Journeys with Julie: Kiwi Tracks

A few weeks ago, the beekeepers saw me off with hugs all around and a jar of delicious creamed honey. I left their place near Tuatapere and got a ride down to Invercargill where I met up with an eight-person plane to take a very scenic flight to Stewart Island, NZ's third biggest island after the two major ones. (Flying standby was half the price and ended up being cheaper than taking a ferry).

Hiking the Rakiura Track

Coast along the Rakiura Track

On the Rakiura Track

Stewart Island is sparsely populated and known as one of the best places in NZ for spotting the country's national icon—the kiwi. The bird is nocturnal, so the best chance of seeing one is after dusk or before dawn. While there, I did a three-day hike called the Rakiura Track, staying in backcountry huts in the rainforest and along the island's coast. There were many fun, interesting hikers on the same trail and we had fun playing cards and chatting in the evenings. One of the women from NZ and I woke up at 3:30am or 4am for three mornings in a row to go on kiwi-spotting missions. We'd quietly and groggily get out of our bunks with our flashlights in hand and go out into the dark, listening for rustling and looking for the big brown birds with long beaks... But to no avail. The closest we got was hearing the birds calling in the dark, and spotting a big kiwi track in the mud during one of the days. Nevertheless, we couldn't leave Stewart Island too disappointed (although a bit tired) since we'd given kiwi spotting an honest effort and had seen tons of other native NZ birds during the days.

Kiwi tracks

Kiwi crossing in Oban (Stewart Island)

Two kakariki

After Stewart Island and a two-day Couchsurfing stay in Invercargill with a nice family, I made my way to Papatowai in the Catlins—a sparsely populated seaside area in the southeast of the South Island. Papatowai is a small (about 25 people), friendly community close to many bush walks and beach walks. I've been staying with a lovely woman named Carol for about two weeks who has three children my age and younger who were around a few of the first days I was here. They are all fantastic company, and Carol reminds me of one of my closest friend Lauren's mom Mary—fun, witty, and a great gardener. Staying with Carol felt like a vacation even when working about three or four hours a day—weeding, making a new compost bed, laying soil on gardens, mowing the lawn, picking black and red currants, making jam, etc. My stay here was the type of experience I left home for—a chance to connect with people in other places over shared work, nature, and of course, different foods (the easiest thing to bond over in my opinion :) ).

Exploring the coastline

Rocky shoreline

Oystercatcher

In my free time, I walked the bush tracks and beach tracks and explored nearby cliffs and rocky shorelines, looking for wildlife, especially the rare yellow-eyed penguin found only in NZ. I got lucky one day when I spotted one and watched it from a distance with my binoculars for half an hour or so. It was slowly making its way to a sleeping place in the bushes up from the beach, taking a few steps and then stopping and scanning with its yellow-banded eyes for any threats as it made its way.

In the evenings here, Carol and I would make dinner and often chat for hours about all sorts of things. Carol is a great storyteller and I always found the time flying, listening and laughing. I'm sad to move on from Carol's place today, but am grateful it worked to stay here. And even though I didn't get to see the elusive kiwi on Stewart Island, at least I was lucky enough to spot his distant yellow-eyed relative.