Granted: The short stay on Stewart Island was designed for a kayak-in/kayak-out version of the Southern Circuit in five days:
- Oban, Golden Bay – Rakeahua Hut (kayak, pick up by water taxi in the evening)
- Rakeahua Hut – Doughboy Bay
- Doughboy Bay – Mason Bay
- Mason Bay – Freshwater
- Freshwater – Oban, Golden Bay (kayak, delivery in the morning).
Whether or not that would have been realistic – especially from the kayaking side – is another question. The tides were right, but not spending a day on the water getting to Rakeahua would have meant hanging around a whole day for the water taxi to take me there.
Topo Map with GPS
In any case, having no partner for either kayaking arm meant doing a trip out to Mason Bay on foot, even if the last leg of the return journey could be undertaken by water taxi. Read more…