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Background
On Sunday, February 26th, 2023 at 8:45am I took a water taxi from Golden Bay Wharf on New Zealand's Stewart Island to Ulva Island. Once on Ulva Island, I had the option of either exploring on my own or joining a guided tour. The guided tour moved very slow and gave lots of details on the birds of the island. I opted to walk on my own so I could explore as much as possible before the noon departure.
I first walked all the way to West End Beach. Here I saw a sea lion up close. After this I hiked to Boulder Beach and again noticed a sea lion, this time in the bushes. Following this I hiked to Sydney Cove. Finally, I walked up to Flagstaff Point, which was near the boat pick up.
The only way to explore all the hiking paths was by moving quickly alone. I did see green parakeets despite my fast walking.
On the water taxi back, the boat crew spotted a Yellow-eyed penguin. This is the rarest penguin in the world. One memeber of the boat crew said that this was their first sighting of one during the year.
Overall, Ulva Island is a unique place to visit to see birds and other wildlife. It offers beaches, hiking and is an Open Island Sanctuary.
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