half day  Ulva Island Guided Walk - Beautiful Birding & Botany $145pp

Duration:  3.5 to 4 hours
Departs:    8.30am and 1.00pm (October to April)  /  9.30am (May to September) / flexible and additional departures may be available.
What happens on the day: unless you've been advised otherwise please meet our guide at GOLDEN BAY WHARF ten minutes prior to departure time where we board a water taxi for the 7-minute ride across Paterson Inlet to Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary. After our wonderful walk through lush native forest we board the water taxi back across Paterson Inlet to GOLDEN BAY WHARF where the tour ends.
Price includes: return water taxi between Stewart Island and Ulva Island, our specialist natural history/bird watching guide for the duration of the tour, Department of Conservation concession fees and tax.
Operates: year round except Christmas Day.

prior booking essential

Adult: $145     Child: $70

terms & faq

to book a tour departing within the next 48 hours please call us!

Ulva's Guided Walks takes the wellbeing of clients, guides and boat skippers seriously. If we believe the tour poses a risk to anyone they may be asked to leave the tour.

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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 you are welcome to bring nibbles and a drink to sip as we walk. 

Typical group size is 3-6 but this may not always be possible.  If a group tour is not your thing please get in touch - we can usually work something out and we don't bite! We try to accommodate everybody's needs within a group but a private tour offers greater flexibility if you have particular needs. Perhaps a certain bird or plant species for your list or photographic library? You've had surgery recently? Maybe you/your child have particular needs? Please let us know - we can help you to enjoy your experience if we know well in advance.

... and finally, THANK YOU!

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!

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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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This tour is suitable for:

• Bird watchers & listers
• Botanists
• Nature lovers
• Families*, couples, singles

Level of fitness required:

• physically agile and able to walk unassisted;
• able to manage steps between the wharf and water taxi;
• able to manage steps and beach walking at Ulva Island;
• we walk for 3.5 hours.

*parents, please consider the duration of our tour and its suitability for younger members of your family. Other fare paying adults may be in the group and our tour cannot be prematurely ended if children get tired.
We want to help you to enjoy Ulva Island and a private tour offers greater flexibility for family groups or those with walking difficulties.

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.