We had a wee bit of a drive today but not too bad, mainly through farmlands.
Our destination was the Invercargill airport, where we took a tiny airplane to Stewart Island.
This is our airplane. We didn't even have to go through security. It held eight people shoulder to shoulder, counting the pilot.
This is our pilot going through the safety brief. The man on the right was a large athletic fella with a bad knee problem. He was on crutches. His knees were crammed into the seat in front of him. I asked him if we were going to have to get the jaws of life to get him out. At least he had a sense of humor.
Dennis was initially a wee bit nervous. He had never been in a plane that small. Not only did the plane look very old, there was a leak in the ceiling. Drip-drip! Not exactly a confidence builder. I once went skydiving and people asked me how I could jump out of a perfectly good airplane. My reply, "You didn't see this airplane." A fitting statement here. Our pilot seemed like a darn good one and in about a half hour, he landed this crate safely on the ground. Our taxi transport to the major metropolis of Oban, population 408, was waiting directly on the runway.
A view of the island from the plane.
We are staying in the most beautiful lodge, Church Hill, at the top of Oban, the one and only town on Stewart Island. Due to the strong influence of Scottish settlers on early colonial southern New Zealand, Oban is Scottish and means, “The Little Bay” in Gaelic.
Our room is quite posh and we have a tiny paatio/balcony that overlooks Halfmoon Bay.
A closer look at the bay from our hotel, Church Hill. Dinner is soon and we are eating at our hotel which has a first class Chef.
We started with garden watercress pesto and home made sesame crackers. It was a good way to start. We don't eat much watercress in the US but I like it.
Our entree (appetiser in New Zealand) of Buffalo mozzarella with cherry tomatoes (straight from the garden outside our window) and basil. How easy it is to forget what a real tomato tastes like. We get so used to those plastic replicas that Kroger, Publix and other stores sell.
Our main course was baked blue cod with kumera and potato rosti over cauliflower and sea lettuce puree. It was accompanied by roasted vegetables. Blue cod is becoming a real favorite. It tastes a bit like sea bass. See those two roasted beets underneath? Probably the best beets I have ever tasted.
A little palate cleanser of lemon and lime sorbet. Just the right amount of tart!
Last but certainly not least. homemade strawberry sorbet topped with berry compote and a rosemary shortbread triangle. I might have actually purred. That is how good the whole meal was,
Off to hike the Island tomorrow. It is chilly and rainy tonight. Hoping the weather clears.
Hugs and kisses from Stewart Island!
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