A Day On Quail Island 🐦

Yesterday morning, wearing mufti and huge smiles on our faces, the entire Year Eight group ventured out to Quail Island for a daytrip. Although it was chilly at times, and the walks and hills we encountered were quite tiring, we all had a fantastic time both on the boat trip and on the island! We learnt many things along the way, and I am excited to share it with you! Here is our experience, and a brief history, on Quail Island.  

What is Quail Island?

Quail Island is a small uninhabited island located off the Lyttelton Harbour, just a short boat trip away. Back in the early 20th century, Quail Island was used as a human quarantine area for leprosy patients coming off boats and living in Christchurch. 

It was also used for Maori to hunt for quails (which are now extinct) bird's eggs, stone, flax, and also for farming and training dogs. As of 2017, the island is home to a beach, walks, penguins, native birds and trees, as well as introduced species of trees and birds. Black Cat Cruises is a company offering a ferry service to and from the island everyday. 

Heading to the Island!

As Lyttelton Harbour is quite a long distance east of our school, we were required to take a bus. It took about fifteen minutes to get there, and I was excited to get off by the end of it! 

Lyttelton Harbour was less than inviting - the sky was overcast, grey clouds glooming above us, the smell of sea water thick in the air as we approached the dock.

In the water was a small jetty boat, bold lettering displaying 'Black Cat Cruises' on the side. Excitedly, yet a little nervous at the events to come, we filed onto the two boats.

Surprisingly, the boats were very cosy. There was a top deck, as well as a deck around the sides, and a large area inside with seats and a bar. Me and my friends stood at the front of the boat, admiring the views and snapping photos. The boat departed almost immediately, speeding across the waves like a cheetah. It was much faster than the ferry is all I can say!

Arriving at the island after a short boat ride was amazing. We approached the dock, climbing off and seeing a large group of kids that had already arrived. The island was much larger than I anticipated. Tall trees sprouted from all ends, steep cliffs faced the harbour, and the water splashed beautifully against the rocks. We were greeted by our tour guides Ian and Tina, would be guiding us around the island in groups. My class had our ecological tour first, accompanied by Tina, Mr Mitchell, Jill, and Mr Gibson. 

An Ecological Tour of The Island

This tour would involve a very tiring walk up a hill, looping around the island to see the incredible view of the harbour. Walking up, Tina told us all about the different kinds of trees found on the land. Quail Island is home to a variety of both Evergreen and Deciduous trees; native species as well as introduced species.  

We learnt about pine trees, which originate from California but surprisingly grow much taller in New Zealand than they do back in the states, due to a number of reasons including higher rainfall and medium temperatures. The island is also home to many bushes, including bushes belonging to the Coprosma family - which contains seeds used to create coffee. 

Heading back, Tina told us all about when the trees were planted, and what pattern. Originally, trees were planted in a cross shape across the island. Tina, as well as her tour group, are working towards restoring the island to it's original state before human settlers.

The History of Quail Island

After lunch, our tour guide Ian brought us on a tour around the 'Ship's Graveyard', teaching us about the history of the island. We got to see a replica of an old leprosy house, rebuilt by students from Canterbury University. Originally there were four houses on the island; inhabited by patients suffering from leprosy. Leprosy is one of the many diseases humans were quarantined on the island for, in which patients may lose their nose, toes, fingers and ears, among another limbs. 

The Ship's Graveyard is home to an array of old shipwrecks. Off the beach lays the remains of three sunken boats. The remains look like rib cages, however Ian informed us that these were only the iron structures of the boats. The boats were built for speed, and sailed between Britain and India for tea leaves. They were towed somewhere between the 19th and 20th century, and now are an amazing view for visitors of the island. 

We also visited the assumed gravesite of the only death on the island; Ivon Skelton. Due to the time period he died, searches for the body have been unsuccessful, and as a result the gravestone is not on the final burial site. This was personally the most fascinating thing on the island in my opinion. Ivon was born in Samoa and contracted leprosy while visiting relatives on the West Coast. He was the only recorded death on the island. 

In conclusion, I had an amazing time on the island. It was one of the most fascinating and interesting things I've ever seen! I visited the oldest building I'd ever been in, visited a grave site and saw the remains of sunken boats used in the 19th century and beyond. I learnt so much about the history of the island, as well as many different kinds of trees and birds on the island. I'm already planning to go back again!