Page updated: 14 August 2011

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About Ulva Island

About Pryse Peak

Trip Details

About Ulva Island

Ulva Island is situated within Paterson Inlet, an easy 8 minutes water taxi ride from Golden Bay, Stewart Island. It has an area of approximately 269 ha, 3.5 km long and 1.5 km wide. Once the site of Stewart Island's first Post Office established in 1872, it is now managed by the Department of Conservation as part of Rakiura National Park.

A picturesque, forested island with easy walks, beautiful beaches and interesting coves. During the 1990's, rats were removed from the Island to create a safe haven for native birds and plants, and now the Island's ecology is thriving.

A real nature sanctuary - a visit to Ulva Island is a must for anyone interested in New Zealand birds and flora.

Flora

Ulva Island is one of the few places in New Zealand where you can view near-pristine native podocarp forest including the majestic rimu, miro and totara. There are also flowering southern rata and kamahi, tree ferns, delicate ground ferns and mosses. A number of orchid species are a delight to see, especially during the summer months.

Fauna

Since the eradication of rats, five bird species have been released on Ulva Island, the rare South Island saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus curunculatus), the threatened Stewart Island robin (Petroica australis rakiura), the rare yellowhead (Mohoua ochrocephala) and the rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris chloris). The Stewart Island fernbird (Bowdleria punctata stewartiana) was also released, but is thought not to have survived on Ulva Island.

There are few places in New Zealand like Ulva Island where a variety of native birds can be viewed at such close range. We often hear kaka, our native parrot calling their liquid honey notes, interspersed with the bellbird's exquisite notes and the wonderfully varied calls of the tui, with lime green parakeets flying amongst the tree tops. South Island saddleback, yellowhead, robin, rifleman, red and yellow-crowned parakeets, wood pigeon and weka (wood hen), tui, fantail, tomtit, brown creeper and New Zealand wood pigeon, are amongst several varieties of birds that are often sighted.

Please help to keep Ulva Island rat free by checking you packs before you leave for the Island!

About Pryse Peak

Pryse Peak is situated on the south western side of Paterson Inlet. Rising to 352 mtrs (1,155 feet), it provides spectacular views across Stewart Island from west coast to east and north to Mt Anglem. On clear days you can also see Bluff Hill across Foveaux Straits.

The route is overgrown in parts with manuka (tea tree), and provides a real wilderness feel.

An active wilderness hike with spectacular views from Pryse Peak of Paterson Inlet and large parts of Stewart Island, followed by a relaxing afternoon of ancient, relatively unmodified, native New Zealand forest and rare/threatened birds and plants on Ulva Island…

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What we do - See also main Map.

Meet at Golden Bay Wharf to enjoy a 30 minutes water taxi ride across Paterson Inlet to South West Arm. After a beach landing in shallow water, we climb for approx. 1 1/2 hours through native bush to Pryse Peak, to enjoy spectacular views across the Island.

Pryse Peak, rises to 352 mtrs (1,155 feet). It provides spectacular views across Stewart Island from west coast to east and north to Mt Anglem. On clear days you can see Bluff Hill across Foveaux Straits. The route is overgrown in parts with manuka (tea tree), providing a real wilderness feel. Enjoy information on the geography of the area. After taking in the views we climb down Pryse Peak to the Harry West Bay for our water taxi ride to Ulva Island, arriving approx. 20 minutes later.

On Ulva Island, we enjoy lunch and a short rest at Sydney Cove.

We then walk through Ulva Island's near pristine forest, listening to birdsong and stopping often to view endemic/native bird species and plants, providing quality interpretation on our natural history, conservation, Maori & European history. Returning by water taxi to Golden Bay Wharf.

Trip Times

During Autumn and Winter this trip may run at slightly different times due to New Zealand daylight saving. We will notify you of variations to normal times when you make your booking.

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