It’s quiet on Stewart Island. So quiet that you can hear the crickets chirp and the waves roll in from Halfmoon Bay--from a quarter mile away. Not much to do here other than laze around or do some tramping (the Kiwi term for hiking). Never thought of myself as a tramp. A vagabond (in the best sense of the word) yes, but not a tramp.

I only spent a few days here and I stayed at a backpacker hostel at the only town on this small island, tiny Oban. The tramp to Port William has some nice views and there is a multi-day tramp that takes you along the coast of the island. This island is like the UK--cloudy and misty. It has some thick forest and some exotic birds to check out but few people live here.

Taking a break from a book I’ve been reading, I turned on the television at the hostel. With the exception of The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Monk, I had practically stopped watching television in the states. Too many of those idiotic talent contest shows. Surely reality TV will run its course (hopefully before I come home). I turned on the TV for the first time in New Zealand and there’s American Idol! There’s no escape.

This isn’t the stop for those of you who may be looking for nightlife and multi-sports, but if you want to chill for a few days with no distractions, then Stewart Island is your place.

Next: a four-day tramp along world famous Milford Track

                   People are transient things but the land endures.

                                        -- Moriori proverb