What an amazing place! We've had a fantastic two days and don't want to leave. Getting the ferry over from Bluff and arriving in Halfmoon Bay, it's hard to get a feel for how big the place actually is and just how much wilderness lies out there to be discovered.

We arranged an overnight Kiwi spotting trip with Furhana who runs Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience (www.ruggedyrange.com) and every minute was an adventure. We started with a relaxing boat ride across to the Freshwater River (seeing Blue Penguins and an Elephant Seal in the water on the way) and travelled up its winding path, with great views of the Ruggedy Range itself. Arriving at the Freshwater hut, both the skipper and Furhana were surprised at how much the water levels had risen in the area after 2 days of rain. It was a bit of a struggle to moor the boat as the jetty had disappeared altogether. A few people who'd just completed the 14km walk in the other direction looked at us as though we were a little crazy to be venturing over the swingbridge in the first place, but off we went....

Coming off the bridge, I landed in water up to the top of my legs! I was surprised to say the least. It was cold. And wet. I didn't have long to dwell on my predicament thankfully as we had 5 hours of walking to be getting on with. We walked through rivers, muddy bogs, marshland and woodland, all of which were completely different landscapes and beautiful in their own way, to arrive at the Mason Bay Hut, our bed for the night. After a gourmet dinner of beef stirfry, we set about exploring Mason Bay and beginning our search for kiwis. 400 people live on Stewart Island, and there are 20 000 kiwis, and they are still hard to spot! We'd seen a few signs of kiwi activity along the way - footprints and beakholes, as well as fresh kiwi poo, so were hopeful of a sighting. We managed to catch the end of a breathtaking West Coast sunset, only to turn round and witness the moon rising in an equally spectacular way. After a lovely evening walk on the beach, we walked back inland... and heard a rustling in the bush!

Unfortunately, I'd suddenly become incredibly allergic to something on Stewart Island, and so, as my nose and eyes were streaming so I could hardly see, desperately trying to keep still and quiet..... a pair of kiwis crossed our path! One was more distant, but the other came right out of the grass by our feet - and it was sniffing! Kiwis apparently had nostrils and this one was having a good old sniff. Which to my dismay (and our patient guide's) led me and Rob to get the giggles as the kiwi approached and sniffed my boot and leg with its long beak. Shaking quietly, we watched as the pair moved up the bank opposite, looking for food and hooking their beaks around each other in a form of embrace - kiwi mating behaviour Furhana later told us. It was absolutely amazing to watch and we felt incredibly lucky to have witnessed such a rarely seen display of affection. Thanks kiwis! I was also lucky to get a sighting in the night when, on needing the toilet, I saw a small figure foraging in the dark outside our hut - a hungry kiwi. Maybe I have to thank my useless nighttime bladder for something at last.

In the morning, we left Mason Bay to do our return trip to Freshwater hut, another 14km. Taking our time on the way back, we had a chance to talk to Furhana about the company and trips she runs more. She certainly knows her environment and kept us informed of what we were seeing along the way. I think it's a pretty tough job doing these trips all the time as a one man band, but her enthusiasm never waned and we had really good fun. Just as well, given the rain from the day before had started to dry up, leaving mud like I've never seen before. We kept getting stuck in calf-deep mud and cracking up as we tried to lift ourselves out. Walking a track in New Zealand is called 'tramping' and by the end of the trip I think I knew why - it must be the art of making oneself appear as tramp-like as possible - and I think we did pretty well!

At the end of our boat trip back to Halfmoon Bay, we were sad to say goodbye to Furhana and friendly skipper Michael, but pleased at the prospect of a shower. Had a relaxing evening of Fish and Chips by the sea and watching the sunset again, as forest parrots (Kaka) and Tui flew around the Bay. This really has been a magical place to stay, away from it all, with really friendly people. I would highly recommend a trip with Furhana if you get a chance, as well as a stay in a comfy bed, with uber tasty breakfast at Jo and Andy's B&B as all in all, this was a perfect couple of days. Wouldn't change a thing and very sad to be leaving.