Rakiura (Stewart Island), New Zealand
If you're standing at the bar at the Stewart Island Hotel, and you look to your right, on the wall is a sweet quote that goes something like this:
"There is no point in going through life unscathed. The goal in life is not to reach the end with clean shoes, unscratched, cleanly dressed without a mark. Rather, the goal is to slide in sideways, body completely spent, totally wrecked, champagne in one hand and a strawberry in the other shouting loudly and joyfully 'WOO HOO....WHAT A RIDE!' "
I read that at the end of my 10 days on the island and I'm glad I did. If I read it at the beginning of being there, I don't think it would have had as much resonance.
I met up with Texas in Dunedin and we decided to go to Stewart Island, the southern most point of New Zealand and pretty much the last main stop before you reach Antarctica.
http://www.stewartisland.co.nz/
We arrived at the Ferry in the nic-of-time. I took my sea sickness tablets since the ride had a real reputation for being particularly choppy. In the ferry office they sell t-shirts that say "I survived the Forveux Strait!". I almost bought one when we reached the island. 9 foot swells had my stomach reeling even on dramamine. I held my stomach the entire time and prayed for it to be over.
Rakiura is the Maori term for "land of the glowing skies". In the winter you can see the Australis Auroialis, or southern lights. The sunsets and sunrises are quite a site, unlike anything I have seen. The sky explodes with color. Most people come to the island to see a kiwi bird in the wild as the island is 85% national park and the surrounding island (only one is accesible to tourists) are proving to be succesful experiments in reintroducing native species and saving endangered flora and fauna. Stweart island was lucky enough to be spared from having stoats and weasels introduced, so kiwis and other flightless birds like the weka can survive here. Wild parrots like the Kaka screech across the sky and the beautifully colorful New Zealand pigeon is everywhere.
When I was in Christchurch, I saw a painting at the regional art gallery that really moved me. It was called "The fall of Icarus" by Bill Hammond and was a greenish blue painting of dozends of birds sitting in the forest, with almost human faces. The painting was dripping, as if it was melting, like Icarus's wings and it was a mournful tribute to what has been lost....that New Zealand was a land of birds before man came, and a truly magical eden.
You get a glimpse of what was on Stewart Island. Texas and I decided to take the Department of Conservation Tour to Ullva Island, one of the island sanctuaries completely cleared of all pests like rats, possums, deer etc. It is also surrounded by a marine sanctuary. Jan was our guide and a super cool Maori woman. She was the Cheif executive of her tribe on the north island, and had grown up on Rakiura when there were hardly any roads and only one car. When we jumped off the boat it was like being in Snow white. A small little bird approached us and flitted around watching our move. It was a Stewart Island Robin. The little bird was so sociable, almost tame and waited for us to scratch the ground so it could get at some bugs. It was so cute. The Department of Conservation introduced 20 of the rare little birds a couple of years ago back to Ullva island and now there are 120. The same success is being met with other endangered species who they also track and look after.
The boats (and our backpacks) all need to be inspected for rats as the little devils are known to sneak onto the island in this way. Two rats are caught per year, stowaways who try to make a run for their own little paradise. I really enjoyed the tour, and was reminded, with the painting in Christchurch, just how little we are exposed to pristine nature. When you come into contact with it, it really moves you.
We stayed at a backpacker that had cheap single rooms so we each got our own rooms which was a real luxury. It felt so nice to have my own space. Texas unfortunately was having ankle problems so left the next day.
I stayed and went snorkelling, back at Ullva island. I was the only one in the water. I had to wear a 7mm wetsuit (I felt like the guy in the Mr. Stay Puff suit in Ghostbusters). The water was beyond freezing (it's the arctic waters for christsake!) but as soon as I put my mask into the water...it all became worth it. It made the barrier reef look quite anaemicin comparison. The kelp forests were home to hundreds of fish...including the beautiful blue cod...a ghost like fish that just stared at me whenever I swam by. I couldn't eat them after that. (blue cod is the staple diet on the island...and quite tasty). I kept swimming along the beautiful coast...my face was beginning to freeze and my ears got sore from the cold. The water got deeper and more mysterious and I was getting a little nervous when I looked down and saw a shark. It was a small one, sleeping in the sand, probably no more than 4 feet long, but it was a shark nevertheless. I was excited and freaked out at the same time, so I swam back to shallower waters. It had tiger stripes, and I found out later it was a local harmless sand shark. I spent the rest of the day drying off, warming up and walking the island, spending time with the stewart island robins, who would manage to jump on my shoes and peck at my soles.
They are not as bad as the flightless wicka (or forest chicken as the Maori refer to it). These guys will gladly steal a sandwich out of your hand...which they did to Texas on our tour. The Maori use the oil of the birds for arthritis, but if you use too much, your bones will literally bend. People have tried to market the oil as medicine, but it eats through all types of containers...glass, whatever. You pretty much need to kill the bird, cook it, rub the oil on your skin and then kill another one. Seeing as the wika is protected, that pretty much isn't possible anymore. One thing is for sure, New Zealand has made me find a new appreciation for birds.
I didn't want to leave Rakiura, but I was getting low on money, so I decided to do a tramp for three days on the Rakiura walk. I rented a stove,and some proper gear and off I went. The first day was easy, beautiful, along the coast near where Ullva island is. I arrived at North Arm Hut which sits on a bay where black swans swim (ever seen a black swan swim in the ocean? It is AMAZING!) Slowly other trampers came in, but I kept to myself pretty much. I was walking the track backwards which I am so thankful for now. I noticed everyone starts comparing notes "it only took me 4 hours to get here...not five.." and "it was hard for them but easy for me". I just wanted to enjoy my walk and didn't want to be around people on some kind of personal best competition. That night, a possum entered the hut and created quite a ruckus.
The next day was kind of hard, very muddy (which Stwewart Island tramps are famous for) . Up and down hills, slippery roots on tracks. It started raining quite heavily so by hour five I was pretty much over it. I was glad to reach the Port William Hut and begin to dry out. A nice swiss couple arrived and we started talking.....then the AMERICAN arrived. I knew he was an American when I saw him...perfectly clean boots, clean expensive north face clothes. Of course he walked strait into the hut without taking off his boots (big hut etiquitte booboo). I tried to avoid him but the Swiss couple told him I was an American too. I knew this guy wasn't just an American when I saw him...I knew he was a Republican. I think it was the "I ran here almost the whole way! I'm training for a marathon!" boasting. Maybe it was the fact that all his clothes and backpack were a matching blue? Or maybe it was his extreme earnestness that seemed to try and compensate for some kind of inner insecurity and realization that the world really hates him right now. I don't know what it was...but I knew.
"Hi....I hear you're from THE STATES!!!" he said to me as I pulled my earplug out of my ear because I was reading trying to ignore him.
"Yeah..." I said
"Where are you from?" he said
"I'm from San Francisco,...where are you from?" I said with such a lack of enthusiasm it made the air sink
"I'm from North Carolina!!!"
Immediately... I asked
"You didn't vote for Bush did you?"
"Actually ... I did" he said
"Right, then we won't be speaking to eachother then" I said as I put the ear plug back in my ear and promptly sat down and returned to my reading. He sat there kind of stunned and walked around sheepishly as a German couple glared at him. It just so happened that there in the kitchen was a printout that someone posted of the Bush/monkey connection. You know the one...a chimp makes a face, then there's a picture of Bush making the same face. I don't know if this idiot saw the posting. I always felt that satire was an insult to chimps. Lucky for the republican some Israelis showed up. They took him fishing. The entire hut felt kind of like a microcosm of world politics...the American and Israeli alliance, firmly isolated on a hunting spree, while Europe and the rest of the world tried to ignore them but couldn't. This was due mostly to the American's insecure bursts out loud to the nice swiss couple of "I CAUGHT TWO FISH...WANT TO SEE THE PICTURES?" and "I'm thinking of going on a walk tonight". He seemed to need so much attention, I almost felt sorry for the guy. Then I remembered...this idiot voted for Bush...AND he's travelling. There is no excuse for someone who has seen the world to be so closed minded. If I had the opportunity to push him off a cliff... I probably would have. ... Lucky for both of us that opportunity never arose.
I finished my walk and it felt like somewhat of an accomplishment..to do it on my own and in such a beautiful area of the world. It's safe to say my legs have never been so sore (I hiked about 23 miles in 3 days). It doesn't sound like a lot, but I was out of shape and it was up and down hills and semi mountains. Yeah...I'm a big baby...but I did it...and I'd like to do it again....sans Republicans of course.
I returned back to the mainland on the ferry and rode out the waves while watching the seagulls fly across the sunrise. I cried. Mostly because there are so few places like this, and also because I don't know when I will see this place again. At that point, I don't know if I had a glass of champgagne in my hand, but maybe there was a strawberry or two...it's moments like this that you realize there is still beauty in the world.
"There is no point in going through life unscathed. The goal in life is not to reach the end with clean shoes, unscratched, cleanly dressed without a mark. Rather, the goal is to slide in sideways, body completely spent, totally wrecked, champagne in one hand and a strawberry in the other shouting loudly and joyfully 'WOO HOO....WHAT A RIDE!' "
I read that at the end of my 10 days on the island and I'm glad I did. If I read it at the beginning of being there, I don't think it would have had as much resonance.
I met up with Texas in Dunedin and we decided to go to Stewart Island, the southern most point of New Zealand and pretty much the last main stop before you reach Antarctica.
http://www.stewartisland.co.nz/
We arrived at the Ferry in the nic-of-time. I took my sea sickness tablets since the ride had a real reputation for being particularly choppy. In the ferry office they sell t-shirts that say "I survived the Forveux Strait!". I almost bought one when we reached the island. 9 foot swells had my stomach reeling even on dramamine. I held my stomach the entire time and prayed for it to be over.
Rakiura is the Maori term for "land of the glowing skies". In the winter you can see the Australis Auroialis, or southern lights. The sunsets and sunrises are quite a site, unlike anything I have seen. The sky explodes with color. Most people come to the island to see a kiwi bird in the wild as the island is 85% national park and the surrounding island (only one is accesible to tourists) are proving to be succesful experiments in reintroducing native species and saving endangered flora and fauna. Stweart island was lucky enough to be spared from having stoats and weasels introduced, so kiwis and other flightless birds like the weka can survive here. Wild parrots like the Kaka screech across the sky and the beautifully colorful New Zealand pigeon is everywhere.
When I was in Christchurch, I saw a painting at the regional art gallery that really moved me. It was called "The fall of Icarus" by Bill Hammond and was a greenish blue painting of dozends of birds sitting in the forest, with almost human faces. The painting was dripping, as if it was melting, like Icarus's wings and it was a mournful tribute to what has been lost....that New Zealand was a land of birds before man came, and a truly magical eden.
You get a glimpse of what was on Stewart Island. Texas and I decided to take the Department of Conservation Tour to Ullva Island, one of the island sanctuaries completely cleared of all pests like rats, possums, deer etc. It is also surrounded by a marine sanctuary. Jan was our guide and a super cool Maori woman. She was the Cheif executive of her tribe on the north island, and had grown up on Rakiura when there were hardly any roads and only one car. When we jumped off the boat it was like being in Snow white. A small little bird approached us and flitted around watching our move. It was a Stewart Island Robin. The little bird was so sociable, almost tame and waited for us to scratch the ground so it could get at some bugs. It was so cute. The Department of Conservation introduced 20 of the rare little birds a couple of years ago back to Ullva island and now there are 120. The same success is being met with other endangered species who they also track and look after.
The boats (and our backpacks) all need to be inspected for rats as the little devils are known to sneak onto the island in this way. Two rats are caught per year, stowaways who try to make a run for their own little paradise. I really enjoyed the tour, and was reminded, with the painting in Christchurch, just how little we are exposed to pristine nature. When you come into contact with it, it really moves you.
We stayed at a backpacker that had cheap single rooms so we each got our own rooms which was a real luxury. It felt so nice to have my own space. Texas unfortunately was having ankle problems so left the next day.
I stayed and went snorkelling, back at Ullva island. I was the only one in the water. I had to wear a 7mm wetsuit (I felt like the guy in the Mr. Stay Puff suit in Ghostbusters). The water was beyond freezing (it's the arctic waters for christsake!) but as soon as I put my mask into the water...it all became worth it. It made the barrier reef look quite anaemicin comparison. The kelp forests were home to hundreds of fish...including the beautiful blue cod...a ghost like fish that just stared at me whenever I swam by. I couldn't eat them after that. (blue cod is the staple diet on the island...and quite tasty). I kept swimming along the beautiful coast...my face was beginning to freeze and my ears got sore from the cold. The water got deeper and more mysterious and I was getting a little nervous when I looked down and saw a shark. It was a small one, sleeping in the sand, probably no more than 4 feet long, but it was a shark nevertheless. I was excited and freaked out at the same time, so I swam back to shallower waters. It had tiger stripes, and I found out later it was a local harmless sand shark. I spent the rest of the day drying off, warming up and walking the island, spending time with the stewart island robins, who would manage to jump on my shoes and peck at my soles.
They are not as bad as the flightless wicka (or forest chicken as the Maori refer to it). These guys will gladly steal a sandwich out of your hand...which they did to Texas on our tour. The Maori use the oil of the birds for arthritis, but if you use too much, your bones will literally bend. People have tried to market the oil as medicine, but it eats through all types of containers...glass, whatever. You pretty much need to kill the bird, cook it, rub the oil on your skin and then kill another one. Seeing as the wika is protected, that pretty much isn't possible anymore. One thing is for sure, New Zealand has made me find a new appreciation for birds.
I didn't want to leave Rakiura, but I was getting low on money, so I decided to do a tramp for three days on the Rakiura walk. I rented a stove,and some proper gear and off I went. The first day was easy, beautiful, along the coast near where Ullva island is. I arrived at North Arm Hut which sits on a bay where black swans swim (ever seen a black swan swim in the ocean? It is AMAZING!) Slowly other trampers came in, but I kept to myself pretty much. I was walking the track backwards which I am so thankful for now. I noticed everyone starts comparing notes "it only took me 4 hours to get here...not five.." and "it was hard for them but easy for me". I just wanted to enjoy my walk and didn't want to be around people on some kind of personal best competition. That night, a possum entered the hut and created quite a ruckus.
The next day was kind of hard, very muddy (which Stwewart Island tramps are famous for) . Up and down hills, slippery roots on tracks. It started raining quite heavily so by hour five I was pretty much over it. I was glad to reach the Port William Hut and begin to dry out. A nice swiss couple arrived and we started talking.....then the AMERICAN arrived. I knew he was an American when I saw him...perfectly clean boots, clean expensive north face clothes. Of course he walked strait into the hut without taking off his boots (big hut etiquitte booboo). I tried to avoid him but the Swiss couple told him I was an American too. I knew this guy wasn't just an American when I saw him...I knew he was a Republican. I think it was the "I ran here almost the whole way! I'm training for a marathon!" boasting. Maybe it was the fact that all his clothes and backpack were a matching blue? Or maybe it was his extreme earnestness that seemed to try and compensate for some kind of inner insecurity and realization that the world really hates him right now. I don't know what it was...but I knew.
"Hi....I hear you're from THE STATES!!!" he said to me as I pulled my earplug out of my ear because I was reading trying to ignore him.
"Yeah..." I said
"Where are you from?" he said
"I'm from San Francisco,...where are you from?" I said with such a lack of enthusiasm it made the air sink
"I'm from North Carolina!!!"
Immediately... I asked
"You didn't vote for Bush did you?"
"Actually ... I did" he said
"Right, then we won't be speaking to eachother then" I said as I put the ear plug back in my ear and promptly sat down and returned to my reading. He sat there kind of stunned and walked around sheepishly as a German couple glared at him. It just so happened that there in the kitchen was a printout that someone posted of the Bush/monkey connection. You know the one...a chimp makes a face, then there's a picture of Bush making the same face. I don't know if this idiot saw the posting. I always felt that satire was an insult to chimps. Lucky for the republican some Israelis showed up. They took him fishing. The entire hut felt kind of like a microcosm of world politics...the American and Israeli alliance, firmly isolated on a hunting spree, while Europe and the rest of the world tried to ignore them but couldn't. This was due mostly to the American's insecure bursts out loud to the nice swiss couple of "I CAUGHT TWO FISH...WANT TO SEE THE PICTURES?" and "I'm thinking of going on a walk tonight". He seemed to need so much attention, I almost felt sorry for the guy. Then I remembered...this idiot voted for Bush...AND he's travelling. There is no excuse for someone who has seen the world to be so closed minded. If I had the opportunity to push him off a cliff... I probably would have. ... Lucky for both of us that opportunity never arose.
I finished my walk and it felt like somewhat of an accomplishment..to do it on my own and in such a beautiful area of the world. It's safe to say my legs have never been so sore (I hiked about 23 miles in 3 days). It doesn't sound like a lot, but I was out of shape and it was up and down hills and semi mountains. Yeah...I'm a big baby...but I did it...and I'd like to do it again....sans Republicans of course.
I returned back to the mainland on the ferry and rode out the waves while watching the seagulls fly across the sunrise. I cried. Mostly because there are so few places like this, and also because I don't know when I will see this place again. At that point, I don't know if I had a glass of champgagne in my hand, but maybe there was a strawberry or two...it's moments like this that you realize there is still beauty in the world.
posted by Mr. Sophie at 6:35 PM
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