11th March 2019

After a pleasant night spent in our anchorage in Glory Cove. We left reasonably early and in light conditions and motored across to Ulva (Te Wharawhara) Island. We anchored in Sydney Cove with light easterlies and a bit of a roll. Vicky and Charles went ashore and spent a lovely 2 hour walking all the paths around the island. The island is covered in quite a mature forest and has wonderful walking tracks and is full of bird life - A bit like Tiritiri but on steroids. Less than 3% of the island is in private ownership - see the picture of this private residence in Post Office Bay. Post would be delivered in irregular fashion and a flag was raised to let the other settlements around Paterson Inlet know that there was post and they would row across to collect.

The whole island was declared nature reserve in 1899 and is effectively pest free. I think if you visit Stewart Island this has to be on your must do list.

We have anchored in Thule Bay between Lona Island and the mainland, and are hoping to spend the night here before returning tomorrow to Halfmoon Bay. The weather obviously knows we want to go north and is using every stratagem to keep us here but Tom and Charles are hatching a plot to go a lets a little north before the Northerlies set in for a few days again.