Blog

Let me start today by describing the different levels on the Endeavor. There are three main areas on the ship, the outside weather deck with all the masts and rigging, then going down inside the ship you will find two inside levels, first the traditional 18th century deck, and below this is the modern 20th century deck.

The big exciting thing for us during the morning is reefing the main topsail. Or put simply pulling up the lower half of the massive middle sail on the mainmast (middle mast of the ship). This is done by pulling up sections of the sail canvas and attaching them to the horizontal yard using ropes called gasket lines. Doing this makes the sail smaller and is used during rough weather, and tomorrow when we head out to sea the weather forecast is expected to be very rough.

Today the excitement starts; I’m back on the Endeavour sailing ship as crew for 12 whole days!

Today I have pre-booked planned activates from before I flew into Hobart. First up is the Hobart Convict Penitentiary, where convicts from Britain were imprisoned after being transported all the way from the UK. I knew convicts had been sent to Sydney, but I didn't realise that almost half of them went to Tasmania as well.

I was ready for my first day in Hobart. On the plane yesterday a number of people were all highly recommending I visit MONA; the Museum of Old and New Art, the number one tourist attraction in Hobart apparently - a large maze warren of different styles of art.

All was going well to start with, I was on the plane soon enough and we then taxied away from the terminal. But then suddenly nothing happened and we were waiting on the tarmac for about 15 minutes as I continued writing my diary. This was a much longer wait than expected, when suddenly the air crew told us that our plane had engineering issues and we had to go back to the gate.

Back in 2019 I was lucky enough to spend four days as voyage crew on the 1770’s Endeavor replica from the Australia Maritime Museum as it travelled around New Zealand as part of Tuia 250. Those four days were one of the highlights of my entire life, climbing rigging, hoisting sails, sleeping in hammocks where I was experiencing living history and I loved it and I’m doing it again!

It’s been a great seven days on Rakiura / Stewart Island and I strongly recommend the island as a place to holiday, wild kiwi’s walking around Oban town centre, amazing stars in this dark sky sanctuary and on the Great Walk lots of native birds singing, yummy local food - all in all a magical place.

We woke up early again as today is the last day of the tramp but once back at our house we need to pack up everything so we are at the ferry by 7.30am tomorrow morning, so everything has to be sorted today once we get back.

So begins the second day of the Rakiura – Stewart Island Great Walk. The kiwi experience that Robin, myself and some random guy called Russel had last night at 2.30am was the talk of the hut in the morning, quite a few jealous people I must say, we were very lucky – but Robin with his ranger hearing did give us a great advantage.

The Rakiura Stewart Island Great Walk begins and Robin and I had this magical 10 – 15 minutes watching this large Stewart Island kiwi slowly eating and moving around in front of us. We got within 2 meters of the kiwi. Then suddenly it reversed its direction and headed straight towards us and paused within ½ a meter of us. I could have reached out and touched it, and we both just softly breathed and took in this wonderful experience. Eventually the kiwi moved off into the bush were we could not follow.

Today we are heading out to Ulva Island, a small predator free island, one of the many smaller islands dotted around Stewart Island. We got up close and personal with robins, wekas, a kaka up close finally, baby saddlebacks which unlike the saddleback in Tiri don’t have the brown saddle. I also got a decent view of yellowhead

The morning was spent relaxing in the lovely holiday bach Akomoana we are staying in and watching the weather beginning to improve. before we headed out to see several wild kiwi !!

Great video of wild kiwi up close and personal taken in Oban town centre on Stewart Island.

Second day on Stewart Island, and today i went on the Twinkle Dark Sky tour which was absolutely fantastic and a lot better than I thought it was going to be. The next several hours were spent with a very enthusiastic guide relaxing in chairs staring up at the stars with binoculars.

Today is the day I actually get to Stewart Island; and the weather made for an exciting ferry trip across. Robin and I loved it, Julianne not so much.

I am so excited to be finally getting away to Stewart Island. I had planned this trip for October 2021 for my fiftieth birthday, but due to Covid-19 lockdowns it had to be postponed. But now in last week of April 2022, seven months later the Stewart Island trip & tramp is back on!

Saturday March the 12th 12/03/2022

Today was a very special amazing day as I got close up and personal with three kiwi chicks!

The day was spent at Rotorua Island, a small island east of Waiheke Island. I e-mailed them several weeks ago to see if I could land on the island by helicopter and they said yes. Also my father’s birthday is this month, so he came along and it was great to spend the day with my Dad, share a helicopter flight with him and see rare kiwi chicks.

Our final day on Tiri, and the first day the ferry has been able to get to the island.

We have been so lucky to have one of Aotearoa ‘s premier bird life sanctuary’s to ourselves for five whole wonderful days, but like most good things it must come to an end.

I woke up super early at 5.30am as I was keen to see if I could find a good place to experience the dawn chorus after yesterday’s failed attempt. Today I had a new plan, I would head down to where the nectar feeder is located near the end of the wattle track. My theory is that the bellbird’s and hihi’s which use the feeder during the day should be around as the sun comes up.

Today turned out to be a nice day spent with Luke as Julianne has a large cut on her foot and Robin still had a sore foot as well. It also turns out that ferry that which was supposed to come today is not arriving due to high wind gusts which meant that Luke and I basically had all rare birds and the island to ourselves while Julianne and Robin had the bunkhouse to themselves. This being the third day with Tiri just for ourselves and four others who we never see.