This photo is about as good as it gets on Stewart Island. This is just outside of Stewart Island’s only “settlement,” Oban which is home for most of Stewart Island’s 400 inhabitants. Stewart Island is New Zealand’s 3rd biggest island (after the North and South islands) and is located about 30km south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait.
Jon and I took the ferry from Bluff, the most southern town in the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. The crossing can be very bad, but luckily we got calm seas for both of our trips.
Once on the island, there wasn’t a whole lot to do. Most all of the walks on the island were closed due to flooding (maybe you read this on Jon’s blog already), and Oban wasn’t exactly exciting. I had feared that Stewart Island would be freezing in the winter, but it was pleasantly warm. A thin long sleeve shirt was enough during the day, and maybe a jacket at night.
We spent a couple of nights at the backpacker on the island, and did what short walks were available. We spent most of our time counting down the hours until our return ferry departed.
Again, I marvel at your eye for content and composition. And how you (your camera?) capture the color. (Especially on that cool van! ) What a bummer that you didn’t get to hike further. If you had, what route would you have taken, and what was the furthest south you would have reached? Come to think of it, maybe you could post your trail map of the island . . . and the trails you wanted to hike on but couldn’t. Nice that the temps were so great for you!
Oh, my! The soil looks quite red. Maybe there’s a lot of iron in it like the soil around Atlanta. What is the red foliage in the top photo? And what’s the red stuff in the rocks along the shore? Only one town with 400 inhabitants–and that’s on a fairly good sized chunk of land. Thanks for these photos and your descriptions.
I’m not really sure what trails we would have been able to take. I am kind of thinking they might not have been that great anyhow. We just took a few that were open kind of around town and the bays nearby.
I don’t think that is the soil that is red. Most of it is washed up sea weed.
Not exactly sure. There are some fishermen for sure. We noticed the ferries all carried a large amount of beer and wine, so that could be a passtime as well.
8 Comments »
Comment by josh — August 12, 2007 @ 10:16 pm
This photo is about as good as it gets on Stewart Island. This is just outside of Stewart Island’s only “settlement,” Oban which is home for most of Stewart Island’s 400 inhabitants. Stewart Island is New Zealand’s 3rd biggest island (after the North and South islands) and is located about 30km south of the South Island, across Foveaux Strait.
Jon and I took the ferry from Bluff, the most southern town in the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. The crossing can be very bad, but luckily we got calm seas for both of our trips.
Once on the island, there wasn’t a whole lot to do. Most all of the walks on the island were closed due to flooding (maybe you read this on Jon’s blog already), and Oban wasn’t exactly exciting. I had feared that Stewart Island would be freezing in the winter, but it was pleasantly warm. A thin long sleeve shirt was enough during the day, and maybe a jacket at night.
We spent a couple of nights at the backpacker on the island, and did what short walks were available. We spent most of our time counting down the hours until our return ferry departed.
Comment by josh — August 12, 2007 @ 10:18 pm
This is a Stewart Island building
And this is what our van would look like if it lived on Stewart Island.
Comment by Peg Moore — August 13, 2007 @ 5:24 am
Again, I marvel at your eye for content and composition. And how you (your camera?) capture the color. (Especially on that cool van!
) What a bummer that you didn’t get to hike further. If you had, what route would you have taken, and what was the furthest south you would have reached? Come to think of it, maybe you could post your trail map of the island . . . and the trails you wanted to hike on but couldn’t. Nice that the temps were so great for you!
Comment by Clara — August 13, 2007 @ 11:00 am
Oh, my! The soil looks quite red. Maybe there’s a lot of iron in it like the soil around Atlanta. What is the red foliage in the top photo? And what’s the red stuff in the rocks along the shore? Only one town with 400 inhabitants–and that’s on a fairly good sized chunk of land. Thanks for these photos and your descriptions.
Comment by Claire — August 13, 2007 @ 3:55 pm
That is a saaaaad looking van.
But still a wonderful picture.
Comment by josh — August 14, 2007 @ 10:52 am
I’m not really sure what trails we would have been able to take. I am kind of thinking they might not have been that great anyhow. We just took a few that were open kind of around town and the bays nearby.
I don’t think that is the soil that is red. Most of it is washed up sea weed.
Comment by dadman — August 16, 2007 @ 4:48 am
What do people do on Stewart Island? Fish? Mine? Farm? Wait for the ferry?
Comment by josh — August 16, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
Not exactly sure. There are some fishermen for sure. We noticed the ferries all carried a large amount of beer and wine, so that could be a passtime as well.
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