The Savage Spring
We’ve enjoyed a fairly mild winter this year, but as an old Stewart Island Island saying goes….. “we’ll pay for it sooner or later”……
Fuchsias Power and Blackbirds
Our Fuchsia has been out for 3 or 4 weeks now, or at least some trees have. And they are always the first sign of the “New Year” Flowers generally appear before the leaves, but although never as flamboyantly in bloom or as colourful as some of the exotic species,
Ulva with Flightless Guests
Further from my last post about Port Pegasus with Flightless a couple of days ago Maria phone me and asked if I would guide their charter folks around Ulva, as Iris and I had done previously for them. So they picked me up from Golden Bay, and after one of Courtney’s superb lunches with the party, it was back onto Ulva.
It was an absolutely stunning day, glassy calm, and wall to wall blue sky, although later in the afternoon there was signs of a front approaching from the west, but a day or so away.
A Retired Busmans Holiday
Some years ago Iris & I sold Sean & Maria of Pure Salt Charters our Fiordland and Stewart Island DoC Concessions and Environment Southland Consents to operate around Fiordland and Stewart Island. At the time I mentioned to Sean that if (when) they came down to the Island I would be happy to act as “Mud Pilot” for them. And that’s what I’ve been doing the last week.
Kiwi Alarm Clock
Kiwi Alarm Clock
One of the good things about this time of year is that we can sleep in. But this morning around 0500 I was rudely awakened by a female Kiwi screaming outside our bedroom window.
Garden Tidy Up, and Season Musing
Garden Tidy Up, and Season Musing This is the season when Iris attacks her gardens … she has 4 she looks after. ….. Sails Ashore, Kowhai Lane, My late mothers home and the local Anglican Church. My Mother was a very keen gardener, and I remember her...
Rimu Timber and a Joinery Project
This post grew out of a recent project, and thinking back to timber cruising in my Forest Service career Rimu Timber When Maori first arrived in New Zealand however many centuries ago they found a land almost completely forest covered. And a “big player”...
Busy Busy during Lockdown
Busy Busy A couple of days ago I remarked to a neighbor across the fence that when this lock down finally ends New Zealand will be DYI’d to within an inch of it’s life. I was busy with hedge trimmer and power saw trimming up our shrubbery, he had a digger...
We Still Live In Interesting Times
We Still Live in Interesting Times It seems even the weather gods are getting with the program and enforcing social isolation. We woke this morning to a world restricted to our boundary fence Sails Ashore Web Cam But like many I guess we are powering through the...
We Live in Interesting Times
We Live In Interesting Times Today dawns nice and sunny with about enough breeze to lay the moored boats to the west. And otherwise the village and the bay is completely deserted. No parked or moving vehicles visible, , and not a soul to be seen. And it’s...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