I recently took a trip to Stewart Island and for those of you who aren't sure where it is let me help you out...
It has a population less than 400 people, most of whom live in the ONLY town (Oban). We had to take the hour and a half ferry down from Bluff to get there.
The town itself was great. One corner store for groceries, one pub, one school (around twenty kids who all go away for boarding school after elementary), and a few other resources. We stayed at one of the only accommodation that was open past May.
The next day we started the Rakiura Track, just a short walk from town.
My biggest goal for this trip was to see an actual Kiwi Bird in the wild. Stewart Island/Rakiua is one of the few places it's possible, so my fingers were crossed!
It is a whole different world down here so this plate made sense! 
The other side of this chain is located in the South Island and represents the link between NZ and Rakiura/Stewart Island. Not an actual chain under the water if you're wondering. 
All along the track was abandoned logging equipment. These are log haulers and have been preserved here this whole time. 
The Half-way tree, almost there!
There were only two roads that I walked on while I was here, Main Road and Back Road. This is where they meet. 
This is the port that the ferry comes into.
Unfortunately, I did not see a kiwi while we were here. We went kiwi spotting both nights, but no luck. They suggest going at night with a red torch (light/headlamp) because the kiwis can't pick up the red light. Also, listening for any sort of rustling on the ground (they are flightless birds). We followed all the guidance, but because of the rain we couldn't hear any rustling. As soon as I went to bed and then as soon as I woke up I heard them calling out. It sounds kind of like a high pitched screech, so you can't miss it. This is Robert, I found him online to give you an idea of what they look like and how big they actually are. I'm not done here yet, there still time for me to see one for myself!
Stewart Island/Rakiura is home to a vast variety of bird species as well. It was incredible to hear so many different birds as we walked through the island. We saw quite a few Tui while we were hiking. These birds have two voice boxes, so they make an impressive range of noises.
We also were followed by quite a few of these fantail birds. Traditional Maori beliefs say that seeing these birds indicates some type of change in life, usually death. So that made me feel mildly uncomfortable that it was following us. Either way the birds were so interesting and beautiful.
The town itself was very quiet. They boom in the summer, but it is heading into winter so we were one of the few tourists around. Hunters come to the island for white tail deer. We actually ran into a bunch at the campground, as they were gutting a deer. It made me feel right at home... One older gentleman asked if I had any ear plugs for the night. I looked at him funny and said no, we are on an almost deserted island... He then insisted I take the new pair he had. It wasn't till in the morning when I woke up before they did that I realized it was for the snoring. Around six older men all laying flat on their backs in tents, I understand his concern now.
I wish I had more time on Stewart Island/Rakiura. There is a 9-day circuit that you can do, it covers a ton of native bush and barely touched areas. It fascinates me how isolated it is from the rest of the world. I will just have to save that for my next visit to New Zealand.
In other news, I'm almost done with my academic semester. This Thursday I will turn in my final case study and finish my lab, then I only have a few classes left before finals. It's winding down and I have a lot of mixed feelings. I'm excited to come home and see everyone, yet there is so much more I want to see and do. But, until next time...
CHEERS!
CA
