Kapiti Island is a rugged lifeboat for endangered birds

Heading for Kapiti

Kāpiti Island’s 1965 hectares has been a rugged lifeboat for New Zealand’s endangered birds for over 100 years.

The local tangata whenua (Māori for ‘people of the land’) kept 13 hectares around Waiorua Bay and I spent a night at the lodge that is on the top, north-eastern, of the island.

The owner-operators of Kapiti Nature Tours are the whanau (family) – John and Susan Barrett, and John’s sister Amo Clark – who live there. John and Amo’s iwi (tribe) and whanau (family) have lived on Kapiti Island since the 1820s.

Kapiti Nature Lodge is the only accommodation on Kapiti Island and was inspired by the homestead of John and Amo’s grandmother who opened her farm homestead to visitors. It was a family member, and nature guide, Maanaki, who met us when we landed at Rangatira, about 2 kilometres south of our final destination, Waiorua Bay, for the nocturnal kiwi walk and our bed for the night.

One of the first birds he introduces to us was the beautiful Tieke (north island saddleback). Its glossy black, has a tan saddle and long red wattles at the base of its black bill. Its birds such as this, he tells us, that they work closely with the Department on Conservation to nurture and protect.

The very vocal tieke

Other species that need the safety this predator free environment provides include the Little Spotted Kiwi, Takahe, Kākā, Weka, Kereru, Kokako, Hihi, and  Toutouwai (Robin).

Amo tells me living and working on one of New Zealand’s most precious Taonga (treasures) is wonderful. “Nature belongs to everyone, and sharing our knowledge is all part of our hospitality.”

Kapiti Island is home to over 1,200 Little Spotted Kiwi, making it one of the densest populations of Kiwi to be found and, “one of the easiest places to see them in the wild” we are told.

My next blog will be about our kiwi spotting tour and accommodation on this unique island.

See an earlier blog which sets the scene for this trip to Kāpiti.

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Kapiti Island Nature tours and abundant bird song

They say good things come to those who wait: my trip to Kāpiti Island with Kāpiti Island Nature Tours proved the adage. This blog sets the scene for a series of posts (and photos) about my time as a guest of my Māori hosts.

Shaped by ocean currents, wind and quakes or, as legend says, sliced from the mainland with blows from Kupe’s paddle, this island has become a lifeboat for New Zealand’s flora and fauna.

Interestingly such of the vegetation there has more in common with the South Island than the North suggesting a land bridge to the south and not the close-by Kāpiti Coast.

We check our bags for unwanted predators before boarding the water taxi

After two aborted trips to the island, because of bad weather stopping the boat, in late 2014 I finally got to visit one of NZ’s longest restoration stories.  In 1897 the island became a nature reserve after being acquired, or taken, by governmental legislation, for use as a bird sanctuary

New Zealand history says  “At the end of the 1880s scientists were concerned about the loss of native plants and animals and the impact of introduced predators and pests. Taking their lead from Potts, who in 1878 suggested the creation of ‘national domains’ as refuges for native birds, scientific societies helped create offshore islands as flora and fauna reserves. These included Resolution Island (1891), Secretary Island (1893), Little Barrier Island (1895) and Kapiti Island (1897). The societies were led by notable figures such as botanist Leonard Cockayne and politician Harry Ell”.

Large scale colonisation didn’t begin until Ngāti Toa, under Te Rauparaha who was at the height of his powers, captured the island from Ngāti Apa and Muaupoko and began farming to supply the whaling and coastal trading ships

The first whaling station had started in 1829 and by early 1830 there were seven on the island with some 4000 Māori and 600 whalers living on the island.

Now one of New Zealand’s most valuable nature reserves, these 1965 hectares, our 2nd largest offshore natures reserve, is free from introduced animals (and predators). As a sanctuary for wildlife, its vegetation is of equal importance and restoring and preserving vegetation that was once common in coastal and lowland parts of central NZ.

Bookmark this blog to read more about my hiking there and to see more photos of the wonderful bird life – the abundant birdsong was clear as soon as we stepped off the water taxi.

The rare Tieke (North Island Saddleback) greets us with its noisy calls

Another day juggling in the life of the kiwitravelwriter

Some-ones best friend

What does a planning day in the life of the kiwitravelwriter look like?

Often it feelings like juggling eggs and despite once attending a  3 day clown workshop, physical juggling is not something I’m good at despite having taught many friends the skills. (Beware the pupil who outstrips the teacher!)

However with ideas for travel, blogs, and bookings I seem to be able to keep them many in the air. A recent day saw me planning 3 trips (November, December & January) at the same time – two in the South Island of New Zealand and one an island off the coast just north of Wellington, here on the North Island: all very different.

This means some great blogs are coming up over the next few months (and in-between times I still have some amazing tales to tell, and an article, and an e-book to write, about Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysian Borneo) AND re-writing a webpage about Christchurch for a UK travel company,  while at the back of my mind is an October trip to Poland that will need sorting once I’m back from my January trip to Dunedin. I really love my life – doing what I love to do, writing and travel, a great combo.

So, if you could see this mental juggling it would be mini-globes spinning through the air while staying on their axis.

The result of the days planing means I have:

• Booked a rental car in Christchurch with Rental Cars NZ and will be staying at the beautiful historic Eliza’s Manor Boutique Hotel 
• I’ve also booked a night with Kapiti Island Nature Tours … a trip I’ve wanted to do for ages so watch this space!
• My ten days in Dunedin is coming together with a NZ RentaCar booked there too and most of my accommodation is sorted: I’m staying the Stables of Lanarch Castle, in the city I’ll be at the Grand View B&B and for a couple of days out on the Peninsula in The Cottage in Broad Bay – an eclectic variety of beds to sleep in and views to see.

Check out the links and let me know if you have any questions about the different places so I can cover them in my blogs … or maybe you have suggestions of places or things for my to-do list.