Lehman Guldager (swingbeech8)

With over 115 miles (184 kilometres) of coastline and many small islands, Paterson Inlet is one of the most beautiful harbours in New Zealand. Native forest extends down to the waterline in many places, while the coastline is a rugged mix of rock and sandy beaches. The trees are thought to have become established here since the last ice age from seeds brought across the strait by seabirds, which would explain why the beech trees that are so common in New Zealand, but whose seeds are dispersed by the wind rather than birds, are not found on Stewart Island. The launch will also cruise out to the Mutton Bird Islands for a chance to view New Zealand fur seals and a variety of sea birds including Buller's albatross, White-capped albatross, several varieties of penguins, petrels and terns, and the Sooty Shearwater or Titi Mutton birds as they are known to local Maori. The Sooty Shearwater breed on these small off-shore islands and Rakiura Maori carry out traditional harvesting of the chicks for a limited period in the autumn. The adult birds migrate to Alaska during the New Zealand winter, returning in the early summer to nest in the same place at Stewart Island, year after year. The rite of passage alternative is the one hour ferry journey across the notoriously rough Foveaux Strait from Bluff to Oban, run by Stewart Island Experience (00 64 3 212 7660; stewartislandexperience.co.nz). From 1841 to 1853, Stewart Island was governed as New Leinster Province, then as part of New Munster Province. From 1853 onwards, it was part of the Otago Province. Stewart Island Ferry services offer scheduled daily departures on board our express catamarans between Bluff and Stewart Island (all year). During -hour crossing look out for wildlife. Get the facts is a bird watcher's paradise, teeming with many of New Zealand's native and endangered species - including the kiwi, which outnumber humans. Stewart Island is home to one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, the Rakiura Track, as well as a number of walking and hiking trails. Residents of Stewart Island have held a number of mock promotional fund-raising events regarding a declaration of independence for the island, and to have it renamed to its original name of "Rakiura". CRUISING MILFORD SOUND It’s small, remarkably pretty and is blessed with that delightful unconventionality that comes from being left alone at the end of the world. If ever there’s a shining endorsement of the Department of Conservation’s efforts on Ulva Island, this little chap with red-brown patch below his neck is it. Even in More Bonuses , the island’s solitary village, this makes for a gloriously deafening dawn chorus. Rowdy kaka, the native parrots, will squawk territorially at anyone trying to share their place on the bench outside the pub.

The road network is limited to the Oban Township, so access to the rest of the Island is by boat, plane or walking.The Titi/Muttonbird Islands group is between Stewart Island and Ruapuke Island, around Big South Cape Island, and off the southeastern coast.The launch will also cruise out to the Mutton Bird Islands for a chance to view New Zealand fur seals and a variety of sea birds including Buller's albatross, White-capped albatross, several varieties of penguins, petrels and terns, and the Sooty Shearwater or Titi Mutton birds as they are known to local Maori.Cook knew he had to hide Foveaux Strait and depict Stewart Island as a peninsula.Pleasure cruises along