--- Archive files ---
Home > Treks > Stewart > Day 2 > 2.4 |
Telephone in a Tree
It was not long after returning from Ulva Island when I decided it was time for dinner, so I returned down the hill to the middle of Oban Village to the caravan to get some more fish and chips. I know this isn’t the best of diets but being the best in New Zealand, it wouldn’t hurt to have them two nights in a row.
Placid tidal stream |
After my rather gluggy and fatty dinner I decided to walk it off. Oban is spread over two or three bays in this tiny pocket of Stewart Island. With little else to do I decided to walk along the main road to see what I could find.
Once past the small port I continued following the road over a low saddle and down to a gully with a tidal creek running through it.
Grass and toitoi were growing beside the stream and native scrub covered the surrounding hills on either side.
Kiwi sign |
Upon crossing the stream I crossed another low saddle to a wider tidal stream before the road started a long climb up the hill. There was a sign indicating kiwi here. It would be really interesting to see some here.
The road then descended to another gully from where a nice little beach extended out tomorrow. The deep turquoise water was calm and appeared pristine although it was rather cold now. At one end a stream cut deep into the beach sand meandering into the water.
Telephone in a tree |
From there I returned to the road and continued heading up as it followed the hill. At the top of the next ridge a short track led off from the road towards the point, going through thick forest. There was a patch in the forest with a nice view back to Oban. Upon returning to the road I kept going up the hill until reaching a public telephone unlike any I had ever seen before.
A large windswept tree towered above the road. Loosely attached to its trunk was an old fashioned telephone with a dial handle to call an operator - the sort you would only expect to see in a museum. A ragged telephone book hung from the phone. A piece of corrugated iron was placed on the tree above the telephone. It had been securely attached from several splits bent over the tree. Underneath the telephone was a garden bench. A wire extended from the telephone into the bushes, hopefully reaching wherever the operator was located.
Placid waters of the inlet |
After a long walk over the hill the road descended into another bay where there were quite a lot of houses located. The inlet going into this bay was mirror smooth. I sat there and rested for a while before returning to Oban.
The final rays of sunlight were out and shining on the headlands in stark contrast to the tidal estuaries which were dark as I returned towards Oban. The sky began to glow pink as the sun set behind the western horizon over the other side of the island.
The tide was coming in now, slowing filling the estuaries. The air temperature was quickly dropping marking the onset of a very chilly night. The twilight was long and the sky was still pink when I returned to the placid village of Oban, only to finally fade out shortly before I reached the hotel.
<< Previous | Next >> |
|
||
About this Page
|
||
|
|
|
Where is Walkabout Jeff? |
|
|
|
|
What is happening in Walkabout Jeff's hometown?
|
|
|
|
|
Who is Walkabout Jeff?Any normal person's idea of going out involves going to the local pub for a drink with a few mates. Walkabout Jeff isn't normal.
|
|
|
|
Follow Walkabout Jeff |
|