Brian Parkinson's Guide to Unique Wildlife of New Zealand

f I had to nominate my favourite place in New Zealand I think it would have to be Stewart Island. Groups of little cottages charmingly set around tidy bays with clear waters, extensive stands of bush within easy walking distance of the settlement and a wealth of natural life all contribute to its appeal. Even the often lousy weather has its compensations. In the early morning it is a delight to see the mist creeping into Halfmoon Bay, softening the outlines of the offshore stacks and giving them a surreal quality

When I first flew into the island from Invercargill I must admit to a little disappointment because from the air it seemed considerably smaller than I had imagined. Yet appearances are deceptive; Stewart Island is, after all, our third-largest island.

The island is roughly triangular in shape, with the west coast from Black Rock Point in the north to South West Cape being 60 kilometres long. The entire length of this coast is exposed to the Tasman Sea and rollers thunder constantly onto the shore. The south-east coast is just as rugged and exposed but has the advantage of several good harbours and to these the first whalers and sealers came.

The Maori were here much earlier, calling the island Rakiura - 'Island of the Glowing Skies' - but they never seem to have settled here in any large numbers. They preferred Ruapuke Island, a short distance to the north-east, possibly because it was more easily defended.

On the east coast Paterson Inlet penetrates inland almost half the width of the island and running further inland from the head of the inlet is the Freshwater River. This drains a large swamp which extends almost all of the way to the west coast, effectively dividing Stewart Island into two large, dissected massifs. This swamp is a favourite of waterbirds and fairly large numbers of these are to be found, including black swans and grey ducks. Brown teal were also found here once, but now seem to have vanished.

Stewart island is one of the few places where the dawn choruses of early New Zealand can still be heard. Tui and korimako flock into the fuchsias which surround Halfmoon Bay and each morning there were at least a couple of dozen around the caravan park where we were staying. As these tui are nowhere near as timid as their northern cousins You can quite easily get close enough to hear the soft contemplative notes and trills which have been called their 'whisper songs'. The kereru or wood pigeon is also very tame, peering at you with the rather endearing, dimwitted air that only pigeons can affect.

Kaka are common here and are often heard as they fly high overhead. When I was on Stewart Island the splendid gum trees on the road to Ackers Point were fruiting and the kaka were feeding on the gum nuts. These ferment with predictable results and after a few days the kaka were definitely the worse for wear. One dawn chorus that soon loses its appeal is that of a group of drunken kaka carousing on your rooftop for the third morning in a row. I watched one bird fly determinedly out of the gums and across the bay straight into a telephone pole. He slid down, shook. himself, then flew off in considerably shakier fashion.

Larger birds are also found on Stewart Island. The brown kiwi, sometimes called the southern tokoeka, is relatively common away from the settlement and can often be seen out and about in the late afternoon because the long days allow insufficient time for birds to forage exclusively at night. If you are tramping on the island look out for them among the flax and scrub, particularly around Mason Bay on the West Coast. We found numerous tracks on the sand there and spotted two kiwi about mid-afternoon. The Stewart Island brown kiwi is larger than the two other sub-species found in the North and South islands and it is now believed that the first kiwi to be collected and described was probably a local bird taken to Sydney by returning sealers. The type locality for this bird was subsequently given as the North Island which caused considerable confusion in later years.

Weka are here too and this is a different race than that to be found in the South Island. It has declined dramatically in recent years which is a great pity because, despite its kleptomania and other minor peccadillos, it is a charming character. Wekas were once considered to be a pest for their habit of stealing eggs from poultry runs and digging up gardens, but in recent years none have been seen close to the settlement on Stewart Island. Ulva Island, in the middle of Paterson Inlet, is the closest point to Halfmoon Bay where they can now be seen. If you take your lunch with you to Ulva this practically guarantees a weka will drop by for a snack.