It was late in the day and I had set myself the task of making it up to Observation Rock above the Stewart Island town of Oban before sunset. When I first read the title of Observation Rock, I’d imagined it being the end point of a long, mountain hike in a remote part of the wilderness. Instead, I discovered it was a short 20 minute walk from the town that resulted in magnificent views over Thule and Golden Bay and out to Paterson Inlet. The only issue being the short but steep walk to get there!
Before dawn, The Stewart Island town of Oban must be one of the quietest, inhabited places on earth. It’s a wonderful place and walking the streets in the early hours as the dawn light is starting to appear, it feels like you have the whole place to yourself.
As a settlement, local Maori who often visited the island named it Rakiura, meaning “Land of the Glowing Skies”. After European arrival, the town grew due to the demands of the sealing, whaling, saw-milling and fishing industries.
When I was on Stewart Island I came across this bus that had been parked for some time, yet it held a deep fascination. Maybe it was the advertised ‘Sam and Billy the Bus – take a scenic tour (03) 219 1269’ that was painted on the side. Or, it could have been that you simply don’t see many Ford buses of that vintage anymore. On some level, I think it was a combination of both.
Recently, I discovered ‘Sam’ was a much loved figure and local icon on the Island who spent 20+ years taking people on sight-seeing tours around the Island in his much loved bus, Billy.
At first glance the low cloud that was covering the city in the morning looked like it could clear. However, several hours later it was apparent that the gray rain clouds weren’t going to move anywhere soon, so with that, I decided a trip to the library was in order. Also, just like the large pile of books by the front door, somewhat overdue!
When I got to the library car park it was hard not to notice a 2017 Suzki Swift that seemed to be having a little trouble with steering, reversing, braking, finding the accelerator, doing three point turns and generally not blocking traffic! Parking with caution, I took some time to admire one of the many scaffolding features that seem to be a permanent feature of the inner city before heading for the depth of the library.
If you ever go to Stewart Island, here’s a tip. Leave Oban by walking along the coast road of Elgin Terrace and continue into Leask Bay Road until you reach the very end. There you will find the Ackers Point Track Trailhead which takes you down into the remote Harrold Bay. In the Bay you’ll find the earliest stone house on the island, a small cottage that was built by former American whaler Captain Lewis Acker in 1834-5. It really is a delightful place and well worth a visit. I liked it very much.
On the beach at Lee Bay in Stewart Island, after considerable thought, I came to a single conclusion. I like Stewart Island, and here’s the reason why. Stewart Island has a sum total of around 20 kilometers of roading compared to 245 kilometers of walking tracks. Now, there aren’t many places in the world where you can say that!
I have no idea who made this paua shell sculpture in Oban on Stewart Island or even if it is still there. It sat right beside a large, outdoor chess set that is a popular activity for tourists who are waiting for the ferry. Wanting to find out more about this sculpture I did an online search but drew a blank. So, now I’m left with a photo of a paua shell sculpture but have no other details! Either way, it was very nice and paua shells are always a delight to look at.
Here’s another sculpture, this one’s by artist Russell Beck and was made in 2002. It marks the entrance to Rakiura National Park on Stewart Island. This chain link sculpture symbolises the mythological link between the waka (canoe) of Maui and the anchor stone. According to the legend, Maui fished up Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island) and anchored it with Rakiura (Stewart Island). I also believe they’ve made a matching chain link sculpture on the mainland at Bluff.
Early morning in Oban, Stewart Island is an extremely quiet place. When I was there I headed out early and had the place to myself as the day dawned and the sun started to stir the residence awake.
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Observation Rock on Stewart Island – Buy 
