Stewart Island

Left our motel in Invercargill by bus at 8:20 AM and got to Bluff for our 9:30 ferry to Stewart Island, an island off the southern tip of New Zealand. Was nice to get off the ferry after a very rough one hour ride. Checked into the Stewart Island Lodge (above is our view). Oban Township (the only "town") has a couple or restaurants and one small grocery. There are 350 permanent residents on the island. After lunch at the South Seas Hotel, we went for a beautiful 8 Km walk along a trail that went along the ocean from Halfmoon Bay to Horseshoe Bay. A little cool and some light rain, but we managed. The views were spectacular. Tomorrow we have a guided tour so we are hoping to see some of the islands unique birds.