A Trip to Kapiti Island

Kapiti Island, as seen from
Paraparaumu Beach on the mainland

This week, Stacey and I took a trip to Kapiti Island Nature Reserve! This reserve is a really special place, and takes a little bit of effort to get to, but is well worth it. This is especially true if you enjoy watching birds, since the island is a haven for many native species that are rare to spot on the mainland. The reserve is managed by the Department of Conservation, which issues permits to visit the island. Because too many visitors would negatively impact the island and its inhabitants, only 50 people per day are allowed to visit. Consequently, bookings to the island are extremely popular in the summer and it pays to reserve a spot early.

A bit about the day...We started early, arriving at Paraparaumu marina around 9:00 in the morning. After inspecting our gear for any stowaways (such as mice, which they don't want on the island) we boarded a boat for the 15-minute ride over to the island. It was a nice ride, and the day started off with good weather. As we approached the island, it started to become clear that it was much larger than I had realised. (when you read 10K on the brochure, it does not really register!)

The boat pulled up to the rocky beach at Rangatira Flat, where we jumped off and were greeted by a DOC guide. We were given a brief but very fun talk about what there was to do on the island, and what we could expect to see. The fun part revolved around the colorful and cheeky birds that we were sure to encounter--more on those momentarily.

We set off to do our tramp on the Trig Track. It had been described as the shorter, but steeper, of the two tracks and we figured fewer people would be doing that one. Wilkinson, the other track, is longer because it uses lots of switchbacks to slowly ascend. Trig track goes practically straight up. climbing from sea level to 521 metres and the summit, called Tuteremoana point. At the top of the point, there are awesome views of the western side of the island. It was incredibly windy up there (I lost my hat!) and the cloud cover somewhat obscured the scene, but in a way it actually added to the experience. The clouds literally were rolling in off the ocean and sliding up the mountain and over the cliff. Very pretty.

View from Tuteremoana point, and the lookout tower

We then took the Wilkinson track back down, a round trip that took perhaps 2.5 hours. The walk itself takes you through a lot of regenerating native bush and offers excellent bird watching opportunities. We saw many of the usuals, such as tui and kereru, but also some more rare birds like hihi (stitchbirds) and whiteheads. More often than seeing them, we could hear their songs and calls in the bush around us. In a few spots, special feeders had been placed where birds would gather. These feeders contained sugar water and were largely for hihi, which feed on nectar and are often outcompeted by larger birds like the tui. So this gives them a bit of helping hand.

We were hungry by the time we reached the bottom, and decided to have lunch. Stacey had scouted a nice, secluded picnic table by the beach and we headed straight for it. Just as predicted, we were joined for lunch by some "feathered" friends! As the DOC guide pointed out during the earlier talk, "They may look cute, but don't be fooled...these birds are trained professionals...they don't want to be your friend. They just want your lunch!" Both wekas and kakas are well known by trampers and campers for their ability to snatch food out of hands, sneak into backpacks, and steal shoelaces off unattended hiking boots. Like lions watching a herd of zebras, they especially like to follow families with children in the group. Kids are closer to ground level, and more likely to lower their guard!

The first to arrive to our picnic were the weka, which are a chicken-sized flightless bird. Their body shape and colour actually looks a bit like a kiwi. They surrounded our picnic table and peered at us with their little red eyes looking for a handout. But, at least they could not fly and therefore could not get up on top of the table.

Surrounded by weka!

Not so for their cousin, the kaka. This really cheeky bird, a large parrot, is curious and intelligent, and a formidable opportunist. One showed up shortly after the wekas arrived. He winked at us very cutely, poking his head up and peeking at our food as if to say "Hey, I'm here! What's for lunch?". Then he promptly hopped up on the table to grab something. We shooed him off before he managed to snatch anything. I am pleased to report we did not give in to the cuteness and feed the birds. But, I can see how they manage to get other people to do so. The photos below speak volumes about the charisma level of the kaka.

"Hey, whatcha got there?" A friendly and hungry
kaka comes to lunch with us!