The Westie Wanderers

Every community needs a group of experienced hikers! West Milton, on the Alpine Highway, has a hiking club who venture out twice weekly. The day I joined them was to explore Quail Island in Lyttleton Harbour. A small passenger ferry took about ten minutes from the quay at Lyttleton to reach the pier on the island



This was a day full of surprises.
What excited me most is that it was from this island that both Scott and Shackelton prepared to leave for their great explorations to the Antarctic. Dogs were trained for the journeys, and preparations were made to tackle the rigours of exploration. It was from this harbour in New Zealand that they left for Antarctica.

At various times the Island had a leper colony, and areas for quarantine from measles.

Quail Island is now a nature preserve with an attempt to restore New Zealand plants, birds, and small wildlife and rid the island of any predators. Vital plants, important to the Maori people for practical use from making cloth to medicinal purposes, are now growing successfully.



Sheltered beaches laden with shells, and granite cliffs caught my eye.





Thanks to the Westie Wanderers for their invitation.