Date: 26/04/15 Position: Golden Bay, Patterson's Inlet, Stewart Island
We lost Thursday morning, it was somewhere in the fog that hung low over the inlet. A few smudges appeared in the late morning which indicated where the water stopped and the land began. We decided to take our two 20L water containers ashore and fill them up from the 500L water tank behind the day shelter at the beach. Three hours later and with numerous dinghy trips back and forth from Ambler to the beach we had finally filled our water tanks to capacity and left enough water in the tank for others to use. Our trusty tea strainer came in handy and acted as a filter between the tap on the water tank and our containers. We emptied the wrigglers out of the tea strainer onto the top of the tank after filling the containers and after returning from Ambler to refill the containers again we would find the wrigglers gone and in their place lots of little bird footprints. This was repeated each time. While Wayne continued being the water monitor I took the opportunity to follow a track around to an old Norwegian Whalers Base. It used to be a ship repair facility not an actual whaling base. The beach was littered with discarded rusting steel propellers that had suffered ice damage in the Ross Sea.
In the afternoon the fog had lifted enough to navigate our way across Patterson's Inlet to Little Glory Cove where we dropped anchor for the night. On our way across we decided to motor through the Bravo Islands which is made up of about five small islands. The friendly DOC lady told us that some Yellow-Eyed Penguins breed on these islands. These penguins are rare and sadly like the sea lions they are threatened with possibly less than 2000 pairs left. Armed with the binoculars in hand we slowly motored along in very calm water which helped us to spot the penguins swimming on the surface. We counted 21 Little Blue Penguins swimming either in small groups or on their own. After leaving the Bravo Islands we glanced to our left and saw something big break the surface. Honing in with the binoculars we realised it was a Yellow-Eyed Penguin!! Its yellow eye and lemony/yellow head was very distinctive. It was also much larger than a Little Blue. Apparently Little Blues are up to 40cm in length and the Yellow-Eyed are up to 66cm. We felt very fortunate to have seen one of these rare penguins.
On Friday morning we rose in the dark at 5am and were ashore by 6am walking across the piece of land that separates Little Glory Cove from Ocean Beach. In the pre dawn light we spotted two kiwis foraging on the beach leaving behind a trail of huge footprints and numerous holes from digging. We walked to the southern end of Ocean Beach and found two wooden uprights that use to hold a sign to signify the start of the walk to Chew Tobacco Bay. We sat on the beach and waited for the sky to lighten before heading off on the overgrown and obviously little used track to Chew Tobacco Bay. There was no sign of any trail markers to be found so we headed up the ridge following well used deer tracks. A kiwi darted out from behind a fallen tree and trotted ahead of us before disappearing amongst some ferns. Once on top of the ridge the forest opened up and walking became much easier. We spotted a few random orange tapes that didn't continue or lead on to any others so we stopped and had a muesli bar as we decided what to do. On our phone we had the NZ topo map but it didn't have the track marked, however the NZ navy chart showed the rough location of the track and we used this chart to navigate from, referring back to the topo map to distinguish features as we went. We walked along open forested ridge tops and up and down ferny creek gullies. It was beautiful bush with some massive old trees and fallen logs that crumbled under the weight of our feet. We listened to a huge repertoire of bird song as we tramped along and were lucky enough to see a white tailed deer with its head just above the fernery. As it bounded away its white tail bobbed up and down. About halfway to Chew Tobacco Bay we came across some original red trail markers nailed into tree trunks. We were able to follow these markers until we reached the wide, open beach of Chew Tobacco Bay. We walked along the beach noticing that the area above the high tide mark was covered in deer and kiwi foot prints. As we ate our lunch we spotted a male sea lion swimming along just behind the breakers, each time he surfaced he would turn his head and scan the beach probably looking for a female. Thankfully he took no notice of us and continued on his way. After lunch the sun broke through and we followed a more direct route back between the way points that we had previously marked on our phone, whilst keeping a sharp look out for more evidence of the original track. A fantail kept us company for about half an hour as it flew along with us excitedly chirping and flaring his tail, whilst keeping a sharp look out for insects disturbed by our movements. It had been a very satisfying walk through beautiful bushland. As we dinghied back to Ambler we watched the fog roll in from the sea and by the time we reached the boat we were surrounded by fog.
The last two days have been pretty low key with getting a few boat jobs done and moving to a better anchorage in expectation of stronger winds. It has rained steadily today with mist covering the tops of the hills behind us at Golden Bay. We are now waiting for a good weather window for a two day voyage north to Dunedin.
All is pretty cruzy on board. Kathy and Wayne
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Sunday 26 April 2015
Wednesday 22 April 2015
Millar's Beach, Prices Inlet, Patterson's Inlet, Stewart Island
Date: 22/04/15 Position: Millar's Beach, Prices Inlet, Patterson's Inlet
On Monday we continued north to Patterson's Inlet from Port Adventure. We had a pleasant sail north with a gentle southerly breeze behind us. We broad reached with just the headsail set until the wind lightened and we then raised the mainsail. We were visited by many Cape Petrels as they skimmed over the waves. They are lovely looking birds about the size of a pigeon with a dark brown/charcoal and white feathers. Their head is full colour but their back and wings are quite distinct with patches of darker feathers amongst the white, like someone has tried to paint them but has missed lots of areas. We also saw many different varieties of albatrosses including White-Capped, Shy, Chatham, Grey-Headed and Buller's. It was a great day for bird watching and we continued along this theme when we dropped anchor in Sydney Cove at Ulva Island inside Patterson's Inlet. Here we rowed the dinghy ashore and followed the tracks around the island for a couple of hours spotting many interesting species of birds. Ulva Island is an open sanctuary managed by DOC. After returning to Ambler we motored across the calm waters to Golden Bay on the northern shore of Patterson's Inlet and dropped anchor for the night behind Iona Island.
On Tuesday we walked along a lovely bush track from our anchorage at Golden Bay to Oban, the township of Stewart Island. The weather was very calm and about mid morning the sun burst through and the sky remained a cloudless blue for the rest of the day. We wandered around the small, friendly town for a few hours. Oban is a picturesque place on the waterfront of Halfmoon Bay which is dotted with mooring buoys and a variety of boats. It is a peaceful place with a school, one supermarket, various outlets catering for tourists, a museum and library. Houses are dotted throughout the bush on the hills that rise up around the town centre. In one of the gift shops we found a fantastic book called 'Their world, their ways, albatross' by Tui De Roy. We purchased it as books solely about albatrosses aren't easy to come by. It is a marvelous book and hopefully we'll learn even more about these magnificent birds. We also visited the DOC visitor centre which was very informative about the flora and fauna of Stewart Island. We learnt that the sea lions we have been seeing are one of the rarest species in the world and found only in NZ. There are less than 10 000 left and they have been listed as nationally critical, the highest threat classification in NZ. Surrounding Oban there are many short walks to do so we incorporated a couple of these and wand our way back to Golden Bay.
Today (Wednesday) was a cracker of a day, warm sunshine and blue sky. It must be due to the high passing over us at the moment. About mid morning we weighed anchor and motored further into Patterson's Inlet to Prices Inlet where we dropped anchor off Millar's Beach. It is a beautiful spot surrounded by low bushy hills and a few beaches. There are a flock of terns diving for fish, shags grumbling on a rock nearby and occasionally the squark of a passing penguin. After lunch we went kayaking around Prices Inlet and Kaipipi Bay exploring all the small coves and waterways. Back on board with the sun setting, the temperature is plummeting and we are in for another very cold night.
All is great on board. Kathy and Wayne
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On Monday we continued north to Patterson's Inlet from Port Adventure. We had a pleasant sail north with a gentle southerly breeze behind us. We broad reached with just the headsail set until the wind lightened and we then raised the mainsail. We were visited by many Cape Petrels as they skimmed over the waves. They are lovely looking birds about the size of a pigeon with a dark brown/charcoal and white feathers. Their head is full colour but their back and wings are quite distinct with patches of darker feathers amongst the white, like someone has tried to paint them but has missed lots of areas. We also saw many different varieties of albatrosses including White-Capped, Shy, Chatham, Grey-Headed and Buller's. It was a great day for bird watching and we continued along this theme when we dropped anchor in Sydney Cove at Ulva Island inside Patterson's Inlet. Here we rowed the dinghy ashore and followed the tracks around the island for a couple of hours spotting many interesting species of birds. Ulva Island is an open sanctuary managed by DOC. After returning to Ambler we motored across the calm waters to Golden Bay on the northern shore of Patterson's Inlet and dropped anchor for the night behind Iona Island.
On Tuesday we walked along a lovely bush track from our anchorage at Golden Bay to Oban, the township of Stewart Island. The weather was very calm and about mid morning the sun burst through and the sky remained a cloudless blue for the rest of the day. We wandered around the small, friendly town for a few hours. Oban is a picturesque place on the waterfront of Halfmoon Bay which is dotted with mooring buoys and a variety of boats. It is a peaceful place with a school, one supermarket, various outlets catering for tourists, a museum and library. Houses are dotted throughout the bush on the hills that rise up around the town centre. In one of the gift shops we found a fantastic book called 'Their world, their ways, albatross' by Tui De Roy. We purchased it as books solely about albatrosses aren't easy to come by. It is a marvelous book and hopefully we'll learn even more about these magnificent birds. We also visited the DOC visitor centre which was very informative about the flora and fauna of Stewart Island. We learnt that the sea lions we have been seeing are one of the rarest species in the world and found only in NZ. There are less than 10 000 left and they have been listed as nationally critical, the highest threat classification in NZ. Surrounding Oban there are many short walks to do so we incorporated a couple of these and wand our way back to Golden Bay.
Today (Wednesday) was a cracker of a day, warm sunshine and blue sky. It must be due to the high passing over us at the moment. About mid morning we weighed anchor and motored further into Patterson's Inlet to Prices Inlet where we dropped anchor off Millar's Beach. It is a beautiful spot surrounded by low bushy hills and a few beaches. There are a flock of terns diving for fish, shags grumbling on a rock nearby and occasionally the squark of a passing penguin. After lunch we went kayaking around Prices Inlet and Kaipipi Bay exploring all the small coves and waterways. Back on board with the sun setting, the temperature is plummeting and we are in for another very cold night.
All is great on board. Kathy and Wayne
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Tuesday 21 April 2015
Stewart Island Photos
Sunrise at Bluff Fisherman's Wharf
Sea lions at The Neck, Patterson's Inlet
Female sea lion at The Neck, Patterson's Inlet
Male sea lion at The Neck, Patterson's Inlet
The beach at The Neck where we saw the sea lions, Patterson's Inlet
Juvenile male sea lion at The Neck, Patterson's Inlet
Sandstone caves at Little Glory Cove, Patterson's Inlet
Kiwi footprints, Ocean Beach, Patterson's Inlet
Leaving Patterson's Inlet
Sandstone foreshore with over hanging peat, Port Pegasus
Bald Cone, Port Pegasus
Eroded quartzite boulder, Port Pegasus
Looking east over Port Pegasus South Arm
Boulder blowing Wayne
On top of Magog
On top of Magog looking east towards Port Pegasus South Arm. Seal Creek on the left.
On top of Magog looking south towards Gog (peak on the left)
Boulder on Magog
Seal Creek, Gog and Magog in the background
Small Islets at low tide in Islet Cove
Climbing Bald Cone, Shipbuilder's Cove behind with Ambler on my right
Bald Cone
Buller's Albatross, Port Adventure
Buller's Albatross, Port Adventure
Approaching Patterson's Inlet
Sunday 19 April 2015
Abraham's Bosom, Port Adventure, Stewart Island
Date: 19/04/15 Position: Abraham's Bosom, Port Adventure, Stewart Island
We woke Friday morning to the sound of rain on the cabin top so we snuggled back down under the covers for a few extra hours sleep. By 11 o'clock the rain had eased so we launched the kayaks to go and explore the North Arm of Port Pegasus. The conditions were great with calm water except for the surges from the ocean swell coming through the entrance channels. From Ben's Bay we paddled in a clockwise direction the entire way around North Arm exploring the many bays and inlets as we passed. The sandstone cliffs towered above us as we paddled along listening to the music made by the water as it surged into the caves, tunnels and small hollows in the rocks gurgling, blowing and hissing. It sounded like a wind orchestra. Huge beds of different varieties of kelp rose and fell with the surge exposing rocky reefs as the tide went out. We explored the river basin at the head of Albion Inlet until we came to the first moss covered rocks and short waterfall. The trees overhanging the river still continued to drip with raindrops as we paddled underneath. As we re entered the inlet from the river an inquisitive, playful seal came over to play and swim around our kayaks for quite a while. It was wonderful to watch how graceful and fluid it was in the clear water beneath our kayaks. We entered Settlement Cove in the north west corner of North Arm and had a look at the old ruins from the tin mine town that lasted there for only a few short years. Since the conditions were still good with only a light breeze developing we paddled along the northern shore, across Whale Passage and followed the western shore on the inside of Pearl Island. The shoreline of Pearl Island was rugged and we could hear plenty of bird calls as we paddled along. We even spotted a few rails foraging along the rocks. When we reached the sandstone pinnacles of Hell's Gates with its double eroded arches we headed across to Acheron Passage and over to the North Pegasus' Hunter's Hut. We took shelter here until the rain showers had passed over. As we entered Ben's Bay and were heading back to Ambler we saw a kingfisher flying from branch to branch along the shore. It had been a terrific day.
Saturday brought clear skies and sunshine. The first sun we had seen for over a week. We set about domestic duties with loads of washing hanging from the railings and rigging to dry in the sun. The inside of Ambler got a good cleaning and we insulated a few more areas that tend to get damp with condensation. A few more maintenance jobs were attended to in between enjoying the rare sunshine on deck. We continually maneuvered Ambler between the anchor and the shore lines so as to take the best advantage of the sun on our solar panels. Wayne made a scoop out of the end of the boat hook, some wire and mesh and set off in the dinghy at low tide to scoop up some Bluff Oysters from the shallows at the head of our bay. Bluff Oysters lie on the sand and are unique to the waters around Bluff. We didn't buy any when we were in Bluff because they were $3 each!
Today (Sunday) dawned with high streaky clouds. We consulted the grib file we received by email last night, listened to the forecast and then downloaded a weather fax of the synoptic situation. We were planning to sail north on Monday with the southerly change but it actually looked more beneficial to set out today in the 30 knot north westerly and flat sea conditions. We rapidly got the shore lines in, lashed the dinghy on the foredeck and prepared Ambler for sea as we motored across Port Pegasus and passed through Whale Passage. The sky looked stormy with streaks of blue grey clouds and lenticulars forming above the land. Rain was falling in patches on the horizon. The albatrosses looked terrific when they did wing overs displaying their white bellies and the underside of their wings against the dark, stormy back drop. The stronger the wind, the more aerobatic their displays of flight become.
Once offshore, we unfurled a full headsail and also found we would be taking advantage of a 2 knot current which gave us a speed of 8 knots. An hour later, the wind began to increase so we began to reef the headsail by partially furling it. We estimated the wind had reached 40 knots, it was a bit too much for the headsail, so we furled it away then unfurled the staysail. As the wind began to moderate an hour later we reset the headsail and furled the staysail again. All these sail changes were done from the safety of our cockpit. Ambler's bow continued to plough through the wind waves that had developed, with sheets of spray flying across the foredeck and onto us if we didn't duck under the dodger in time. We were joined at times by small flocks of cape petrels soaring on the wind.
On reaching the entrance to Port Adventure we decided to douse all sail and motor in as the 30 knot wind was blowing straight out of the bay. Once inside Port Adventure and sounding around the anchorage known as Abraham's Bosom in preparation to drop the anchor, we were greeted by a Buller's Albatross which landed just metres from us and stayed with us for 15 minutes, long enough to decide we had no fish to give it before it flew away.
All is well on board. Kathy and Wayne
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We woke Friday morning to the sound of rain on the cabin top so we snuggled back down under the covers for a few extra hours sleep. By 11 o'clock the rain had eased so we launched the kayaks to go and explore the North Arm of Port Pegasus. The conditions were great with calm water except for the surges from the ocean swell coming through the entrance channels. From Ben's Bay we paddled in a clockwise direction the entire way around North Arm exploring the many bays and inlets as we passed. The sandstone cliffs towered above us as we paddled along listening to the music made by the water as it surged into the caves, tunnels and small hollows in the rocks gurgling, blowing and hissing. It sounded like a wind orchestra. Huge beds of different varieties of kelp rose and fell with the surge exposing rocky reefs as the tide went out. We explored the river basin at the head of Albion Inlet until we came to the first moss covered rocks and short waterfall. The trees overhanging the river still continued to drip with raindrops as we paddled underneath. As we re entered the inlet from the river an inquisitive, playful seal came over to play and swim around our kayaks for quite a while. It was wonderful to watch how graceful and fluid it was in the clear water beneath our kayaks. We entered Settlement Cove in the north west corner of North Arm and had a look at the old ruins from the tin mine town that lasted there for only a few short years. Since the conditions were still good with only a light breeze developing we paddled along the northern shore, across Whale Passage and followed the western shore on the inside of Pearl Island. The shoreline of Pearl Island was rugged and we could hear plenty of bird calls as we paddled along. We even spotted a few rails foraging along the rocks. When we reached the sandstone pinnacles of Hell's Gates with its double eroded arches we headed across to Acheron Passage and over to the North Pegasus' Hunter's Hut. We took shelter here until the rain showers had passed over. As we entered Ben's Bay and were heading back to Ambler we saw a kingfisher flying from branch to branch along the shore. It had been a terrific day.
Saturday brought clear skies and sunshine. The first sun we had seen for over a week. We set about domestic duties with loads of washing hanging from the railings and rigging to dry in the sun. The inside of Ambler got a good cleaning and we insulated a few more areas that tend to get damp with condensation. A few more maintenance jobs were attended to in between enjoying the rare sunshine on deck. We continually maneuvered Ambler between the anchor and the shore lines so as to take the best advantage of the sun on our solar panels. Wayne made a scoop out of the end of the boat hook, some wire and mesh and set off in the dinghy at low tide to scoop up some Bluff Oysters from the shallows at the head of our bay. Bluff Oysters lie on the sand and are unique to the waters around Bluff. We didn't buy any when we were in Bluff because they were $3 each!
Today (Sunday) dawned with high streaky clouds. We consulted the grib file we received by email last night, listened to the forecast and then downloaded a weather fax of the synoptic situation. We were planning to sail north on Monday with the southerly change but it actually looked more beneficial to set out today in the 30 knot north westerly and flat sea conditions. We rapidly got the shore lines in, lashed the dinghy on the foredeck and prepared Ambler for sea as we motored across Port Pegasus and passed through Whale Passage. The sky looked stormy with streaks of blue grey clouds and lenticulars forming above the land. Rain was falling in patches on the horizon. The albatrosses looked terrific when they did wing overs displaying their white bellies and the underside of their wings against the dark, stormy back drop. The stronger the wind, the more aerobatic their displays of flight become.
Once offshore, we unfurled a full headsail and also found we would be taking advantage of a 2 knot current which gave us a speed of 8 knots. An hour later, the wind began to increase so we began to reef the headsail by partially furling it. We estimated the wind had reached 40 knots, it was a bit too much for the headsail, so we furled it away then unfurled the staysail. As the wind began to moderate an hour later we reset the headsail and furled the staysail again. All these sail changes were done from the safety of our cockpit. Ambler's bow continued to plough through the wind waves that had developed, with sheets of spray flying across the foredeck and onto us if we didn't duck under the dodger in time. We were joined at times by small flocks of cape petrels soaring on the wind.
On reaching the entrance to Port Adventure we decided to douse all sail and motor in as the 30 knot wind was blowing straight out of the bay. Once inside Port Adventure and sounding around the anchorage known as Abraham's Bosom in preparation to drop the anchor, we were greeted by a Buller's Albatross which landed just metres from us and stayed with us for 15 minutes, long enough to decide we had no fish to give it before it flew away.
All is well on board. Kathy and Wayne
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Thursday 16 April 2015
Ben's Bay, North Arm, Port Pegasus
Date: 16/04/15 Position: Ben's Bay, North Arm, Port Pegasus, Stewart Island
On Tuesday morning we woke to a still, calm anchorage at last. After a quick breakfast we donned our wet weather gear and pulled in our shorelines and anchor and left before the wind had a chance to increase from the south and keep us captive once again. The anchorage in the west arm of Evening Cove was named as an all weather anchorage and was great when we had strong north westerlies but when the wind turned into the south it became quite uncomfortable with the wind and waves wrapping around the point. Maneuvering the boat out of the anchorage with so many shorelines set would have been very difficult to do safely in the high winds and rough sea conditions so we remained in the anchorage and although the conditions on board were uncomfortable, the boat was safely tied in and wasn't going anywhere.
After leaving our anchorage we crept around the corner to say hello to another yacht called Maever that we knew was anchored there from listening to the Bluff Fisherman's Radio scheds each evening. Steve the skipper didn't have a cruising guide for Stewart Island and since we had two copies we handed our extra copy over to him and in return he generously gave us a few kilos of venison which he had caught a few days earlier. The venison was just the ticket to celebrate the birthday dinner on board Ambler that evening.
We moved one nautical mile away to our new anchorage in the East Arm of Evening Cove. We tucked in behind a group of islets and tied ashore with two stern lines and one breast line. It was a great little spot, well protected from the southerly gale force winds and our little cove was a millpond compared to the wind and waves continuing to come through the entrance of the east arm.
On Wednesday the temperature had risen by a few degrees and the sun was trying to break through the thick cloud band that had been covering us for days. It wasn't raining or pelting hail stones either so we decided to go kayaking. There was still a fairly strong southerly blowing but we thought we would try and paddle around the short stretch of headland exposed to the southerly winds called Kelp Point and into Islet Cove, the next cove around to our north. We got around ok with the wind behind us most of the way. As we rounded the point we had some curious terns and a cormorant repeatedly fly low around us to check us out. We have developed a great respect for terns as they are always out in all weather conditions busily fishing and battling the winds even though they look so fragile. We have also seen many different types of cormorants which normally are very flighty and fly off before we've even noticed their presence. But there is one type of cormorant that is soft brown in colour which seems more curious and will often hang about as we paddle by.
The ocean swell looked huge as we looked across from Islet Cove and out through the South Passage. The swell had grown to 5m over the past few days due to the intensity of the low pressure system (958 hpa) in the Southern Ocean to the south east of NZ. We were glad to be within Port Pegasus and in more sheltered waters. As we paddled in Islet Cove we could hear something coming up to breathe behind us and on turning around spotted a seal close behind my kayak. It was focusing intensely on my rudder and kept swimming right up to it and checking it out. The seal stayed with us for about five minutes. We continued to paddle through Islet Cove and entered Seal Creek which is a large estuary behind Islet Cove. We paddled a fair way up Seal Creek before the out going tide made it too shallow to continue any further. From Seal Creek we had fantastic views of Magog which we had climbed a few days earlier. After re entering Islet Cove we stopped at the South Pegasus Hunter's Hut in Reefer Cove to have our lunch and a look around. There were no hunters in residence. The hut was placed in a good position on the top of a low headland protected by plenty of tall trees. It was similar in design to the last hunter's hut with a small enclosed verandah, four bunks and a pot belly stove. After leaving the hut we made our way back around the point which was a bit harder going this time as we were paddling straight into the wind but only for a short distance. Once around the point we explored the rest of the east arm of Evening Cove at low tide which was very clear and shallow.
Today dawned overcast and chilly. We heard it was 6 degrees in Bluff this morning so it must have been about the same here. In the morning we cruised over to Shipbuilder's Cove and dropped anchor in the south western corner of the cove below the prominent Bald Cone, our objective for the morning. Whilst we were setting up our shorelines we heard a deep rumbling growl coming from up the creek, we weren't sure whether it was a seal or a deer as it is now the 'roaring season' for deers. After leaving Ambler tied in securely we rowed the dinghy towards the creek outlet where we would begin our ascent of Bald Cone. We heard more growling as we passed a side creek and could see the tracks made by seals as they entered the scrub. It made us extra cautious when we chose a spot to land the dinghy and go ashore. Seals tend to leave a flattened, smooth, wide compacted soil track so we avoided any areas that looked like this. It took about an hour to ascend the sparsely forested slope and then through low scrub to the ridge where we followed bare slabs of quartzite to the summit of Bald Cone. Again the peak consisted of massive open quartzite outcrops with caravan size boulders. The views were magnificent and Ambler looked tiny down in the cove below.
After returning via the same route back to Ambler we weighed anchor and set of for the North Arm of Port Pegasus through an inside passage that divides the north and south arms. The passage is formed by two islands on the seaward side. We also passed three seaward entrances to Port Pegasus and noted that the swell is still pumping outside. North Arm looks quite different to the South Arm as it consists of low forested hills without the bare rocky outcrops and summits that are notable in the South Arm. We are now anchored in Ben's Bay with two stern lines ashore.
All is cosy on board with the diesel heater on. Kathy and Wayne
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On Tuesday morning we woke to a still, calm anchorage at last. After a quick breakfast we donned our wet weather gear and pulled in our shorelines and anchor and left before the wind had a chance to increase from the south and keep us captive once again. The anchorage in the west arm of Evening Cove was named as an all weather anchorage and was great when we had strong north westerlies but when the wind turned into the south it became quite uncomfortable with the wind and waves wrapping around the point. Maneuvering the boat out of the anchorage with so many shorelines set would have been very difficult to do safely in the high winds and rough sea conditions so we remained in the anchorage and although the conditions on board were uncomfortable, the boat was safely tied in and wasn't going anywhere.
After leaving our anchorage we crept around the corner to say hello to another yacht called Maever that we knew was anchored there from listening to the Bluff Fisherman's Radio scheds each evening. Steve the skipper didn't have a cruising guide for Stewart Island and since we had two copies we handed our extra copy over to him and in return he generously gave us a few kilos of venison which he had caught a few days earlier. The venison was just the ticket to celebrate the birthday dinner on board Ambler that evening.
We moved one nautical mile away to our new anchorage in the East Arm of Evening Cove. We tucked in behind a group of islets and tied ashore with two stern lines and one breast line. It was a great little spot, well protected from the southerly gale force winds and our little cove was a millpond compared to the wind and waves continuing to come through the entrance of the east arm.
On Wednesday the temperature had risen by a few degrees and the sun was trying to break through the thick cloud band that had been covering us for days. It wasn't raining or pelting hail stones either so we decided to go kayaking. There was still a fairly strong southerly blowing but we thought we would try and paddle around the short stretch of headland exposed to the southerly winds called Kelp Point and into Islet Cove, the next cove around to our north. We got around ok with the wind behind us most of the way. As we rounded the point we had some curious terns and a cormorant repeatedly fly low around us to check us out. We have developed a great respect for terns as they are always out in all weather conditions busily fishing and battling the winds even though they look so fragile. We have also seen many different types of cormorants which normally are very flighty and fly off before we've even noticed their presence. But there is one type of cormorant that is soft brown in colour which seems more curious and will often hang about as we paddle by.
The ocean swell looked huge as we looked across from Islet Cove and out through the South Passage. The swell had grown to 5m over the past few days due to the intensity of the low pressure system (958 hpa) in the Southern Ocean to the south east of NZ. We were glad to be within Port Pegasus and in more sheltered waters. As we paddled in Islet Cove we could hear something coming up to breathe behind us and on turning around spotted a seal close behind my kayak. It was focusing intensely on my rudder and kept swimming right up to it and checking it out. The seal stayed with us for about five minutes. We continued to paddle through Islet Cove and entered Seal Creek which is a large estuary behind Islet Cove. We paddled a fair way up Seal Creek before the out going tide made it too shallow to continue any further. From Seal Creek we had fantastic views of Magog which we had climbed a few days earlier. After re entering Islet Cove we stopped at the South Pegasus Hunter's Hut in Reefer Cove to have our lunch and a look around. There were no hunters in residence. The hut was placed in a good position on the top of a low headland protected by plenty of tall trees. It was similar in design to the last hunter's hut with a small enclosed verandah, four bunks and a pot belly stove. After leaving the hut we made our way back around the point which was a bit harder going this time as we were paddling straight into the wind but only for a short distance. Once around the point we explored the rest of the east arm of Evening Cove at low tide which was very clear and shallow.
Today dawned overcast and chilly. We heard it was 6 degrees in Bluff this morning so it must have been about the same here. In the morning we cruised over to Shipbuilder's Cove and dropped anchor in the south western corner of the cove below the prominent Bald Cone, our objective for the morning. Whilst we were setting up our shorelines we heard a deep rumbling growl coming from up the creek, we weren't sure whether it was a seal or a deer as it is now the 'roaring season' for deers. After leaving Ambler tied in securely we rowed the dinghy towards the creek outlet where we would begin our ascent of Bald Cone. We heard more growling as we passed a side creek and could see the tracks made by seals as they entered the scrub. It made us extra cautious when we chose a spot to land the dinghy and go ashore. Seals tend to leave a flattened, smooth, wide compacted soil track so we avoided any areas that looked like this. It took about an hour to ascend the sparsely forested slope and then through low scrub to the ridge where we followed bare slabs of quartzite to the summit of Bald Cone. Again the peak consisted of massive open quartzite outcrops with caravan size boulders. The views were magnificent and Ambler looked tiny down in the cove below.
After returning via the same route back to Ambler we weighed anchor and set of for the North Arm of Port Pegasus through an inside passage that divides the north and south arms. The passage is formed by two islands on the seaward side. We also passed three seaward entrances to Port Pegasus and noted that the swell is still pumping outside. North Arm looks quite different to the South Arm as it consists of low forested hills without the bare rocky outcrops and summits that are notable in the South Arm. We are now anchored in Ben's Bay with two stern lines ashore.
All is cosy on board with the diesel heater on. Kathy and Wayne
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Sunday 12 April 2015
Waiting out the weather
Date: 12/04/15 Position: Evening Cove, South Arm, Port Pegasus
On Friday we had a terrific day walk to a peak called Magog. First we walked from our anchorage at Evening Cove in the drizzly rain along an obvious track through a small forested area. Once we were out in open country we followed cairns for a short distance but then the cairns stopped and the scrub doubled in height as we crossed a few creeks. After climbing a knoll we continued along the ridge tops towards Magog. The scrub was fairly low which made for easy walking. At times there were faded tapes and cairns along the way. Magog is a large rocky topped peak with slabs and boulders of quartzite making up the summit. The rain eased whilst we navigated our way to the high point and the sun came out and warmed us while we had lunch on top. The views were spectacular, especially of the wild west coast of Stewart Island with its many outlying islands. We considered ourselves lucky to have enjoyed the sunshine on top as on our return back to Ambler rain showers and grey skies set in again. When we glanced back at Magog it was shrouded in misty rain.
Yesterday and today have been spent on board while a 45 knot westerly blows over with heavy rain showers and hail stones. The rigging has been humming now for two days and although we are tempted at times to stick our heads out into the cockpit, the icy cold wind blasts ensure we don't stay out for long. The next few days aren't looking much better as the wind turns to the south with similar intensity with colder air and snow predicted to fall to 400m. Mmmmm. Presently every coastal area of New Zealand has a gale warning issued due to the passage of this front. So we've been rugged up and occupying ourselves with various projects and the scrabble board came out today for the first time this trip.
All is toasty on board with the heater going. Kathy and Wayne
----------
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On Friday we had a terrific day walk to a peak called Magog. First we walked from our anchorage at Evening Cove in the drizzly rain along an obvious track through a small forested area. Once we were out in open country we followed cairns for a short distance but then the cairns stopped and the scrub doubled in height as we crossed a few creeks. After climbing a knoll we continued along the ridge tops towards Magog. The scrub was fairly low which made for easy walking. At times there were faded tapes and cairns along the way. Magog is a large rocky topped peak with slabs and boulders of quartzite making up the summit. The rain eased whilst we navigated our way to the high point and the sun came out and warmed us while we had lunch on top. The views were spectacular, especially of the wild west coast of Stewart Island with its many outlying islands. We considered ourselves lucky to have enjoyed the sunshine on top as on our return back to Ambler rain showers and grey skies set in again. When we glanced back at Magog it was shrouded in misty rain.
Yesterday and today have been spent on board while a 45 knot westerly blows over with heavy rain showers and hail stones. The rigging has been humming now for two days and although we are tempted at times to stick our heads out into the cockpit, the icy cold wind blasts ensure we don't stay out for long. The next few days aren't looking much better as the wind turns to the south with similar intensity with colder air and snow predicted to fall to 400m. Mmmmm. Presently every coastal area of New Zealand has a gale warning issued due to the passage of this front. So we've been rugged up and occupying ourselves with various projects and the scrabble board came out today for the first time this trip.
All is toasty on board with the heater going. Kathy and Wayne
----------
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Thursday 9 April 2015
Evening Cove, South Arm, Port Pegasus
Date: 9/04/15 Position: Evening Cove, South Arm, Port Pegasus
On Monday night it blew a gale. It was extremely windy around midnight and we were getting very strong gusts in our anchorage at Disappointment Cove. There were willy willies forming near us which were amazing to watch in the light of the full moon. They tore sheets of spray off the surface of the water and spun the spray up to great heights. The average wind reading around the corner at South West Cape at midnight was 66 knots. We'd believe it. By morning it was all over and calm again. It was quite a dynamic change with the build up of the pre frontal high winds, the change arriving at midnight and the wind moderating all happening within twelve hours. The barometric pressure in the last twenty four hours had dropped from 1021 hpa to 992 hpa.
After a fairly sleepless night we had a relaxing day on Tuesday. In the afternoon we followed the short track from our anchorage across to a beach in Broad Bay which has a wide entrance to the ocean south of Port Pegasus. We were enjoying our fossick along the beach until we spotted some juvenile male sea lions in the surf. One of these young males was not too pleased that we were on his patch so he surfed in, stood up and roared at us to be on our way in no uncertain terms. We didn't stop to argue and ran. Still wishing to explore some more we crossed over a small headland to the next beach and this time we each carried a stick just in case we met some more sea lions. Apparently if they get too close you just tap them on the nose and they will turn back except for the fact that their sheer size is pretty intimidating as is their manner as they approach lumbering towards you and roaring. There were plenty of signs that the sea lions had been lounging around on the sand at some time during the day but it was deserted. We also noted quite a few tracks obviously made by seals going into the bush. So we didn't feel too comfortable walking along the narrow beach due to the high tide with the prospect of meeting another sea lion from either the sea or the bush. So we retreated back to the track and back to Ambler.
On Wednesday we awoke to passing showers and since another front was due to hit in the afternoon, we decided to hang out on board. Early in the afternoon the rain cleared with the passage of the south westerly so we took to the kayaks to have a more detailed explore of the coves around us. The craggy shorelines consisted of sandstone which has been eroded by continual wave action, creating many interesting features such as overhangs, small caves and honeycomb surfaces. Above the sandstone is a layer of peat which was often overhanging the more weathered sections of rock. The hills around Port Pegasus are covered by low to medium bush and there are bare rocky outcrops and slopes with a few attainable summits that we hope to walk to over the next week or so. Since Blue Cod was on the menu we took the fishing gear with us and kayaked to a small island with a deep drop off at the entrance to Fright Cove. Sure enough we caught the perfect size cod for our appetites. We continued to explore other interesting little coves to the west of Disappointment Cove before returning in the sunshine to Ambler. There is now a noticeable chill in the evenings and we have had the heater on making the cabin warm and cosy.
Today (Thursday) we woke to a crisp morning and a clear blue sky. We weighed anchor and cruised around to have a look at Sylvan's Cove before sailing with just the headsail to windward to our current anchorage of Evening Cove. As it was a very a low tide we could easily see the bottom which seemed alarmingly shallow but we still had an under keel clearance of 2-3 metres. We tied ourselves in securely with four shorelines and an anchor. Knowing the boat was secure we dinghied ashore and followed a track that led up through low scrub to a ridge. From there we followed a cairned route to a high point of around 250m. The top consisted of great slabs and boulders of open, bare quartzite. It was great to explore around the boulders as the elements had eroded the boulders into fascinating shapes. We had clear views of the south arm of Port Pegasus, the peaks of Gog and Magog (which we hope to walk to tomorrow) and through a gap we could even see the west coast of Stewart Island. It was very easy walking and the vegetation was similar to the alpine areas of South West Tasmania.
All is warm and content on board. Kathy and Wayne
----------
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On Monday night it blew a gale. It was extremely windy around midnight and we were getting very strong gusts in our anchorage at Disappointment Cove. There were willy willies forming near us which were amazing to watch in the light of the full moon. They tore sheets of spray off the surface of the water and spun the spray up to great heights. The average wind reading around the corner at South West Cape at midnight was 66 knots. We'd believe it. By morning it was all over and calm again. It was quite a dynamic change with the build up of the pre frontal high winds, the change arriving at midnight and the wind moderating all happening within twelve hours. The barometric pressure in the last twenty four hours had dropped from 1021 hpa to 992 hpa.
After a fairly sleepless night we had a relaxing day on Tuesday. In the afternoon we followed the short track from our anchorage across to a beach in Broad Bay which has a wide entrance to the ocean south of Port Pegasus. We were enjoying our fossick along the beach until we spotted some juvenile male sea lions in the surf. One of these young males was not too pleased that we were on his patch so he surfed in, stood up and roared at us to be on our way in no uncertain terms. We didn't stop to argue and ran. Still wishing to explore some more we crossed over a small headland to the next beach and this time we each carried a stick just in case we met some more sea lions. Apparently if they get too close you just tap them on the nose and they will turn back except for the fact that their sheer size is pretty intimidating as is their manner as they approach lumbering towards you and roaring. There were plenty of signs that the sea lions had been lounging around on the sand at some time during the day but it was deserted. We also noted quite a few tracks obviously made by seals going into the bush. So we didn't feel too comfortable walking along the narrow beach due to the high tide with the prospect of meeting another sea lion from either the sea or the bush. So we retreated back to the track and back to Ambler.
On Wednesday we awoke to passing showers and since another front was due to hit in the afternoon, we decided to hang out on board. Early in the afternoon the rain cleared with the passage of the south westerly so we took to the kayaks to have a more detailed explore of the coves around us. The craggy shorelines consisted of sandstone which has been eroded by continual wave action, creating many interesting features such as overhangs, small caves and honeycomb surfaces. Above the sandstone is a layer of peat which was often overhanging the more weathered sections of rock. The hills around Port Pegasus are covered by low to medium bush and there are bare rocky outcrops and slopes with a few attainable summits that we hope to walk to over the next week or so. Since Blue Cod was on the menu we took the fishing gear with us and kayaked to a small island with a deep drop off at the entrance to Fright Cove. Sure enough we caught the perfect size cod for our appetites. We continued to explore other interesting little coves to the west of Disappointment Cove before returning in the sunshine to Ambler. There is now a noticeable chill in the evenings and we have had the heater on making the cabin warm and cosy.
Today (Thursday) we woke to a crisp morning and a clear blue sky. We weighed anchor and cruised around to have a look at Sylvan's Cove before sailing with just the headsail to windward to our current anchorage of Evening Cove. As it was a very a low tide we could easily see the bottom which seemed alarmingly shallow but we still had an under keel clearance of 2-3 metres. We tied ourselves in securely with four shorelines and an anchor. Knowing the boat was secure we dinghied ashore and followed a track that led up through low scrub to a ridge. From there we followed a cairned route to a high point of around 250m. The top consisted of great slabs and boulders of open, bare quartzite. It was great to explore around the boulders as the elements had eroded the boulders into fascinating shapes. We had clear views of the south arm of Port Pegasus, the peaks of Gog and Magog (which we hope to walk to tomorrow) and through a gap we could even see the west coast of Stewart Island. It was very easy walking and the vegetation was similar to the alpine areas of South West Tasmania.
All is warm and content on board. Kathy and Wayne
----------
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Monday 6 April 2015
Port Pegasus
Date: 6/04/15 Position: Disappointment Cove, Southern Arm, Port Pegasus
On Sunday morning we woke up in the dark at 6am and dinghied across to the south east corner of Little Glory Cove to a jetty. From the jetty we followed the track that goes through to Ocean Beach. The area between Little Glory Cove and Ocean Beach is a kiwi protection area and people are not allowed access to this area between 6pm and 6am unless they have a permit. As kiwis are nocturnal we hoped to be able to see some before the sun rose. We had only walked about 10m along the track when a kiwi appeared. It was knee height with huge feet, a long curved beak and light brown feathers. As it continued along the track in front of us we could hear it's feet thudding on the ground as it went. In the dim light of dawn it looked like something out of a prehistoric cartoon. When we reached Ocean Beach we could see how busy the kiwis had been during the night with all the three toed footprints left behind in the sand. We followed the high tide mark along that was strewn with weed. We were lucky once more to see another kiwi, this one was busy foraging along the high tide mark. We sat down and watched it make it's way towards us slowly. It stopped repeatedly to dig with it's long beak and at times almost had its whole head buried in the sand. As the sky lightened the kiwi made its way back into the bush behind the beach. It was wonderful to see these rare birds in their natural environment.
After returning to Ambler we raised the mainsail and motored out of Patterson's Inlet as the breeze was light. Once outside the southern entrance, Buller's Point, a light westerly breeze allowed us to set the Code 0 and turn the engine off. We sailed 17nm south with calm seas and an overcast sky to Port Adventure. There seems to be a very healthy population of Little Blue Penguins here as we saw many groups of them along the way. We arrived in the early afternoon and anchored in Oyster Cove.
As it was early in the day we went kayaking around Oyster Cove which is surrounded by low scrubby hills. Then we went out and along the south east shore of Port Adventure to Kelly's Beach. Here we were welcomed ashore by some friendly hunters who were staying at the Kelly's Hunters Hut. We went inside their cosy hut that was warmed by a pot belly stove and consisted of three bunks and a stainless steel bench top for cooking. After a good chat we left with enough cockles to cook for our entré. We returned to Ambler and enjoyed our steamed cockles followed by massaman beef curry.
Today we rose early enough to catch a stunning sunrise and not long after the sunrise we were on our way leaving Port Adventure and heading for Port Pegasus 22nm further south. We had a fairly quick trip averaging 6 knots with the help of the current and a favourable north east breeze behind us. It was overcast and cool with an occasional rain shower. We spotted a shark off our beam but it disappeared before we got a good look at it. We also saw a few giant petrels as well as many of our good friends - the albatross. The entrance islands to Port Pegasus were fringed with giant boulders and densely forested tops. We are now anchored in the southern arm of Port Pegasus in Disappointment Cove. We have tied ourselves in well behind a small island with two sternlines out in preparation for tonight's north easterly 40 knots and tomorrow's westerly 50 knots.
All is snug on board. Kathy and Wayne
----------
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On Sunday morning we woke up in the dark at 6am and dinghied across to the south east corner of Little Glory Cove to a jetty. From the jetty we followed the track that goes through to Ocean Beach. The area between Little Glory Cove and Ocean Beach is a kiwi protection area and people are not allowed access to this area between 6pm and 6am unless they have a permit. As kiwis are nocturnal we hoped to be able to see some before the sun rose. We had only walked about 10m along the track when a kiwi appeared. It was knee height with huge feet, a long curved beak and light brown feathers. As it continued along the track in front of us we could hear it's feet thudding on the ground as it went. In the dim light of dawn it looked like something out of a prehistoric cartoon. When we reached Ocean Beach we could see how busy the kiwis had been during the night with all the three toed footprints left behind in the sand. We followed the high tide mark along that was strewn with weed. We were lucky once more to see another kiwi, this one was busy foraging along the high tide mark. We sat down and watched it make it's way towards us slowly. It stopped repeatedly to dig with it's long beak and at times almost had its whole head buried in the sand. As the sky lightened the kiwi made its way back into the bush behind the beach. It was wonderful to see these rare birds in their natural environment.
After returning to Ambler we raised the mainsail and motored out of Patterson's Inlet as the breeze was light. Once outside the southern entrance, Buller's Point, a light westerly breeze allowed us to set the Code 0 and turn the engine off. We sailed 17nm south with calm seas and an overcast sky to Port Adventure. There seems to be a very healthy population of Little Blue Penguins here as we saw many groups of them along the way. We arrived in the early afternoon and anchored in Oyster Cove.
As it was early in the day we went kayaking around Oyster Cove which is surrounded by low scrubby hills. Then we went out and along the south east shore of Port Adventure to Kelly's Beach. Here we were welcomed ashore by some friendly hunters who were staying at the Kelly's Hunters Hut. We went inside their cosy hut that was warmed by a pot belly stove and consisted of three bunks and a stainless steel bench top for cooking. After a good chat we left with enough cockles to cook for our entré. We returned to Ambler and enjoyed our steamed cockles followed by massaman beef curry.
Today we rose early enough to catch a stunning sunrise and not long after the sunrise we were on our way leaving Port Adventure and heading for Port Pegasus 22nm further south. We had a fairly quick trip averaging 6 knots with the help of the current and a favourable north east breeze behind us. It was overcast and cool with an occasional rain shower. We spotted a shark off our beam but it disappeared before we got a good look at it. We also saw a few giant petrels as well as many of our good friends - the albatross. The entrance islands to Port Pegasus were fringed with giant boulders and densely forested tops. We are now anchored in the southern arm of Port Pegasus in Disappointment Cove. We have tied ourselves in well behind a small island with two sternlines out in preparation for tonight's north easterly 40 knots and tomorrow's westerly 50 knots.
All is snug on board. Kathy and Wayne
----------
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Saturday 4 April 2015
Stewart Island
Date: 4/04/15 Position: Little Glory Cove, Patterson Inlet, Stewart Island
We were in Bluff for a week waiting for a good weather window so we could go down to Stewart Island. Bluff was a friendly but very, very windy place. The coastal weather forecast for the area of Foveaux changed constantly even within the same day. The three day outlook wasn't the same once while we were in Bluff. However, the gales that swept through over the week allowed us to do a full engine service and carry out the annual clean and service on our Canadian made diesel heater. We also did a resupply for the boat and had two trips into Invercargill and several visits to Bluff Library to use their internet service. We also got our ice cream fix with a few trips to the dairy (the local corner store). They sold a huge variety of ice cream flavours and for only $2.50 we got two huge scoops on a cone with our choice of any two flavours.
Yesterday we were fortunate to sail across Foveaux Strait with a 15 knot north westerly and relatively calm seas and sunshine. It felt strangely warm as we have had cold blustery weather for the last week. Around lunchtime we left the fisherman's wharf where we had been tied up for the last week and we motored to the ferry terminal wharf. At the diesel bowser on the ferry wharf we finally filled up with fuel successfully having tried five different credit cards. We left Bluff at one o'clock just before the high tide. As we left the harbour entrance we could see Stewart Island in the distance only about 15nm away. We enjoyed the smooth sailing and sunshine and were joined by a small pod of very large bottle nose dolphins as we passed Ruapuke Island on our port beam. There are several small forested islands around the north east corner of Stewart Island and as we passed between two of these we caught yet another barracouta. When we threw it back overboard the albatrosses that had been tailing us for quite some distance took full advantage of the barracouta's dazed state and pounced on it. Before long there were five albatrosses all trying to get a piece of the fish.
Last night we anchored in Little Glory Cove within Patterson's Inlet. It was a lovely, quiet place until we heard gunshots break the silence. From looking at the topo map there are several hunter's huts positioned around the inlet and there is one at the end of Little Glory Cove. Hunting appears to be very popular here in southern New Zealand and we saw a lot of hunting shops in Invercargill. In fact the fishing boat that came alongside opposite us at the wharf in Bluff had a deer carcass hanging up. The wind picked up during the night and in the early hours of the morning we got up to check that the anchor hadn't dragged. We were fine and still in the same position but another yacht that had been anchored in the cove nearby us had had to move around to more protected waters.
This morning we woke up to the sound of rain but it didn't last for too long. When we were having breakfast in the cockpit we saw a deer walking and grazing along the beach only about 200m away. We hope he survived the day. We decided we would go exploring by kayak within Patterson's Inlet. First we paddled along the craggy shoreline out of our cove and around the Boat Passage Islands. The water was clear enough to see plenty of shellfish and fish below our kayaks. We then continued further along the shoreline to check out another very sheltered anchorage called Sailor's Rest. As we entered this anchorage we saw many black starfish with about six pencil thin arms radiating out from a small round centre. After leaving Sailor's Rest we paddled out to Bravo Island and as we were crossing the short stretch of water we saw a group of Little Blue Penguins fishing. Occasionally a few would porpoise (leap clear out of the water). They would all surface in unison to breath and dive back under at the same time. Synchronized swimming penguin style. Throughout the rest of the day we saw a few more groups and individual penguins busy fishing. From Bravo Island we paddled onto Goat Island where we saw three small, flightless brown birds foraging along the rocky beach at the water's edge. At first we thought they might be kiwis but after later consulting our bird books we think they were some type of Rail. After enjoying watching these birds happily forage undisturbed only metres from our kayaks we set off across a large stretch of water to a long sandy beach called The Neck. Arriving at the beach we pulled our kayaks above the high tide line and decided to walk the length of the beach and back to stretch our legs. Behind the beach there was a lot of tussock grass and as this was an isthmus we decided to follow what looked to be a sandy track through the tussock grass to the ocean side of the isthmus. When we emerged on the beach on the ocean side we were confronted by four sea lions (we think they are Hooker Sea Lions). We then realised what had made all the tracks we had seen going different directions in the tussock grass! The sea lions gave us a curious glance and then ignored us. It was fantastic to see these huge beasts close up and we kept a safe distance from them. There were two huge males about 3m long with big, thick manes and huge upper bodies and two smaller females. One female was a whitish colour and looked tiny in comparison to the males but was still about 2m long. One of the males kept asserting himself against the other male and they lunged and breathed heavily at each other until one of them lied down and appeared to doze off as he covered himself with sand by flicking it over his back with his front flippers. Not long later another male appeared in the surf zone but remained in the water keeping an eye on the four sea lions on the beach. We walked to the end of the beach enjoying the many sea birds congregating at the spit that led to the shoal which adjoins Cow Island. As we walked along another male came out of the tussock grass and made his way down to the water. It was fascinating to watch the behaviour of these sea lions and wonderful to see them in their natural environment. As the tide had began to rise we crossed back over the isthmus to our kayaks and after we collected several plastic bags and bits of netting along the beach we set off paddling again. We followed once more another craggy shoreline back to Little Glory Cove. There were many small cave formations that had been caused by erosion, some were big enough for our kayak to go in. As we made our way back across the cove to Ambler we watched the terns diving for fish and heard more gunshots in the distance.
All is glorious on board. Kathy and Wayne
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We were in Bluff for a week waiting for a good weather window so we could go down to Stewart Island. Bluff was a friendly but very, very windy place. The coastal weather forecast for the area of Foveaux changed constantly even within the same day. The three day outlook wasn't the same once while we were in Bluff. However, the gales that swept through over the week allowed us to do a full engine service and carry out the annual clean and service on our Canadian made diesel heater. We also did a resupply for the boat and had two trips into Invercargill and several visits to Bluff Library to use their internet service. We also got our ice cream fix with a few trips to the dairy (the local corner store). They sold a huge variety of ice cream flavours and for only $2.50 we got two huge scoops on a cone with our choice of any two flavours.
Yesterday we were fortunate to sail across Foveaux Strait with a 15 knot north westerly and relatively calm seas and sunshine. It felt strangely warm as we have had cold blustery weather for the last week. Around lunchtime we left the fisherman's wharf where we had been tied up for the last week and we motored to the ferry terminal wharf. At the diesel bowser on the ferry wharf we finally filled up with fuel successfully having tried five different credit cards. We left Bluff at one o'clock just before the high tide. As we left the harbour entrance we could see Stewart Island in the distance only about 15nm away. We enjoyed the smooth sailing and sunshine and were joined by a small pod of very large bottle nose dolphins as we passed Ruapuke Island on our port beam. There are several small forested islands around the north east corner of Stewart Island and as we passed between two of these we caught yet another barracouta. When we threw it back overboard the albatrosses that had been tailing us for quite some distance took full advantage of the barracouta's dazed state and pounced on it. Before long there were five albatrosses all trying to get a piece of the fish.
Last night we anchored in Little Glory Cove within Patterson's Inlet. It was a lovely, quiet place until we heard gunshots break the silence. From looking at the topo map there are several hunter's huts positioned around the inlet and there is one at the end of Little Glory Cove. Hunting appears to be very popular here in southern New Zealand and we saw a lot of hunting shops in Invercargill. In fact the fishing boat that came alongside opposite us at the wharf in Bluff had a deer carcass hanging up. The wind picked up during the night and in the early hours of the morning we got up to check that the anchor hadn't dragged. We were fine and still in the same position but another yacht that had been anchored in the cove nearby us had had to move around to more protected waters.
This morning we woke up to the sound of rain but it didn't last for too long. When we were having breakfast in the cockpit we saw a deer walking and grazing along the beach only about 200m away. We hope he survived the day. We decided we would go exploring by kayak within Patterson's Inlet. First we paddled along the craggy shoreline out of our cove and around the Boat Passage Islands. The water was clear enough to see plenty of shellfish and fish below our kayaks. We then continued further along the shoreline to check out another very sheltered anchorage called Sailor's Rest. As we entered this anchorage we saw many black starfish with about six pencil thin arms radiating out from a small round centre. After leaving Sailor's Rest we paddled out to Bravo Island and as we were crossing the short stretch of water we saw a group of Little Blue Penguins fishing. Occasionally a few would porpoise (leap clear out of the water). They would all surface in unison to breath and dive back under at the same time. Synchronized swimming penguin style. Throughout the rest of the day we saw a few more groups and individual penguins busy fishing. From Bravo Island we paddled onto Goat Island where we saw three small, flightless brown birds foraging along the rocky beach at the water's edge. At first we thought they might be kiwis but after later consulting our bird books we think they were some type of Rail. After enjoying watching these birds happily forage undisturbed only metres from our kayaks we set off across a large stretch of water to a long sandy beach called The Neck. Arriving at the beach we pulled our kayaks above the high tide line and decided to walk the length of the beach and back to stretch our legs. Behind the beach there was a lot of tussock grass and as this was an isthmus we decided to follow what looked to be a sandy track through the tussock grass to the ocean side of the isthmus. When we emerged on the beach on the ocean side we were confronted by four sea lions (we think they are Hooker Sea Lions). We then realised what had made all the tracks we had seen going different directions in the tussock grass! The sea lions gave us a curious glance and then ignored us. It was fantastic to see these huge beasts close up and we kept a safe distance from them. There were two huge males about 3m long with big, thick manes and huge upper bodies and two smaller females. One female was a whitish colour and looked tiny in comparison to the males but was still about 2m long. One of the males kept asserting himself against the other male and they lunged and breathed heavily at each other until one of them lied down and appeared to doze off as he covered himself with sand by flicking it over his back with his front flippers. Not long later another male appeared in the surf zone but remained in the water keeping an eye on the four sea lions on the beach. We walked to the end of the beach enjoying the many sea birds congregating at the spit that led to the shoal which adjoins Cow Island. As we walked along another male came out of the tussock grass and made his way down to the water. It was fascinating to watch the behaviour of these sea lions and wonderful to see them in their natural environment. As the tide had began to rise we crossed back over the isthmus to our kayaks and after we collected several plastic bags and bits of netting along the beach we set off paddling again. We followed once more another craggy shoreline back to Little Glory Cove. There were many small cave formations that had been caused by erosion, some were big enough for our kayak to go in. As we made our way back across the cove to Ambler we watched the terns diving for fish and heard more gunshots in the distance.
All is glorious on board. Kathy and Wayne
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