Rimu Mast Year
Rimu Mast on Stewart Island. Mast seeding is defined as the highly variable production of fruit by a population.
Kaka Baby
Kaka Orphan Re-United with Mum Kaka are pretty much everywhere we go, both around the village and on our Ulva tours. And always a favorite with our guests. A couple of days ago we found a very young bird a bit off the path just as we were leaving Ulva. Obviously a...
White Heron and Royal Spoon Bills
White Heron and Royal Spoonbills A couple of days ago I took some friends up Paterson Inlet, and called into Prices Inlet to show them the old Whalers Shipyards. And was very surprised to see a flock of Royal Spoon Bills on the small islet just off the base. Probably...
Late Summer, Early Autumn
Male Kiwi, Filmed 27th January above Boulder Beach. Kiwi SummerThis year has been the best ever for our guests as far as Kiwi Sightings go. A new operator has started up and has been very successful. The “worst’ our guests have reported was 3 sightings,...
Dolphins on a Sails Road Tour
Yesterday was wet, a good day for staying inside … or for doing a road tour. I had a request from an English mum and daughter for a road tour,
Pohutukawa at Sails Ashore
The natural range for Pohutukawa are the coastal regions of the upper half of the North Island, so Stewart Island is well south of where we would expect to find them.
Welcome 2019
We are well into the new year, and so far have been just busy enough. And there has been lots happening in the natural world. As always I’m fascinated by the the variations in the behavior of our flora from year to year.
Twas the Week Before Christmas
Twas the Week Before Christmas This year Iris & I seem to have all our Christmas Ducks well in line, and without too much stress. We’ve been quite busy with guests, and the weather has been warm and dry. In fact very dry at 39.1 mm to date for December,...
Stewart Island Air Transport
When I first shifted to Stewart Island in 1969 ZK-AVM was on service between Invercargill and Halfmoon Bay, as well as almost anywhere around the Fiordland and Stewart Island Coasts, and onto any inland body of water big enough.
About Me
I arrived on Stewart Island in 1969 as Forest Ranger. Since then I've fished commercially both in Fiordland and around Stewart Island then skippered our charter yacht in the same waters, and also down into the Southern Ocean. More recently we now have "Sails Ashore" B&B, and I also guide our guests and others on Ulva Island, introducing them to the natural world of Stewart island