Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
beaches, with sightings of wildlife along the way. Watch for good weather and give him a
bell.
Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience
( 0274 784 433, 03-219 1066;
www.ruggedyrange.com
; Main Rd)
Nature-guide Furhana runs small-
group guided walks including half- and full-day trips to Ulva Island ($120/185), and
overnight trips to see kiwi in the wild ($525).
BIRD-WATCHING
SPOTTING A KIWI: A BRUSH WITH THE GODS
Stewart Island/Rakiura is one of the few places on earth where you can spot a kiwi in the wild. Considered the
king of the forest by Maori, the bird has been around for 70 million years and is related to the now-extinct moa.
Brown feathers camouflage the kiwi against its bush surroundings and a nocturnal lifestyle means spying a kiwi
in the wild is a challenge. This is compounded by Stewart Island/Rakiura's fickle weather, with tours sometimes
cancelled - allow a few nights on the island if you're desperate for a sighting.
As big as a barnyard chicken and estimated to number around 20,000 birds, the Stewart Island/Rakiura brown
kiwi (
Apteryx australis lawryi,
also known as the tokoeka) is larger in size, longer in the beak and thicker in the
legs than its northern cousins. They are also the only kiwi active during daylight hours, and birds may be seen
around sunrise and sunset foraging for food in grassed areas and on beaches where they mine sandhoppers under
washed-up kelp. If you spot one, keep silent, and stay still and well away. The birds' poor eyesight and single-
mindedness in searching for food will often lead them to bump right into you.
Sleeping
Finding accommodation can be difficult, especially in the low season when many places
shut down. Booking ahead is highly recommended. The island has many holiday homes,
which are often good value and offer the benefit of self-catering, which is especially
handy if you do a spot of fishing (although many impose a two-night minimum stay or
charge a surcharge for one night). Invercargill i-SITE and the Stewart Island Experience
Red Shed can help you book such rentals. See also
www.stewartisland.co.nz
.
Jo & Andy's B&B
( 03-219 1230;
jariksem@clear.net.nz
;
cnr Morris St & Main Rd; s $60, d & tw $90; )
A great option
for budget travellers, this cosy blue home squeezes in twin, double and single rooms. A
big breakfast of muesli, fruit and homemade bread prepares you for the most active of
B&B
$
