Today started with long showers which meant I could catch up with my blogs but had to put off my run! The photo is a memory of our trek - the beach at Masons Bay - lots of clean golden sand. If people don't want to trek in they can fly - they land the planes on the beach - but you have to choose low-tide arrivals! The other memory -the sand fly bites required germolene during the night and were still itchy during the day requiring additional hydrocortisone cream ...

I awoke with the dawn breaking - just after 5ish - but lay in bed until 5.40 before getting up. Thank goodness I had slept in a long top otherwise I would have been nibbled all over by the carnivorous mosquitos and sand flies - the latter being more itchy and menacing! It had rained overnight and was still showery but we were hopeful it would clear before we left. We packed our bags and had breakfast - no butter so I had pain au chocolate - fruit bread I had wr...

We had a lazy start to the day as we didn't have to be at the office until 0845. It was a lovely sunny day and all looked good for our walk to Masons Bay hut. When Nicole arrived at he office we shared out the food between us and packed it into our rucksacks. Even though I only had a change of clothes and a few odds and ends - with the sleeping bag and the weight of the rucksack itself it was not a light pack!! Phil our leader - ex pat of 40years - now living in ...

We left the house just after 7 am - a lovely sunny clear day it was calm early on although the wind picked up later - but not to the strength of yesterday. We stopped off at the village shop - he was just opening up - to buy supplies for tonight's meal and a few snacks. We then made our way to Golden Bay wharf, parking by the police station and walking down the hill, where our bird watching trip to Ulva island would be leaving from. At 8am Furhana arrived with th...

We left Wanaka at 6.30am as we had to drive to Invercargill to catch our flight to Stewart Island. Knowing we had to get up early meant neither of us could sleep hence John was up re packing his bags at 4am and we left earlier than initially planned - the sun was up and the scenery great so why not! We stopped for coffee at Lumsden and arrived in Invercargill at 1015. As we didn't have to check in until 1230 we decided to have a look around and look for something...