Stephens Island

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Stephens Island Stephens Island is a hill half a square glad to have two hands for the descent mile, rising out of the sea some two to the sea. We soon had some blue cod miles north of D'Urville Island. It is for tea and shot up the hillside, only occupied as a lighthouse station and wild to be sent further up to the top of the life sanctuary. hill to collect vegetables from a plot amongst a patch of bush. Graham, Priscilla and I went to stay a few days with club member Peter There are three lighthouse keepers and Daniel-lighthouse keeper, over Queen's their families resident on the island. Birthday this year. Supplies and mail arrive every fortnight by launch from Picton, but Stephen's The Picton Ferry, the Nelson bus and Island is largely self contained, having a hair-raising ride in a Landrover driven its own cows, cattle, sheep and fish, the by "Stirling" Hancox saw us on board keepers grow their own vegetables. Turi Elkington's launch at French Pass at 9.00 a.m. in the morning. We chug- A rota system is operated for lightged the 20-odd miles up. the East Coast house duties and this involves checking of D'Urville Island arriving about 12.30 standby equipment, maintenance, and a.m. at Stephens. A slight swell neces- giving weather reports-one at 6.00 a.m. sitated both us and our equipment be- in the morning, and of course, relighting ing taken ashore by crane onto a con- the wick should it blow out. The main crete rock platform. Two separate cable occupation of a keeper is farming and winches driven diesel engines hauled fishing. An idyllic five days were our spent baggage to txe top of the hill while fishing at the bottom of steep cliffs and we slugged up some six hundred feet. roaming round the island, which has a large Tuataru poplation. The Tuataru After lunch we chased sheep. Now is a lizard which has survived from can run presheep faster downhill without historic times and can only now be falling over, we proved it. However, found on isolated islands, off the coast Robinson Crusoe Daniel gave a demon- of New Zealand. There are also prestration of how to catch a sheep with historic frogs on the island, but these a flying Rugby tackle and carried it are very rare and we weren't privileged to the slaughterhouse. We had two more to sce any. sheep to catch. On the advice of a shepherd amongst us we howled down I headed home after a journey of the hill and barked our way up with some nine hours by boat, landrover, remarkable success, driving a flock of plane and car which seemed rather long sheep into a pen where the wethers when the Paraparaumu coastline can be could be selected for slaughter. seen from Stephens and when compared with the London to New York air race Leaving this for the more bloodthirsty, time of some five hours. and grabbing our fishing rod we shot down to the razor back where I was Those who went: Graham and Priscilla Hancox and Bill Cronin. Hear about the two red corpucles who loved in vein!!!! She: "Do you believe in clubs for women?" He: "Yes, if kindness fails". (As for me, I believe in them all the time-Ed.) Wife: "My husband has flat feet. Can I get a divorce for that?" Lawyer: "Not unless the feet visit the wrong flat!"