We were met on the wharf and driven to the cottage by its caretaker, Don. A nice man but one of few words. He gave us his life history like this:-
'I came from Nelson. 30 years ago. Stayed because I liked it.'
We asked him where Kiwi (the birds) could be seen on the island, and he thought that some previous guests had seen one on the beach below the cottage. This seemed helpful information at the time; it was only when we were about to leave that we heard the birds are seen regularly on the golf course, which was just down the lane - and where Don still does a bit of putting when his back allows.
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| Our cottage |
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| View from cottage |
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| Star shows location of cottage |
Having delivered us to the cottage, given us the keys, pointed out the car we could use, and insisted upon taking us and our bags to the check-in for the flight out the following afternoon, Don disappeared.
After a cup of tea we set off in the car (something called a Mazda Familia). It could have done with some tidying up, and the windows no longer opened but it was adequate for the short distances we travelled exploring the island.
Stewart Island is the biggest of a sprinkling of islands. The place reminded me very much of the Scilly Isles off the coast of Cornwall; there was the one town (although Oban is much smaller than St Marys), the clear azure sea, the little coves, the remoteness, the laid back feel. And nothing to do but walk and contemplate nature, which is what we did all afternoon, driving from cove to cove, walking from headland to headland.
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