Stewart Island

Kia Ora!

Not only does the restaurant at Church Hill have wonderful dinners they also have incredible breakfasts.  Everything is homemade, even the granola, and they have REAL crumpets!

We took a boat ride to Port William to hike back to Oban.  This was our boat captain giving us the standard safety tour.

We saw yellow-eyed seals, but I was never quick enough to get a photo as they bobbed up from the water and back down again.  I did get a photo of this Buller's Mollymawk.  He was most interested in the boat and practically posed for me.

We landed at the Port William pier.

Our boat was certainly more seaworthy than yesterday's airplane was airworthy.

We walked a portion of the Rakiura Track, one of New Zealand’s nine “Great Walks” as designated by the New Zealand Government’s Department of Conservation (DOC).  Rakiura is the Maori name for the island and translates to "The Land of Glowing skies." If you walk the entire Rakiura, you stay in huts like the one above.

Most of the trail looked like this incredibly green jungle.  Did you know that New Zealand has NO snakes?  None!  NOT EVEN one! What a relief if you have to step off the trail for a little business with nature.

One of the three bouncy bridges that I had to cross.

Bridge number two.

Lots of sea birds and footprints.

What more can I say to describe the incredible scenery here?  WOW

Dennis took the high road,  and I took the low.  You are not supposed to walk the beach trail during high tide.   I cut it close and had to walk through a little water.  No more than ankle deep and not rising all that fast. It wasn't all that cold, more refreshing than anything else. Of course, my shoes and socks probably won't dry out for the next three days!

Having lived in California - earthquakes are a scary thing.  I can't image a tsunami!

I hiked ahead at my own pace because I wanted to walk the tenish mile trail all the way to our B & B.  Dennis was doing a bit of a shorter walk.  He had one of those Camino angel moments. He came to a fork in the road and wasn't sure which way to go. He was just fixin' to make the wrong choice when a young lady came along and pointed him in the correct direction. It saved him many miles. I had given him my phone to use because I had a NZ phone chip. He was supposed to call our hotel to pick him up, but he couldn't get service. I have had service everywhere I have been. And of course, I haven't needed it.  Go Figure. A very nice local man gave him a ride, and they picked me up about a kilometer from the hotel, so we got back at the same time.  My total distance today was 10.4 miles.

I didn't see any kiwis today.  I recently talked to a native New Zealander who had never seen one and I have a photo of one I took the same day.  What a special blessing!

Dinner at Church Hill - Amazing.  We ordered the buffalo mozzarella again, and it was just as good as last night.

This time I ordered the Stewart Island Salmon and potato pancake with spicy, sour cucumber and seaweed. This was the best salmon I have ever tasted.  Caught fresh and local.

Tart and sweet cucumber and mint granita.  Yun.

And lastly, the dessert was white chocolate and Cointreau mousse with mixed berry sorbet and orange shortbread. Heaven on a plate.

So as I waddle to bed - happy as a yellow-eyed penguin - I hope your day was as glorious as mine!