| "Picture
yourself in the Southern most Island of New Zealand wandering
under a stadium of stars to try your luck at native Kiwi
spotting." |
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Stewart Island National Park offers the best chance most people will ever have to see New Zealand's national bird, the Kiwi, in the wild. The
Maori named the island Rakiura - "Land of the Glowing skies"
as it is renowned for its lingering sunsets of summer and
the aurora of winter. |
| At
Kiwi Wilderness Walks our aim is to help you participate in
the great outdoors in classic "Kiwi" fashion bunking down in
south island "cribs" and bush huts. Our experienced local guides
will help you have a safe, enjoyable trip while providing an
entertaining and valuable insight in to the history of Maori,
early settlers and the natural environment.
Your trip begins at The Riverton Rock Guesthouse in the sleepy fishing village of Riverton. This restored historic hotel offers all the comforts required to prepare for your trip. A familiarisation evening will enable you to meet your guide and swap notes with your travelling companions. |
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| Your Itinerary - Five Days / Four Nights |
| DAY
1: Riverton
Meet the
team at Riverton's Guesthouse any time before 7pm, dinner
time! Riverton is 37 km west of Invercargill and transfers
from Invercargill (or Te Anau ) are included and available
on request. |
 |
DAY
2: Riverton, Mason Bay
From Riverton we travel by plane to Mason Bay on the west coast of Stewart Island. Along the way we pass Codfish Island, an important sanctuary for the Kakapo, a large flightless parrot. The walk along this sweeping beach takes us to the Island Hill Homestead. At dusk we listen for the kiwis from the balcony then head out to try our luck at Kiwi spotting... Approximate walking time: four hours |
DAY 3: Mason Bay, Chocolate Swamp, Freshwater Landing, Halfmoon Bay Today we walk to Freshwater Landing passing through the first pastoral run constituted in 1879. Old farm machinery lies abandoned, testimony to an era past. Scrub covered sand dunes, manuka and red tussock house many native birds, including the brown kiwi, red crowned parakeets, robins and tui's. We may well be joined by some of them along the way. At high tide we are picked up by water taxi and head down the winding Freshwater River to Halfmoon Bay. Tonight we stay in a classic South Island "crib" in Halfmoon Bay. Approximate
walking time: four hours |
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DAY 4: Sea Kayaking in Paterson Inlet, Visit Ulva Island
Today we explore Paterson Inlet. By sea kayak we paddle around
the coastline with the chance to see seals, shags and little
blue penguins. Then we visit Ulva Island, an open sanctuary
playing an important role in the conservation of threatened
species. Birds we may see include the Weka, Kaka, Kakariki,
Kereru and South Island Saddleback. DAY 5: Halfmoon Bay, Invercargill Time to explore Halfmoon Bay. Try one of many short walks, visit a local craft gallery, or just soak up the island ambience. In the afternoon we fly to Invercargill for the completion of our journey. |
| Prices | |
|
The
Stewart Island walk is a five day / four night trip and costs
NZ$1495 per person. Children from 10 -15 years subtract $150.
Sorry we do not take children under 10.
Prices include Goods and Services Tax (GST) and are valid to 1 November 2004. |
| Departures | |
| From November to April we have regular scheduled departures. Other departures are available on request with a minimum of three people and we do operate all year round. The dates listed below are "Day 1" or the first night in Riverton. We depart first thing on "Day 2" although it is tide dependent. |
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| General Information | |
|
We provide all meals, accommodation, transfers,
hut and guiding fees, sleeping bags,
cooking equipment and maps. |
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| For more information and booking details please contact your agent. | |