Stupendous Stewart Island

Being married to a weather geek definitely has its benefits.  DH studied the weather plans and identified a weather window that would be best for our journey across the oft times treacherous Foveaux Straight.
This meant that we zipped through the Catlins a wee bit, in order to get to Bluff on a beeeeeeeyooooooooouteeeeeful day!
We raced down to the sign (tick!) and we raced up the lookout over Bluff before heading onto the ferry for a very pleasant crossing.
Arrived on the island, greeted by our Book a Bach hostess,  (Sandra, 4th generation Stewart Islander) and were whisked away to our accommodation , a super cute little crib in the bush only about a minutes walk from Horseshoe Bay.
The bach came with a car! So handy!  We headed into town and booked a water taxi ride over to Ulva Island.  It's a bird sanctuary and we did see a lot of birds when we stopped and were quiet at the side of the tracks.
Stopped at the pub on the way back for a quick beer and for Carlos to have a play. Then headed down to explore Lee Bay which is only 1km from our bach. Pristine beach and the start of the Rakiura Track.  There is a sculpture there of a giant chain to symbolise Stewart Island / Rakiura being Maui's anchor.  The other 'end' of the sculpture is over at Bluff.
On the way home we saw white tailed deer on the road.  Then later, we saw some on our back lawn!  We were trying to be quiet just watching them, but they were on to us and one kept stamping his hoof to alert the others.  So sweet, they were just fawns, really.
Next day, we went down to the beach to gather some mussels to use as bait.  Then we went for a little kayak in the kayaks supplied by the bach.  Then in the afternoon we did a walk into the start of the Rakiura Track,  to Little River. When we got back, we spotted a Kaka in the trees by the bach before the boys went down to the wharf for a fish. They managed to catch a Butterfish and threw it back, then as they were coming home, they spotted another fawn on the lawn!
Stewart Island,  you are a little piece of nature virtually untouched.  We are loving being here!