Day trip to Ulva Island/ Te Wharawhara

The silence is deafening on Ulva Island. It blankets the island like sea fog – thick and almost impermeable. The odd noise sneaks through; the crunch of footsteps on gravel, the flutter of wings as a pair of saddlebacks have a lovers’ tiff over a juicy snack and, every now and then, a muffled squawk from a tourist. That tourist squawk means only one thing: they’ve been startled by a resident kiwi.

New Zealand passports should come with a free pass to Ulva Island. This is how our country once was and should be: pure, clean and pristine. Blindingly green.

Wildlife is both lazy and lively. The birds have mischievous charm, all of them: kiwi, saddlebacks, robins, tūī, kererū, Stewart Island weka, tomtits, fantails, bellbirds, blue penguins. New Zealand sea lions and fur seals are often found lolling on the beach. But, like teenagers, wild animals follow their own rules so there’s no money-back guarantee should they decide to sleep in.