The Catlins & Stewart 23 to 26 November 2010

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The Catlins Coast is an untamed corner of New Zealand off the beaten track and not visited by many tourist but for nature at its best, the Catlins has a lot to offer so we intend to spend some time in this area. The region’s namesake was a ship’s captain who regularly traded with Australia. Edward Cattlin purchased a huge tract of land from local Maori in 1840. However authorities later reduced his claim and did not formally transfer title until 1873. This was a bit late for Captain Cattlin as he had died in Sydney 17 years earlier. Still his name has survived although with a slight modification to the spelling. We set off early with every intention of stopping along the rugged Otago coastline at Nugget Point but found that the road was in a bad state of repair and the motorhome was struggling to stay on the single track road with steep gradients each side so we decided to turn around which in itself was quite difficult and continue on along the Southern Scenic Route to view some scenic waterfalls. The first waterfall was situated well off the sealed road and we had to travel again quite along way on the dreaded dirt road (unsealed) but the motorhome managed it quite well this time, although ‘Mo’ the Satnav was not happy…Our first stop was the Purakaunui Falls a three tiered waterfall often featured on NZ calendars accessible along a short bush walk. This magnificent waterfall cascaded 20 metres over three distinct tiers and we managed to get some good photographs. We managed to find our way out along the unsealed road which seemed to go on for ever but finally came back on to the highway and continued to the Matai Falls situated on the Macklennan River and a little further along the track from this was yet another smaller fall called the Horseshoe but the flow was extremely low. We continued on to our next campsite which was situated close to the last waterfall in the area we were going to view and this was the Mighty MacLeans Falls. After booking in we decided to view the falls late in the afternoon as we had arrived earlier than anticipated and it was a beautiful sunny day. Access to the falls was about 3.5k down yet again an unsealed road and then a 40 minute walk through the bush. The track to the waterfall was quite good and we noticed a sign saying that it had been constructed by the children, staff and parents of Kings High School Dunedin over a ten year period from 1988 to 1998. On arrival at the falls we were quite disappointed with the flow of water, they were not as magnificient as we had been led to believe. We were just about to turn back when Paul noticed that the track carried on up a wet slippery hill but we could hear the roar of water so continued and after a while the full falls came into view and we think out of all the waterfalls we had seen these were quite splendid, it was like three waterfalls in one with various falls at different angles very difficult to photograph the whole falls without getting wet and ending up down river! We then made our way back to the campsite and decided to do some washing which I am afraid we still have to do quite regularly because of our limited ‘wardrobes’(mine is in a small cupboard the size of my underwear draw at home)! Although the sun was still out the wind had got up and it was blowing a gale, it was quite hilarious trying to get the pegs in but at least it will dried quite quickly. Later we sat in the campsite lounge to listen to the news and met a New Zealand couple who were on holiday, we chatted for a while but the sad news came on saying there was no hope for the miners trapped in Greymouth, just up the west coast and they said that the people from Greymouth were so friendly and everyone had hoped that there would be a successful outcome the same as for the Chilean miners a few weeks earlier. In the morning as we were so close to Waipati Beach we decided to view the famous Cathedral Caves before heading off to our next destination. Access to the carpark which then enabled access to the beach and caves was down a unsealed road or more like unsealed track which is only opened two hours either side of low tide and as it is on private land a small charge applied. We were the first to enter the track this day and the going was quite rough, we learnt later that it had just been graded so there was loose rocks as well as wet slippery mud but we managed to get to the end and parked the motorhome (although we were not looking forward to the return journey particularly if we met another van as it was only a very small single track). It took us about 40 minutes to walk down through the bush to the beach and the only occupant when we arrived was a lone male seal basking in the sunshine and ‘king of the beach’. The Cathedral Caves were a few minutes walk and we crossed the fresh sand making the first footprints of the day and having the whole beach to ourselves (apart from the seal). The Cathedral Caves are so called because of their resemblance to an English cathedral and they resonate with the sound of the sea. Rising more than 30 metres in places, they are extremely imposing and very grand. There are in fact two caves which go quite a length into the rock face and are joined through a narrow gulley so you can go in one entrance and come out the other although it is very dark and we had to watch out for any seals that are sometimes inside and can be quite vicious if disturbed. We did manage to get back to the sealed road without meeting any other motorhome and then continued on to Curio Bay an ancient geological phenomenon of international significance, a 160 million years Jurassic fossil forest. The petrified stumps, fallen log fossils and plant species identified here prove NZ’s one time connection to the ancient continent of Gondwana. Whilst we were wandering around the beach amongst the fossils we noticed two rare yellow eyed penguins immerged from the sea and make their way across the rocks to their nests in the sandy shrub banks, again we were extremely lucky to see these rare birds. We watched as one of them made its way back down the beach and quickly disappear into the sea. They have quite different characters and we spent ages watching them before we moved on to the nearby Porpoise Bay hoping to see the rare Hector Dolphin. These little black and white dolphins can be seen in the summers surf only at Porpoise Bay where they come very close to shore but in the winter are further out to sea and harder to see. They are one of the rarest and smallest dolphins in the world and apparently they had been seen yesterday but we scoured the bay but could not see anything and in the end decided it was time to head of to our next overnight stop at Invercargill. We travelled over very green high rolling hills with millions of sheep the most we had seen in NZ since we arrived. Eventually we arrived in Invercargill, NZ’s southernmost city and the heart of the Southlands. We could not make out why we were the only motorhome on the campsite but there were quite a few motorbikes until we were told that it was the Burt Monroe Challenge weekend. Invercargill was the home town of this great Kiwi legend, who still holds the world record for the fastest land speed record (under 1000cc). Invarcargill was thrown into the limelight in 2005 by the release of the film, The World’s Fastest Indian with Burt Monroe being played by Sir Anthony Hopkins. As it turned out even though more bikers arrived only one other motorhome did so we had nearly the whole power site to ourselves. Just behind us was a large pond full of ducks and swans but there was a high fence between the pond and the campsite. I said to Paul, that’s really lucky we will not get bothered with ducks today (he was quite smug when he reminded me that ducks can fly and the fence would be no obstacle ‘ doh!) As we were watching the birds on the pond we noticed this farmer with a small tractor going up and down the lane on the side with about four sheep in a very small pen on the back. It seemed to be go around and around every 10 minutes or so until we realised he was moving his whole flock of sheep to another field to graze. Later we drove into Invercargill to do some shopping at the New World store (largest supermarkets in NZ) to stock up on supplies, but after walking up and down the isles for quite a while realised they did not have any alcohol. We asked at the checkout and they said that it was an unlicensed area and that we would have to visit the liquor store to purchase any supplies but there was one at each end of the city. After finding one and stocking up on the most essential supplies we visited the local NZ Information Centre called ‘I-Site’ who are extremely helpful with information on tours, walks and campsites etc although because we are ‘just out’ of season we have no problem with booking campsites and just have to turn up during the day. Joyce, the I-site guide was extremely helpful, we had wanted to book a ferry to Stewart Island and then a cruise across to the smaller Ulva Island which we particularly wanted to visit because of the unique birdlife on this island which has no permanent residents, just an island bird sanctuary. However when she called the cruise company to book our trip they said they were was not running that day which is quite unusual as they run most days. Joyce was then really helpful and said that she would call a local chap, Peter Tait which is really strange as I had come across him during my research of the island as being an expert on the area. She called and we were delighted that he agreed to take us across to Ulva on his yacht and would then give us a private guided walk around the bird sanctuary at a reasonable cost. He also agreed to meet us off the early morning ferry and arrange the details for our visit; we hoped we would be able to spot him when we arrived. Stewart Island is NZ’s third largest island, 85% of which is a national park. The ferry takes about an hour from South Island and then its a further 15 minutes by boat to cross to Ulva Island which is a predator-free bird sanctuary for rare and endangered bird and plant species. We crossed the Foveaux Strait from Bluff on the fast ferry and the crossing was a little rough but better than our previous experience on the Cook Strait! As we walked off the boat we could see Peter with a card and our name in huge letters so we had no problems finding him after all! It was raining quite hard so he said hop into his car and he would explain his plan for the day. Peter and his wife Iris have been residents of Stewart Island for over 35 years, Peter was formerly Ranger in Charge and Iris was a District Nurse but they now run a small B&B just above the harbour on Stewart Island and are both extremely knowledgeable guides of both Stewart and Ulva Islands. The plan for the day was for Iris to pick us up at midday and drive us to Peter’s yacht mooring. We had planned to walk around the harbour but as it was so wet Peter dropped us off at the local museum and we spent some time there before having ‘coffee and cake’ in the only little café on the island which Paul did manage to locate down a little side street. It only had four small tables and there was a little note on each table asking guests not to linger if the café was busy!! We then made our way to the pre-arranged pick up point and we met the delightful Iris who took us to the mooring where Peter was waiting and we crossed over the small channel to Ulva Island. Ulva Island is a bird watcher’s paradise and the moment you set foot on it you are greeted with a symphony of songs, the melodious tunes of bellbirds and tui are punctuated by the raucous calls of the kaka and the chattering kakariki. The island which is quite small is gave us an opportunity to see primeval NZ rainforest at its best. Mature rimu, totara and rata and other majestic trees provide the upper-story canopy to shade and shelter ferns and mosses on the forest floor. Birdlife abounds and we were soon greeted by a very friendly NZ Robin (they do not have red breasts but white) who followed us for a while through the undergrowth where we saw many other birds including, two saddlebacks, riflemen, yellowheads, kaka and the brown weka. As well as the bird life Peter was also very knowledgeable on floral and fauna and pointed out small orchids and other plants which we would not have noticed without him. He told us that the most striking aspect of NZ’s natural history is its absence of land mammals, other than two species of bats that are found nowhere else. With nothing to prey on them, birds proliferated and took over many niches which would elsewhere be occupied by mammals. Some of these birds lacking the need, eventually lost the ability to fly, and the most famous of these is the now extinct Moa, a giant flightless bird which could be 10 feet tall. Its size and lack of predators made it easy prey for early human settlers and it was hunted to extinction by the early 16th century. Then there is the takahe, a rare flightless bird thought to be extinct until a small colony was found in 1948, and the equally flightless kiwi, NZ’s national emblem and of course the nickname of New Zealanders themselves. We were delighted with our visit even though we did not manage to see one of these birds which as they are nocturnal we were probably too early. Peter also told us about the difficulty in getting rid of introduced predators on Ulva Island and was pleased to say that they had eradicated rats. However they have to keep monitoring to ensure they are not reintroduced and constantly lay traps throughout the forest as well as around most of NZ. The long list of mammal pests introduced to NZ includes, deer, rabbits, stoats, pigs and goats but the most destructive off all is the brush tailed possum, introduced from Australia and they estimate there are now 70 million chewing their way through millions of tons of foliage a year despite the best efforts of the Department of Conservation (DOC) to control them. We have encountered many dead possum on the roads during our travels throughout the North and South Islands. Amongst the possum’s favourite food are NZ’s most colourful trees, the Kowhai and the Pohutukawa which burst into vivid red flower in December, earning the nickname ‘Christmas Tree’ and we have seen many of these just coming into flower in time for the festive season. We continued through the undergrowth and at one point three noisy kaka arrived right in front of us on a small tree and we had a superb close up view of these unusual noisy parrots. Ulva Island was a very unique experience and we enjoyed a pleasant four hours walking around the island with Peter. He then took us back to Stewart Island but on the way asked if we would like coffee at his house and he would drive us down to meet our return ferry later. Peter lives in a lovely house overlooking the bay with wonderful views and we were greeted by his wife Iris and two very friendly terriers that seemed to like Paul and they all made us feel very welcome. They obviously love their life on the island which has now only a population of about 350. They said that when their children were at school there were about 90 pupils whereas now there was only 16 as many were leaving the island to find work. Many of the residents are direct descendants of the whalers and early Rakiura Maori, with family histories reaching back almost 200 years (although not long in UK history). Rakiura is the Maori name for Stewart Island. Later Peter drove us down to the ferry stopping on the way to open up the local timber built St Andrews Anglican Church to show us the freshly painted front which he had just help to restore. In the grounds were two historic bells, the oldest being the Bremen Bell cast in Germany and sent to NZ in 1846, the larger of the two bells was cast believe it or not in Salisbury, England in 1901 in memory of Teoni Topi Patuke of Ruapuke (it’s a small world). We had a calm return journey back to the main island and then drove back to the campsite. Next morning we decided to revisit I-Site to book an overnight cruise to Doubtful Sound on the Tutoko (Fiordland Expedition) a small boat carrying 14 passengers and decided to have a bit of luxury with a double ensuite cabin. We then headed off for Manapouri Lake in Fiordland a place we were very much looking forward to visit. On route we stopped at Riverton to visit a Settlers Museum which I had read about before we came out but which had just been ‘updated’ to the Te Hikoi Southern Journey, bringing the South Coast’s history alive. This was not just a museum but a unique heritage attraction which begins with an interactive voyage on a sailing ship reliving memorable episodes from NZs rich bicultural past. It featured authentic displays, adventurous characters (mostly played by locals) and engaging stories. These revealed how Maori and European ancestors adapted to survive on nature’s edge. It gave an insight into the seasonal lifestyle of early Maori, who were the first humans to arrive in around AD 800 from the Polynesian Islands, followed by the first Europeans; Dutchman, Abel Tasman in 1642 and Englishman, James Cook in 1769. These were followed by the sealers/whalers and in 1814 the early settlers and missionaries. A collection of early Maori artefacts and whaling memorabilia were also on display together with Chinese relics from the nearby gold mines at Round Hill. There were graphic displays showing the privation of early sealers and the perilous adventures of shore whalers who forged an enduring peace with Maori through intermarriage and enterprise. The town of Riverton itself started out in the late 1830’s and was one of NZ’s first established European settlements. By the late 1850s, the frontier town of Jacobs River (as it was originally known), had become an important base for new settler arrivals. We were ages viewing the displays and had a long chat with the custodian who asked which way we were heading and gave us some further ideas of what to do on our way to Manapouri. We followed her advice and headed for a walk at Riverton Rocks around the peninsular which juts out to sea beyond the harbour mouth. Its length is about at 9km and has many beautiful beaches for walking so we wandered around the area for a while and had a walk across several bays. In the distance you could just make out several islands including Stewart Island where we had been the day before. We continued to Colac Bay, a seaside jewel with long beaches known to early Maori as Oraka with many of their descendants still residing in the area today. Believe it or not this huge beautiful coastline which today would be priceless was purchased in 1838 by a whaling merchant for £25, 48 spades, 29 blankets, 59 pea jackets, 48 pairs of trousers, 60 red shirts, 60 cotton shirts, 24 pairs of shoes, a cask of gun powder and a keg of tobacco! From Colac Bay we travelled to Orepuki which was quite disappointing and appeared to be nearly a ghost town. There was several desserted stores one of which was a drapers built in the mid 1800s. Half a kilometre from Orepuki lies Gemstone Beach where a few hours beachcombing could easily yield gems such as jasper, quartz, hydrogrossular, fossil worm casts and the elusive sapphire. We walked along the beach and even during our short visit managed to find some pretty stones but not enough to make a fortune!!!! We then proceeded to Clifden Bridge, not Clifton in Bristol but looked very similar, where we stopped for a short break before heading off to our final destination for the day the
start of our adventure in Fiordland.

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Comments

[Kit & Roger]

Happy Christmas
Hi Guys Your blog makes interesting reading and your pictures are really lovely. I expect you have heard we have been enjoying some very cold weather and lots of snow. They forecast it again for this week so winter woollens at the ready. Went to Chester last week-end to a carol concert and stayed overnight. The journey was pretty eventful as although the main roads were clear side roads were not. Still had a great time and the choir was lovely. Now in the run up to Christmas so everywhere is busy busy. Just wanted to say have a lovely Christmas whatever you do and enjoy. Take care of each other. Lots of Love Kit & Roger xxx