now it boasts a rich history. Subsequent to a visit by William Stewart (after whom the island was named) in 1809 on a sealing expedition, Port Pegasus has variably been a base for whaling, boat-building, saw milling, gold mining and tin mining.
Alternatively you may wish to have Zane fulfill your hunter-gatherer dreams and take a boat cruise into Paterson Inlet, where you can cast a line and catch blue cod for yourself or Zane can dive for paua, oysters or scallops in season - bring your fresh bounty back for dinner.
Later in the afternoon you return to Oban for the flight back to Invercargill.
If you prefer we can arrange this daytrip with transfers between Tikana and Stewart Island by helicopter. |
