Page 33 - 2008 NZ SUB ANTARCTIC ISLANDS - SMARTPHONE

Stewart at the right time of year for that treat. But we still did not find our Stewart Island visit to
be a “drag.”

We learned on our bus tour of the capital city and its environs quite a bit about this remote island.
Maori have lived on the island for many more years than the Europeans who only arrived in the
1850s. There was considerable intermarriage among the Europeans who were mostly whalers,
fishermen, fur seal hunters and assorted other explorer-bachelors. Many of the people presently
on Stewart are products of these intermarriages and proud of their dual heritage. Not only do
these independent folks generate their own electricity, they take care of their own sewage through
a local treatment plant. Recycling plastics, glass, and paper is another enterprise the Stewart
Islanders handle on their own.

One enterprising former fisherman, tired of his profession, came up with the unique idea of
collecting the rainwater from the roof of the new community center and selling it on the mainland
as a healthy bottled drink. Apparently, the lure of Stewart Island rainwater has made his business
thrive. There are a couple of stores in Oban, a motel or two, a couple of restaurants, and the
regional headquarters of the redoubtable DOC. Property values in the town have risen due to the
demand by mainlanders who want to own their vacation spots. Some really lovely houses with
spectacular views of the many beaches were on our bus tour agenda. There are lovely beaches
around the island that certainly look more tropical than subantarctic. Oban is a pretty little town
indeed.

A visit to the Fuchsia Walk was strongly suggested to us and we were happy to comply. The
walk, right in the middle of the town, has been created by the townfolk with the assistance of
DOC to show off the birdlife that continues to live in town along with the human inhabitants.
Most enjoyable on the shaded and gravel walkway was watching the kakas (an endemic New
Zealand parrot) displaying and performing courtship dances. They are quite beautiful when they
open their olive wings and reveal the vibrant orange feathers underneath. They were screeching
and bouncing from limb to limb with lively animation as they furled and unfurled those
flamboyant wings. We also saw the oddly mismatched NZ wood pigeon with its comically round
body with its ridiculous tiny head. The harsh squawks of the kakas did not drown out the
melodious songs of the bellbirds, but created an avant garde counterpoint. Though the walk was
only about 1 magical mile, it was just a total delight.

Chapter 14. Ulva Island

It may be that the visit to this tiny island just off from Stewart Island was the highpoint in our
visit since it combined everything we had learned about the conservation efforts afoot today in
New Zealand. This is a private undertaking by citizens of Stewart Island, operated in conjunction
with DOC guidelines and supervision. About 11 years ago, the good people of Oban and
environs decided to make their own predator-free nature reserve. Through consultations with
DOC, they employed the same pest eradication techniques utilized by DOC. Within a year of
their initial efforts, they were able to declare Ulva Island exotic predator free! Such a proud
accomplishment for these dedicated private citizens! Next they were able to work with DOC to
bring some birds that had been present on Ulva before human/exotic animal predation over to this
island for their sanctuary. This re-introduction has been a clear success, as we were to see during
our visit.

We rode the Zodiacs over from the Clipper O to the island over the bumpiest seas we had crossed
yet on this expedition but we were are psyched for this visit because we had heard so much about

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