And so a return to Stewart Island which I visited back in 2010. More Scots connections with the main settlement being called Oban. A shipload of Shetland emigrants settled here but the fishing didn't work out for them. Apparently great white sharks ate the fish from the long lines they used.
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| It was a short flight in the 8 seater plane from Invercargill |
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| Great views on approach |
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| Breezy on the first day |
The Rakiura Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks so fairly well maintained. The huts were busy but spacious and the track mostly excellent apart from some very muddy sections in the middle (a real taste of the upcoming Dusky Track).
There had been a fair bit of rain but we were lucky and had dry weather for our 3 days on the island.
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| Morning view from the first hut at North Arm |
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| View from the second hut at Port William where we saw dolphins. In the night I spotted a kiwi finally. |
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| Fallow deer eating seaweed at Port William |
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| Ben on Maori Beach |
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| One of the old boilers left behind from the saw mill days. |
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| Nearing the end of the track |
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| Another beautiful beach |
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| Sand patterns formed by a stream |
Sculpture. According to legend, Maui pulled the island up to act as an anchor stone for his canoe.
Evidence of the Shetland connection in Oban. I also spoke to one of the hut wardens who is a Gilbertson descended from a Shetlander. And so back to Invercargill for a night and then on to Te Anau and the Dusky Track.
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