half day Ulva Island Guided Walk - Beautiful Birding & Botany
Departs: 8.30am and 1.00pm (Aug-May) (9.30am during June & July / flexible and additional departures may be available) Duration: 3.5 to 4 hours. What happens on the day: meet our guide at GOLDEN BAY WHARF for biosecurity briefing and 7-minute water taxi journey across Paterson Inlet to Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary. Ulva Island has 4.5km of well-maintained gravel walking tracks that weave through lush native podocarp forest. There are several intermittent sets of sturdy steps, some without hand-rails. Walking trails are undulating with one (optional) steep/short climb up to Flagstaff Point. Walking pace is dictated entirely by the activity of birds crossing the tracks and discoveries in the bush edges and forested canopy. Head back across Paterson Inlet on the water taxi to GOLDEN BAY WHARF where our tour ends. Price includes: return water taxi transport between Stewart Island and Ulva Island, our specialist natural history guide for the duration of the tour, Department of Conservation concession fees and GST. Operates: year-round except Christmas Day. It's all about discovering - the unique, rare and endangered birds and plants at predator-free Ulva Island with one of our exceptional local guides.
Well maintained gravel walking tracks weave around fallen trees, through lush native podocarp forest alive with birdsong. Exquisite seasonal orchids, very friendly birdlife that will come too close for your camera lens... Birds you will likely see at Ulva Island include South Island Saddleback, Stewart Island Weka, NZ Pigeon/Kereru, South Island Kaka, Yellow- and Red-crowned Parakeet (Kakariki), Morepork, Rifleman, New Zealand Fantail, South Island Tomtit, Stewart Island Robin, Yellowhead (Mohoua), Brown Creeper, Grey Warbler, New Zealand Bellbird and Tui. Magnificent rimu, southern rata, kamahi, totara and miro make up the Ulva Island forest - among the ferns we may also see a living fossil - the tmesipteris. There are plenty of stops for photographs during our walk and we recommend you bring snacks and a drink to enjoy while we walk. Typical group size is 3-6 but this may not always be the case. We try to accommodate everybody's needs within a group but a private tour offers greater flexibility for family groups or those with walking difficulties or particular needs. Perhaps there's a certain bird or plant species on your list or photographic library? Maybe you've had surgery recently? Please let us know well in advance so that we can help make your experience even more enjoyable. Private tours available - please email us. Night & Day combo rate applies to direct bookings when you join us for evening kiwi spotting and half day Ulva Island guided walk! Terms apply. By choosing Ulva's Guided Walks you help us to support Gadget, the only rodent detector dog in the south of New Zealand. Detector Gadget is part of the Conservation Dogs Programme and helps us to keep Ulva Island free of introduced pests and predators. Find out what Detector Gadget has been up to lately!
You also help us to support the Ulva Island Charitable Trust who work together with the Department of Conservation towards the further restoration of Ulva Island, and keep Ulva Island free of introduced pests and predators so that native plants and birds can thrive.
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Adult: $155 Teen: $90 Child: $75 This tour is suitable for:
Fitness requirements:
** prior booking is essential ** if you wish to book a tour departing within the next 72 hours please phone us A Stewart Island stay is not complete without a visit to Ulva Island, a place of high natural values and beauty steeped in a spiritual and cultural heritage. It is beyond compare. Read more about Ulva Island.
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