Port Pegasus - a place of immense abundance

Port Pegasus – a place of immense abundance Paddling up Seal Creek in the inner reaches of Port Pegasus, the lifting mist revealed a picture-perfect reflection of the granite masses of the Fraser Peaks – Gog and Magog. In March 1770 Joseph Banks observed these “The bare rocks were amazingly full of large veins and patches of some mineral that shone as if they were really paved with glass; what it was I could not at all guess but it certainly was some mineral and seemed to argue by its immense abundance a country abounding in minerals, where if one may judge from the corresponding latitudes of South America in all human probability something very valuable might be found.”

We were here to experience first-hand those same bare rocks and the other wonders of southern Stewart Island. We sailed for Bluff two days ago with Peter Tait on board the ketch Talisker to spend six days exploring Port Pegasus and the south east coast of Stewart Island. Despite the reputation of these waters for rough seas, we motored in still airs across Foveaux Strait and down the coast to Pegasus. Eight hours out of Bluff we entered Port Pegasus via South Passage and dropped anchor in Disappointment Cove.

A short walk from Disappointment Cove takes us to Broad Bay. The sweeping white sand belies its southerly aspect on the fringe of the southern ocean. From Broad Bay a forty-minute walk through mixed rata and kamahi forest take us to “The Settlement”. Briefly the site of a whaling depot in the early 1800’s, The Settlement is these days home only to numerous tui, bellbird, kakariki, keruru and visiting Hooker sea lions.

The kayaks were launched and while Talisker motored ahead to Small Craft Retreat, we paddle along the eastern shore of South Arm. The antics of a group of sea lions on the rocks invites a closer look – a pair of young males were strutting their stuff like a pair of sparring boxers. Plenty of gnashing of teeth, fancy footwork, feints and jabs. As we watch the show onshore, the water around the kayaks comes alive. It seems amazing that the creatures gliding and cavorting around us are of the same species as the lumbering pair on the rocks.

Paddling out through South Passage we make our way through thousands of sooty shearwaters (titi) feeding on the surface. Like the sea lions our presence seems of little consequence to them as they lift off ahead of us and settle again behind us to resume their business. Many of the offshore islands around Stewart Island are home for the sooty shearwater during its breeding season. Although many of the young are harvested each year as mutton birds, the sooty shearwater remains New Zealand’s most numerous breeding bird.

Tramping & Mountaineering 2003 Don Goodhue peaks from the Endeavour and recorded:

We meet Talisker in Small Craft Retreat and with Peter accompanying us in the inflatable, paddle to the head of the inlet. Like most of the sheltered shores in Port Pegasus, it is surrounded with rimu, kamahi and rata forest. We land at the head of the inlet and follow Peter into the bush- although large rimu form a dense canopy overhead, the ground is devoid of undergrowth. The reason soon becomes evident - despite being some distance from the open sea and about 100m into the bush, a hooker sea lion is asleep amongst the trees.

The tide dictates an early start the next morning as we paddle away from Talisker into the mist towards Cooks Arm - a nearly land-locked inlet about 5km long, lying roughly east to west. Entry is through a narrow bush clad channel from Islet Cove, entering the Arm about one third of its length from the eastern end. Our destination is Seal Creek at the western extremity of the Arm – the easiest point from which to access the Fraser Peaks.

The main peaks of the Fraser group are the “Gogs” – Gog (407m) and Magog (282m). Gog is a monolith of weathered granite whereas Magog is an abstract jumble of rock. They dominate a low scrubby ridge on the northern edge of a broad basin draining into Seal Creek. Apart from struggling patches of bush in the odd gully, stunted manuka scrub is predominant.

We leave the kayaks at the tidal limit of Seal Creek and after some advice from Peter set off towards Gog. Other than crossing two small bush gullies the route is very easy and despite being late March the weather is superb.

The only feasible route up Gog is via the eastern shoulder. The southern, western and northern flanks all roll away from the top to nearly vertical. Despite appearances from below the route was straight forward – the climbing easy on the bare granite surface giving excellent footing. Just over two hours after leaving the kayaks we are on top of Gog.

Gog and Magog from Port Pegasus Don Goodhue The views from Gog are awesome. We are able to see Puyseger Point in the far north, the Solander Islands, Whenua Hou (Codfish Island) and closer to Port Pegasus and the southwestern coast of Stewart Island. On the exposed ground to the west of the Gogs, windswept scrub interspersed with spectacular wind sculptured granite outcrops give an indication of the prevailing wind and its effect on the landscape.

We retrace our route back down Gog and head west to the broad ridge lying between the peaks. As we approach Magog, patches of dense scrub slow our progress. Meanwhile, sea fog had rolled into Port Pegasus from the east and is spilling into Cooks Arm. Reluctant to climb Magog or trying to find our way back to the kayaks in the fog, we returned to Seal Creek.

The high tide which made our approach so easy has now retreated and we arrive back at the kayaks to find them marooned at Cooks Arm now with Seal Creek meandering its way down the middle. A further problem is that one of our party of 4 made the trip up Tramping & Mountaineering 2003 from Talisker in the inflatable and we have only one single and one double kayak. The choices are to either wait for the incoming tide, or to drag the kayaks to deep water and squeeze 4 people into two kayaks. We choose the latter and after dragging and floating the kayaks down Seal Creek for about 45 minutes we reach deep water. The centre hatch of the double is removed, the packs stowed and after a couple of attempts we find that the fourth person can sit in a comfortable if undignified manner with their backside in the hatch and one leg either side of the forward paddler. With the problem solved we have a leisurely paddle back down the Arm to the comforts of Talisker.

While Joseph Banks’ views of southern Stewart Island were influenced by wistful 18th century dreams, perhaps we are fortunate that they were only dreams. There were attempts to unlock the wealth of the land – these have long since failed and there is little sign of them today. Today Port Pegasus is still a land of riches - remote and unspoiled. We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience it.