A Birder's Paradise!!! Invercargill, Bluff and Rakiura/Stewart Island PT 1

 17 NEW SPECIES!

08/11/23

I was going to cancel this trip. When I had checked the weather the week prior, Rakiura was supposed to be muddy, rainy and cold. I didn't think I would get to see any birds and the trip was too expensive to not see any birds. Nonetheless, my air bnb host encouraged me that the weather forecast is rarely accurate and I should make the trip down anyway. I was hesitant about this decision, but since the flight was nonrefundable anyway, I full sent it down to the southernmost cities of the New Zealand South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura. I've noticed that the first photo I put on here is the cover, so here is the epic photo of me at Sterling Point in Bluff, NZ. The southernmost part of the South Island! Also, this will be a picture-heavy blog post so prepare yourself!

I arrived at the Invercargill airport at around 8:30 pm only to find that Uber didn't exist. Thankfully, I had been chatting with a kind mom on the plane who offered to take me to my accommodation. Normally, I wouldn't accept a ride from a stranger, but she shouted "HEY BIRD GIRL" from across the baggage claim so I figured it was a safe bet. She took me to my bnb and it was the most beautiful backpackers I have stayed in yet! Run by a vibrant woman named Merlyn, I was right at home in the cozy southern style cottage. She tends to the garden herself and lives in the house. She takes amazing care of the place and it was so nice to eat on a wrap around porch.The first night I shared the room with two folks from the UK and learned quite a bit about the North and South of London rivalry. I fell asleep that night feeling safe, cozy and content (a rare feeling in hostels). 

The next morning, I woke up to a sunny day. I made myself a quick breakfast and headed down to the beautiful Queen's Park, where I got to gawk at the beautiful gardens, aviary and farm life. The park itself contains a multitude of gardens including: rose gardens, a Chinese garden, a Japanese friendship garden, New Zealand native species garden, rock and herb gardens, a multitude of flowering plants and magnolia trees and even an indoor winter garden. I spent two and a half hours exploring this extensive park and even treated myself to a chai at their cafe, The Cheeky Llama. No wonder it won the Keep New Zealand Beautiful award just last year! 

Here are some photos of the beautiful park that spans almost 200 acres!

After Queens Park, I took a moment to have lunch back at the hostel. I decided that even if it rains the entire time in Stewart Island, this part was definitely worth the trip. I finished up the day by exploring the downtown art scene and prepping for the ferry. I found some easy backpacking food at the Pak n' Save, some Seriously Good Chocolate (a local chocolate shop), and called it a day! 

THE VERY NEXT DAY ....

In order to get to Rakiura by ferry, you have to get to Bluff first. I could have flown directly to the island, but the ferry experience sounded terrific (and was less expensive). So, I booked with Catch-a-Bus South and made it to Bluff before the ferry departed. The weather was stormy and wet, but I was prepared to sail at sea. I got a quick hot cocoa before embarking on the Stewart Island experience. 

On the way to the island, the ferry was BUMPY. Two people got sick due to the waves, but I felt like I was on a ride at Disneyland. The journey took approximately an hour across the Fouveux Strait. Before I knew it, I had set foot on the third largest island in New Zealand (fun fact: out of 600)!! I grabbed my bag which I had packed full of camping gear and started on my journey up to Deep Bay where my off-grid cabin was located. The walk to the cabin was about a 30 minute walk from the Halfmoon Wharf where the ferry dropped us off, but the rain came in with a vengeance. Learning from my Kaikoura tramping trip, I had waterproofed my backpacks with trash bags but the rain was not being kind. The airbnb host said that locals often don't mind picking up hitchhikers, so I stuck my thumb up and hoped for the best. Within minutes, a kind older couple scooped me up and took me to Deep Bay. I got to the car park and headed up to the cute little cabin nestled in the deep woods. It was fully solar powered with an outdoor shower and 

running water. Pretty sweet for $80 NZ a night in Rakiura! I put down my wet gear and the rain had slowed down a bit. I was so excited to get out and bird, so I started down the Deep Bay Track to the Golden Bay wharf and the views did not disappoint. I felt like I was a fairy in the forest.  

On my walk, I saw more kaka and some beautiful kererū. The gray sky felt bright as I continued to walk back into the town of Oban. I decided to tour the museum and then pick up some broccoli for my backpacker dinner (tuna alfredo noodles and broccoli) and a lunch for the next day. The museum contained a multitude of  artifacts and history about the whaling/fishing industry, western colonization, and the cultural significance of Rakiura to the Maori people. 

After the museum, I hiked back up the road to Deep Bay to make my dinner. My cabin actually had several films available to watch, so I found a NZ made film called Boy about a young boy taking care of his siblings and cousins. Obsessed with Michael Jackson, he navigates a complicated relationship with his flaky father and the pressures of growing up too young. It was a phenomenal coming of age film, and it was really cool to see a full film that was written, filmed and acted in New Zealand. Great concept and really inspiring. 

After the movie, I took a quick power nap and decided to hike up to Ackers Point to try and see some penguins before my kiwi tour. I had heard there were some up there so I hiked up the road to the track. I felt so lucky that the weather decided to clear up during my dinner. I made it all the way to the "lighthouse" (it was more a lamp on a block) and got a stunning view of the ocean. I kept hearing penguins, but I couldn't get a good enough look at the rocks to see them. I also got to check out the oldest settlement on the island at Halfmoon Bay along the way. The guy (Lewis Acker) who lived there fit 9 kids in that tiny rock house! On my way back into town, the sun set over the beautiful mountains in Rakiura. 

My kiwi tour didn't start until 9:45, so I decided to hit up the karaoke that was happening in the pub. It was an absolute riot. Several locals and tourists all sang their heart out to Cry Me a River and this one gentleman poorly sung Tubthumping (I get knocked down, but I get up again! song) until the whole pub was laughing. I spent an hour there and then headed down to Beaks and Feathers for the kiwi tour of a lifetime. 

At Beaks and Feathers, we had an amazing kiwi guide named Emma who took us all to the private airport strip where kiwi are known to forage. Within minutes we saw out first kiwi, a male, foraging away. Due to their sensitivity to white light, we had to use a red light to see the nocturnal birds. That night we saw a total of *7* southern brown kiwi and even had the privilege to see courtship behavior. Rakiura is also considered a dark sky sanctuary, so the clear sky was beaming with stars. 

Enjoy the video of this lil kiwi sniffing us (kiwi have the second best olfactory senses in the bird world)! Emma then drove everyone back to their respective accommodation and I fell fast asleep  in my comfy (albeit a bit cold at 3 C) cabin. 

To be continued....