Stewart and Uva Islands

8/12: Uva Island



There’s a lot to be said for having little to no expectations about a destination. Whenever you visit an icon like the Taj or the Pyramids, you have the possibility of reality not meeting your dreams.

But, Stewart Island was on the other side of the spectrum. I heard it was pretty with lots of birds, but that was about it. This left me in a position to be pleasantly surprised at every turn.

Uva Island was no different. It’s a unique natural heritage site, whose isolation by water has limited the epidemics of rats and other foreign animals spoiling the native ecosystem. Just recently, it was pronounced ferret and mostly rat-free; a major accomplishment.



What does that mean for the tourist? It’s a joy to just wander around. From lush rain forests that appear as they would 300 million years ago, to the constant bird calls, Uva is gorgeous – plain and simple.




I caught a motorboat out in the morning, and had a few hours mostly to myself, completing a circuit of the trails.

The grey skies and heavy foliage made both seeing the birds and taking pics hard, but you could definitely hear them:



… the layered plants were a blast to take photos, although I was kicking myself for not having a tripod.

The highlight though, was the common waka bird. Basically a very wild chicken, these native birds take curiosity to a new level, often walking right up to you, even up and over your shoes. The biggest challenge was trying not to scare them by laughing at their antics.






I had an hour to myself on the beach – with more waka and other local birds, plus a surprise of yet another great rainbow. Again, during the high season, it would be packed – but I had it all to myself. Perfect.

The threatening skies finally opened up so I beat feet back to the boat pier, and headed back to Oban. Forgoing the boring walk on the paved road, I had a great hike back along the coastal trail. After so much walking, beers and some hearty sausage and mash was just the remedy, then it was time to turn in, to head back up to the mainland and Dunedin.