Ulva Island
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Our Bimble on Ulva
Island
  This little
chap met us by the quayside, the only one we were to see. Ian’s taxi waiting quietly. Ian followed us by a couple of
minutes.
  Off we roared
across Paterson Inlet and twenty minutes later we watched as Ian and his boat were getting smaller. This is the very
first time we’ve been marooned anywhere. Mmmm, we stood and thought about that
for a while. Ian promised to come back for us at four, but said if it bucketed
down he would come over earlier. There are a couple of huts to shelter in, so
all was well.
The Department of Conservation currently maintains the public portion of the island including its predator free status. A small portion of the island (approximately twenty acres between Sydney Cove and Post Office Bay) is privately owned that has passed through several generations of the same family. We walked off the jetty and the private bit was to our right, the owners use the property as their holiday home.
We found a map and the well made track and off we went. Very soon we heard scruffing about in the edge.
No sooner than this nosy little weka had heard us, than he was out from his scruffing. There he was poking at Bear, first his shoes then his socks. Next his bag, behind and juice net. Nothing to eat and nothing offered he went back to his scruffing, leaves and sticks flying everywhere. Would a gambling person bet on this flightless bird being able to swim a single stroke, long toes, stubby tail and quite heavy. Three feet, three yards or three quarters of a mile – believe it or not he can use his tail like a yuloh oar, waggling it from side to side and is such a very effective swimmer, he can make best part of a mile. We would not have won a penny in the bet.
This Stewart Island robin didn’t give us a second glance, he was concentrating on the weka, watching for any insects that might get disturbed. Ulva Island
(from Scottish
Gaelic: Eilean
na Ulbha) is a small island just over two
miles long, it has an area of about six hundred and seventy acres, the majority
of which is part of Rakiura National
Park. It was named after the island of Ulva
in the Inner
Hebrides of Scotland and was formerly
called Coopers Island. Ulva Island's relative isolation, but
easy access from Stewart Island has allowed it to become an important natural
resource area. It is a sanctuary for both birds and plants, holding species that
on the mainland of New Zealand are rare or have died out. In 1997, the island
was declared rat-free, following an eradication program, and extirpated birds have been
reintroduced to the island. The birds include the South Island
saddleback (tieke), yellowhead (mohua) and
Stewart Island
robin (toutouwai). Other birds on the
island that are rare on the mainland include the Stewart Island Brown
Kiwi (tokoeka), Rifleman (Tītitipounamu),
Yellow-crowned and
Red-fronted
Parakeet, and South Island Kākā or forest parrot, as
well as several other species. The endangered Yellow-eyed
penguin uses the island for breeding sites.
Occasionally rats make their way to the
island but are caught in a network of traps. DOC visit from time to time with
sniffer dogs trained to alert at recent activity.
   Above us was a very loud tui, soon it was a yellow-crowned parakeet,
all watched by a kākā.
 A different
robin found us as we ate our sandwiches, stood between our feet snagging
any crumbs that fell.
  The track took us
across the beach, a cold wind took us quickly back into the shelter of
the trees.
  No sooner than we got going again than
this bellbird was clearly offended that we had had
the temerity to walk past his favourite perch. He sat and made the same, loud
note over and over again. He made no attempt to move, look frightened or stop,
we left him and could hear him for ages. We spent some time looking at the trees
and ferns, following the nature
trail.
  We popped out once more, this time on
Boulder Beach. Looking left we were
treated to sand sculptures.
 Amazing.
   One of our new
friends came with us.
   We found the
hut, so did our friend and we read the information boards.
   Time to end our bimble with some wonderful wood.
  We just had time to climb the
observation tower to see the view. This tower was once a flag mast telling the islanders post was
in.
 Stewart Island's first Post Office and
store opened on Ulva Island in Paterson Inlet in 1867. It was a logical site.
There were no roads and a scattered population. When the monthly mail-boat
arrived, the flag was hoisted. Settlers would climb in their boats and row or
sail out to collect their mail and stores. It became a social activity.
These visitors were
photographed outside the building, probably around 1910. The Post Office
closed at the end of January 1923.
During the postcard mania of the early 20th century it became common for visitors to Paterson Inlet Post Office on Stewart Island to send leaf postcards such as this one, which was mailed, correctly stamped, to a correspondent in Nelson. The Post Office frequently announced that such mailings were prohibited, but they appear to have persisted for years. What a wonderful story to end our visit here. Our five hour visit flew by and all too soon Ian had arrived and off we went. Back on the other side, we waited for Ian to buoy up his taxi, row ashore and kindly give us a lift back to our digs where supper was a help-yourself buffet and very good it was, complete with ice-cream machine with all kinds of toppings. Electric blanket on we snuggled after a drink in the bar. What wonderful memories.
ALL IN ALL MAROONED WITH NEW
FRIENDS
BEAUTIFULLY SET UP TO
VISIT |
