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| Arrival at Ulva Island |
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| If you look closely, you can see a group of Little Blue Penguins |
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| Fog lifting upon arrival |
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| Sea Lion checking us out and decided to not come on shore |
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| "Modern" laundry facilities |
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| Original Post Office for all the islands, including Stewart |
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| Very rare and elusive Saddleback. |
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| The Robin, who will seek you out, follow you around while in their territory. Scratch the dirt and they will come to your feet to find the tiny insects you have scared up. Very, very friendly and unafraid. |
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| Fern trees grow up to 10 - 12 feet. |
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| Fresh water on the island is limited. Birds will drink from the leaves after a rain. |
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| Even though this may look "dead", it is actually the new growth for this fern. |
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| We thought we were the only two people on the island when a couple walked out onto the beach with us. So, then there were four. |
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| Native Maori would hollow out a section of the tree, then the sap would collect which was black. They used the sap like ink and would write on leaves, add a stamp, and mail them. |
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| Matt showing how well the ink works. |
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| The Tomtit, very quick and darting. |
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| Matt and me. He was such an incredible guide for the day! |
It's so interesting that they use the sap as ink! I've never heard anything like that!
ReplyDelete~Hannah
Hannah, they were able to mail letters written with the "sap ink" on leaves until the 1960's when the post offices elsewhere had problems processing them with machines. Thanks for following and commenting!
DeleteLeaf Letters...
ReplyDeleteI wish I could mail one of those...
~Ava
I tried sending you one, but they told me no at the post office....sorry ;-)
DeleteIt's amazing how many different types of birds you have encountered on your trip! They are all so unique and interesting!
ReplyDeleteI have a NZ bird book and actually lost track of some that I saw and did not mark my book. It is a birders paradise!
DeleteWOW!! I wish I could have been there to see all of that. Those birds are really cool, and its awesome how they use the sap as ink! Also, it was cool for me to see the penguins, because I LOVE penguins!! Although, I thought that penguins only lived in Antarctica...well you learn something new everyday! The sea lion was really cool too. Hope your having fun!
ReplyDelete~Erin Siedlecki
Erin, I love penguins, too! And, there are warm water penguins as well as those who love Antarctica and the cold water. And, they come in all sizes and colors...blue, yellow, black, and gray and more. And, some look like they are dressing up for Halloween with eye make-up or feathers that stick out in funny ways.
DeleteEvery time I read more of your blog, I think of how amazing it must be to see all of this in person!! All of the animals are so incredible and so is the land itself!
ReplyDelete-Lauren Tope