Ulva Island Kiwi, Orchids & Cruise Ships. Sails Ashore, Stewart Island Yesterday as part of our guests stay with us at Sails Ashore I took an English couple to Ulva Island. The weather lately has been indifferent to say the least, and I have to say it didn’t look good when we set off. But…
DetailsThe Kai Cart, Stewart Island The Kai Cart is a Stewart Island Icon. Originally the Gore Pie Cart, it shifted to the Island many years ago, and has fed visitors and residents alike ever since. It has hosted Billy Connelly and featured on one of his TV series, and has been a culinary part of the…
DetailsSpring Orchids on Stewart Island As spring progresses I enjoy watching the orchids appear, especially while taking our guests around Ulva Island and the village roads. First to show up for us are the “Spiders”, and the first of these are the “Dancing Spider Orchids” or Nematoceras acuminatum. They are now well out, with most beyond…
DetailsWhat a gorgeous day we have on Stewart Island today. A light breeze of easterly, a little broken cloud and an outside temperature of 11.4 deg. And that’s taken from our weather station which is about 5 metres above Sails Ashore roof line. Our sheltered back yard and garden area is probably about 3 deg warmer.
DetailsWinter Visitors There are always fantails around, but winter seems to bring a marked upsurge in number. I guess coming down to lower levels to escape the worst of the weather. And so at a time of year when it can be a bit dreary …. and the last few days have been very…
DetailsWinter is Here, or Ramblings of an Island “Batchelor” The last couple of days have been savage. We have a really nasty weather system sweeping across Southern New Zealand. Yesterday was steady rain from a very low cloud base, and gale westerly. This morning after a night of heavy rain and occasional thunder I was startled…
DetailsUlva Island as seen by English Guests at Sails Ashore Don’t tread on the birds Our Captain Birdseye lookalike, Peter, dropped us off on the jetty and went to park the boat. We walked a few steps into the forest and stopped. A hen sized brown bird calmly ambled across the path in front of…
DetailsTours to Ulva Island Staying at Sails Ashore on Stewart Island includes a guided discovery tour of Ulva Island with Peter … your host. The changing seasons and attendant flowers, ferns and birds is the focus of many of my posts. Orchid Season draws to a close Yesterday I found a clump of Autumn (Easter)…
DetailsNorsk Feiring, Norwegian Celebration Weekend. Stewart Island has had a long historic association with whalers. This started with the discovery of the “Solander” Grounds to the west of the Island in the 1830’s and continued for more or less 100 years, culminating with the arrival into Paterson Inlet in 1923 of the Rosshavet Whaling Companies factory…
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