Chatham Islands Holiday

Some 500 miles to the east of New Zealand lie the Chatham Islands. Iris & I have always wanted to visit and this year we’ve managed to spend a week there.

Planning and our travel from Stewart Island to the Chathams

We had initially wanted to go out 2 years ago, but personal circumstances intervened and so this was the year. Initially we wanted to fly to Invercargill with Stewart Island Flights , and then Air New Zealand to Christchurch where we would then transfer to Air Chathams for the appox 2 hour flight, and then another short flight by Cessna to Pitt Island. But we realised that there was virtually no wriggle room between landing at Invercargill and Air New Zealand check in, so decided that we had to take the ferry across, and then the bus up to Invercargill. This which would, we thought, get us to the airport with lots of time. BUT unknown to us Real Journeys (bless them) had changed the bus timetable and we would not have arrived at Invercargill until 1015, just 5 minutes before boarding, and so our holiday would have finished before it started. But the fortunes smiled upon us and with the kind assistance of Pedro & Fluff … two Stewart Islanders who happened to be driving up, we were able to make it easily, and so on to Christchurch with Air NZ. But there we found that due to mechanical issues our flight to the Chatham’s would not depart until late afternoon, some 4 hours late, and so we would not be able to fly onwards to Pitt Island and Flower Pot Lodge , which was the original plan. But the Pitt Island plane was un-serviceable any way.

We arrived at the Island well after dark (Chatham Island time is 45 minutes before NZ) and thence to the Hotel Chathams. Realising that we would not arrive for our 3 nights on Pitt, our hosts Bernie and Brent had organised alternative accommodation for us at the Hotel, where we had initially planned on staying for our final 4 nights. This service was just typical of what we found. Our hosts, well aware that weather and events beyond anyone’s hand can disrupt the best laid plans of mice and man  “just made it happen”.

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Our 4th Days Exploration.

Today was “The Biggie” at least as far as I was concerned, although I didn’t discover this until later. After a great breakfast at Flower Pot Bay Lodge we set off in Brent and Bernies 4WD to our first stop, the Ellen Elizabeth Preece Conservation Covenant reserve which we walked through. The forest is pretty typical of the Chathams, What I would call lowish coastal species. Similar but subtly different to Stewart Island. Part of the reserve is set up with artificial nesting burrows for a rare species of petrel which normally nest on South East Island, but are being pushed out by there far more numerous cousins.  Then it was north to Mt Hakepa. Known locally as “Walk-Em-Up” as it was too steep to ride a horse up. This is the first inhabited land in the world to see the new dawn, even though Point Munning on the Chathams is slightly further to the East. This is due to it’s height of 231 metres. There is actually the remains of a 4WD drive track to the top. This was pushed in to ease the access for visitors to see the first sun of the millenium. The mountain is made of a volcanic rock called Trachyte.  My relative lack of fitness made it darned hard going especially as the other two guests in the party were central North Island farmers and thus well used to running around the hills. But I made it and the views were stunning. Then down off the hill and back in the vehicle and off to Waihere Bay, on the west side of Pitt, where we looked across to Big & Little Mangarere Islands of Black Robin fame. And then back to Flower Pot Lodge for a well deserved (for me at least) shower and feet up. An absolutely stunning day

We finished up the day with a wonderful dinner, which featured  of Pitt Island Mutton. Pitt Island sheep were originally  Saxony Merino, and like all merino, or at least all the merino meat I have sampled, wonderfully sweet and flavoursome. And generally not very fat, so a lovely lean meat.  But Pitt Island mutton is a merino out on it’s own, and if I had a couple of acres I would be looking to import a couple of rams and a few ewes. Part of the flavor is probably the environment they live in. A great meal.

Our 5th days exploration will be posted as soon as I can