Ulva Island is the jewel in the Rakiura National Park’s crown and a place not to be missed. Just 10 minutes by boat across Paterson Inlet/Whaka a Te Wera, Ulva Island is one of the few sanctuaries in New Zealand open to visitors. Abundant birdlife, rich forest, golden sand beaches and a variety of well-formed walking tracks make for a wonderful half- or full-day visit either by yourself or with a guide. The island was declared free of rats in 1997 following a pest eradication programme, allowing endangered birds to be released and the forest to recover. Department of Conservation biosecurity teams are committed to maintaining this status. It is the ongoing responsibility of everyone to help protect this special place. The Ulva Island Charitable Trust, a community volunteer group dedicated to providing a refuge for endangered species in the sanctuary, is helping to restore the island. Ulva Island has an interesting human history, being the site of a post office established in 1872 that served as a focal point for the inlet settlements at that time. There is no entry fee to the island. For more information, please refer to ‘Ulva Island – Explore an island paradise’, available from the Rakiura National Park Visitor Centre and at the Ulva Island shelter, in Post Office Bay. For visitors with children, this is a Kiwi Guardians site – more details at the Visitor Centre or online at www.doc.govt.nz
On my 3rd visit to Rakiura , and subsequently a third day trip to Ulva Island in 3 years, I know I am one of the luckier young geocachers. This is an amazing island, and the history is cool. so I thought to place this Virtual at Flagstaff Point Lookout.
Time: 20 min return to Post Office Bay
Easy: Walking Track
A short walk takes you up steps to the lookout with panoramic views back to Stewart Island/Rakiura. A flagstaff was erected here by Postmaster Charles Traill so he could signal to residents of Paterson Inlet/Whaka a Te Wera when the mail boat arrived from Bluff.
You can choose to descend and return via Sydney Cove.
Logging Requirements:
Send me the following answers from the viewing platform info boards:
- number of beaches mentioned in bullet points.
- number of bays mentioned on the other board.
- optional - take a photo of the weather ( and part of you) on the day, and upload it with your log.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
