Golden Bay - Ulva Island (IB)

Instant Book water taxi to Ulva Island open bird sanctuary, departing from Golden Bay.

Booking Instructions:

Please be sure to:

1. Enter the relevant number of passengers (Adults/ Children 6-13 yrs / Infants 0-5 yrs)
2. Select “round trip”.
3. Enter the date on which you’d like to travel in both the “Depart” and “Return” cells. Please ensure they are the same date!
4. You will be taken to the inbound calendar screen. First, select the time that you would like to depart from Golden Bay.
5. You will then quickly be taken to the return calendar screen. Select the time that you would like to return from Ulva Island.
6. Fill in ALL required fields marked with an asterisk (*) in the Billing & Contact form
7. Select the “Pay by credit card” payment option, and make your payment

The trip summary on the payment page may only show your one way inbound journey, however please be assured that if you have followed these instructions correctly, your return service will be booked as it should. For example, if your total fare for 2 x adults shows as $60, then you have booked a return journey correctly. If you would like to speak with one of our helpful staff, please give us a call during normal office hours.

Description:

Ulva Island/ Te Wharawhara is the world’s southern-most open bird sanctuary. Declared pest-free in 1997, the island features easy walks through ancient forest and beautiful beaches, where rare plants and endangered birds thrive in the absence of mammalian predators.

Enjoy a unique opportunity to spot Stewart Island robin, kakariki, saddleback, mohua (yellowhead), and, if you’re lucky, Stewart Island Brown Kiwi (Tokoeka).

Our departure point for Ulva Island is from the Golden Bay wharf, a 15 minute walk from the main village of Oban (Halfmoon Bay).

For your interest, there are Ulva Island Guide Booklets available for purchase from our booking office (10 Main Rd) or from the Ulva wharf (cost goes to the Ulva Island Charitable Trust). The guide contains a map of the walking tracks, historical information as well as a plant and bird guide.

There are no shops on Ulva Island so you should take lunch/ snacks and water with you. There are also no rubbish bins on Ulva – please take all your rubbish off the island with you. Ulva is also a pest free sanctuary – it is good practice to check your packs and shoes for rats and seeds before boarding the water taxi.