Matts MadVentures

Ruapuke & Muttonbird Is.Lands, Fovaux Strait.

>> Well to say I was lucky to get to a Muttonbird Is.Land is a huge huge understatement.. normally any muttonbird is.land is the exclusive domain of the local Iwi / Maori, and even then they only are only permitted access for 2 months a year.. Ngati Pakeha's like muggins here are forbidden under normal circumstances... But because Ruapuke Island made a separate treaty with colonial NZ back in the day the locals can pretty much do as they please and with whoever they please.. enter one great.full & very happy bald head via special invite from my brudda from unudda mudda - Ruapuke local Sam Whaitiri...  Hey, I'd been staring across the narrow waters from Ruapuke looking at the bro's muttonbird shack and is.land and drooling at the thought of  exploring this incredible slice of Kiwiana his.story and culture for many a moon now... finally we were on a hired fizz boat ("don't be gentle with the rental!") and racing towards this wonderland after crossing the usually temptous Fovaux Strait from Bluff....my other whitey bro Pete Sandcastle was a.gain caught up in another madventure (quite happily I might add) with it even being his Re.Birthday on the Is.land... soon enough this stunning shack perched on a veritable knife edge of a ridge came into view and before we knew it we were on terra firma complete with massive grin and pinching ourselves at the epicness, a.gain.. We soon cranked up the classic kiwi Lister generator (never mind Yoga my friends - this single cylinder thumper will re-align your kundalini for anyone coming within 200 feet)... we powered up and settled in (for about 2 and a half minutes!) before we were off out the door to explore the is.land via the warren of trails and tracks cut over the decades by Sam and his fore bearers to harvest the muttonbirds that are such a delicacy for the natives of Aotearoa... wow..what an aMaze.ing place... baby seals & big thumper yellow eyed penguins festooned this archipelago, seemingly wherever we walked.. a vista of windswept views punched me in the eye wherever i looked....we explored further... a (very rusty looking) flying fox connected the neighboring is.land - we cowardly chose a tactical re.treat as this stage and waited for the tide to drop beofre legging it over the tiny but dangerous gap in the darkness of the night to explore this other semi connected island, complete with another little shack with bunks & leftover Canadian Club whisky (well I thought it was whiskey - but thats another story!) .. the boys were suitably unstoppable - for the next 24 hours we proceeded to familiarize ourselves with this wonderland while already muttering about the need to come back here as soon as possible, and for much longer next time... but for now the kids were supremely happy ....for a while time seemed to stand still (or at least it seemed that way with only 2 hours sleep any.way).. but before we knew it we were back in Bluff ... pinching ourselves at the surrealness.... and with only the photo's and video & a few scorched nuerotransmitters to  prove we'd ever been there.

Hey, and just for the record Sam - you have the most off the chainsaw is.land i have EVER had the pleasure to visit brother!!.. f**k lying around on a tropical island sipping Pina Colada's cuzzie...that's for beginner's ma man.. any old muppet or adventure terrorist can go there and pull that one off..... just give me your storm lashed is.land in the Roaring Forties with the most character filled shack & a shack full of characters any day of the week... so thanks a.gain - sign me up for the next trip.in'..