There are a lot of fauna & flora pics on this blog, so I E'd Minnie from Kapiti Island Nature Tours, & asked for help with some of them. Minnie asked Manaaki Barrett to help, & he has filled in some gaps for me.
Sian of the Wellington DOC office, & Jason from Kapit Coast Airport also sent some info.
So, whakawhetai ki a koe nui atu to you all.
The text contains quite a lot of info from the web about the island & the birds I saw, as well.
I hope you find it as interesting as I did :-)
I was up with the alarm at 0630, & called Kapiti Island Tours at 0715.
Unfortunately I got a voicemail, so I re-heated the porridge, read all the 'history' photo info-boards in the Barnacles dining room & hall, & made another brew with the filched sugar before trying again at 0810.
The trip was on, & check-in was at 0830 for a 0900 cast-off.
I was really looking forward to the trip. I'd eaten 'Kapiti Island' ice-cream on the Transalpine, but I'd missed out going there in Dec 2014 due to the weather.
Another reason I was keen to visit, was that I'd heard I may get to see a Takahē :-0
They are very rare & look a bit like a portly Pukeko (which are currently my favourite NZ bird, but I'm very fond of Kakapo & Tui as well).
Here's a bit off the Kapiti Tours website:
Kapiti Island is one of New Zealand's oldest and most important nature reserves, and a place rich in human history. Our family first arrived on Kapiti in 1820, and have been welcoming visitors to the island for generations. Join us for an unforgettable experience, surrounded by many of New Zealand's most beautiful and endangered species.
As I only had 20 min to check-in, I picked up my ruckie etc., & left straightaway, grabbing a dawn pick of Barnacles on the way out.
Kapiti had also said there was dodgy weather due on the 10th (tomorrow), so it may be a helicopter back across the Strait?
No problemo :-))
I went left out of the hostel, & walked for 15 min with no sign of the office, so asked a dog walker. She said it was the other way ~ doh!
I put a bit of a spurt on, & got there about twenty to nine.
There were many going just for the day, but about 7 or 8 more going overnight - like me.
Because it was a nature reserve with many rare species of bird on it, we had a full bio-security check of
our bags
before going across to the boat house where kids were decked out in mandatory life-jackets.
Bruce was our Skip, & he took a fairly full boat out to the north end where the previous night's visitors came aboard.
Back at the reserve we had a brief lecture from Bruce about the ways up to the top (Tuteremoana), taking water with us, & using sun-cream etc., as well as things to look out for.
Having had a look at the info-board (& taking a pic), it was time for the loo before I tried to find the 2hr Trig Track up to the top.
It was only 2 Km up this, but apparently it's very steep & therefore you are not supposed to walk down it.
I missed the Trig Track junction though, & ended up on Wilkinson Track.
According to the bumf, the Wilkinson Track would also take about 2 hours to walk up the 2.8 Km.
The track switched back & forth up to the top, & I kept pausing for a look at the great views.
It was a really nice walk up, & even though it was supposed to be a 2 hour walk, my notes say it only took me 50min to walk up - despite the frequent stops for the view & photos.
At one point I heard a bird singing which I knew wasn't a Tui, so I stopped for a look, & I could just make it out, flitting through the branches.
It was a pretty yellow & I had to zoom in quite a lot to make it out amidst all the leaves.
That's why the pic is a bit blurred!
There was a Hihi feeding platform on the way up as well, & there were a few visitors hoping to get photos.
I didn't stop long, tho:
I wanted to get to the top.
About 2/3 of the way up, Bruce passed me - running!
Then ~ just above the Trig Track junction, he passed me on the way back down & said there were Takahē at the summit.
So I put a spurt on!
Up in the sunshine I looked in vain for Takahē.
Despite the spurt, I was too late: they'd gone :-(
There were peeps having a picnic at the table up there, & they had seen them.
Up on the viewing platform I stood for a while chatting to a Belgian.
Then I went down & had a sunny lunch at the picnic table (peaches & a banana) with a Kiwi couple from Stratford.
There were awesome views north & south, & the Rata - still in flower, looked great in the sunlight.
It was awesome up there :-))
However, I wanted to spend time down at the beach at Rangatira Bay, so I
headed back down - catching a Weka on the way.
I also passed a great looking tree, & got a couple of pics of the amazing bark & roots.
Then I saw this little bird.
I had no idea what it was, but thought we don't have them in the UK, so I took a pic.
I tried Google, & Avibase suggested it may be a Grey Gerygone. AKA Grey Warbler in NZ??
I've never heard the Gerygone bit of the name before, but I had heard the Maori name, Riroriro.
However, Manaaki said it's a North Island Robin. That means, having seen the Stewart Island Robin & the North Island Robin, I have only 1 Island Robin to go ;-)
Check out: Stewart Island 2 - Monday re the Stewart Island blog where I took photos of the robin in Sep'11
I'd include a link to the blog, but don't know how: I'm a techno-saurus!
My notes say I got back down in 35 min, & back at the bottom I took pics of some bird illustrations on the info-boards in the DOC hut.
Then I headed off to the beach.
It was mostly sandy/shaly but there was a heap of driftwood at the northern end, & a shed-load of blue jelly-fish lying on the sand in the middle bit of the beach.
Manaaki said they were known as "blue bottles" in NZ, but I didn't fancy having a swim with any of these beasties in the water, so just took pics.
While I was clicking away at jelly-fish et al, I bumped into the Belgian I'd met at the top, & when we'd walked to the
southern end of the beach there were peeps hanging about in the sun awaiting the return of the boat.
My notes say a local guy had "had an accident" & lost his bracelet somewhere around.
The Belgian used his mask & snorkel & found it underwater a few metres into the surf.
Gosh!
That was lucky, eh?
There were no signs of jelly-fish at this end of the beach, so I was in the water looking as well.
As the boat was on its way across, there was little time for a proper swim.
Maybe next time??
The boat arrived at the beach at 1435, & those staying overnight went aboard for the short transfer to the northern end where we were met by Janine & Minnie.
Then we had a short walk up to the Lodge where Amo gave us another bio-check.
My notes tell me Amo's family had lived on the island for generations, & it was Maori land.
While writing this blog in July 2018, I found this on Stuff.co.nz about the island's history:
They should be locked up in a small pit with a bunch of hungry stoats ~ dot dot dot
Anyway, my notes say "my watch stopped at 1450 & has not worked since" (Maybe the salt finally got to it? :-/ )
They also say that a Takahē showed up briefly.
Awesome!
After the lecture, brews & nibbles, we were allocated our rooms, & I found my great little cabin out at the back with views from the verandah of the hill & the bush.
There was a similar view from the beds.
Brilliant :-))
It was beautifully secluded, but a slight walk back to the loo at the Lodge, so I'd be getting some exercise during the night ;-)
It would be a while before dinner, so ~ as it was a lovely late afternoon, I decided to walk the Boulder Bank Loop.
I did it anti-clockwise.
The Boulder Bank Loop is a 2 Km track going around the fresh-water Okupe Lagoon, taking in paths through the bush, & the paths along the shore north of Waiorua Bay.
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| This is my pic (taken at 10 past 8), & I only just realised the Barnacles pic in the last blog was from almost the same spot! |
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| On the boat across to Kapiti Island |
No problemo :-))
I went left out of the hostel, & walked for 15 min with no sign of the office, so asked a dog walker. She said it was the other way ~ doh!
I put a bit of a spurt on, & got there about twenty to nine.
There were many going just for the day, but about 7 or 8 more going overnight - like me.
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| We get our instructions |
Because it was a nature reserve with many rare species of bird on it, we had a full bio-security check of
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| Paraparaumu to aft |
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| Ditto. It was going to be a lovely day :-) |
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| New provisions were dropped off, & empty crates & visitors were picked up |
Bruce was our Skip, & he took a fairly full boat out to the north end where the previous night's visitors came aboard.
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| Visitors disembark at Rangatira Bay |
Back at the reserve we had a brief lecture from Bruce about the ways up to the top (Tuteremoana), taking water with us, & using sun-cream etc., as well as things to look out for.
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| One of the DOC info-boards. I got close-ups later |
It was only 2 Km up this, but apparently it's very steep & therefore you are not supposed to walk down it.
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| After a Lot of looking, I found this map of the tracks on the web (AustinHutcheon.com) The Trig track is the red one going SW then NE. Wilkinson goes more or less west. |
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| Wilkinson Track up the hill |
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| The mainland through the manuka or possibly kanuka? |
I missed the Trig Track junction though, & ended up on Wilkinson Track.
According to the bumf, the Wilkinson Track would also take about 2 hours to walk up the 2.8 Km.
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| Another mainland shot from a bend in the track |
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| A stairway to heaven? It was certainly blissful up there |
The track switched back & forth up to the top, & I kept pausing for a look at the great views.
It was a really nice walk up, & even though it was supposed to be a 2 hour walk, my notes say it only took me 50min to walk up - despite the frequent stops for the view & photos.
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| A pretty korimako or bellbird |
At one point I heard a bird singing which I knew wasn't a Tui, so I stopped for a look, & I could just make it out, flitting through the branches.
It was a pretty yellow & I had to zoom in quite a lot to make it out amidst all the leaves.
That's why the pic is a bit blurred!
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| A Kaka of awesome plumage I got closer up to another the following day! |
There was a Hihi feeding platform on the way up as well, & there were a few visitors hoping to get photos.
I didn't stop long, tho:
I wanted to get to the top.
About 2/3 of the way up, Bruce passed me - running!
Then ~ just above the Trig Track junction, he passed me on the way back down & said there were Takahē at the summit.
So I put a spurt on!
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| The picnic table & the coast at the South Taranaki Bight from the lookout |
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| South Island is in the distance |
Up in the sunshine I looked in vain for Takahē.
Despite the spurt, I was too late: they'd gone :-(
There were peeps having a picnic at the table up there, & they had seen them.
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| The mainland from the lookout at the top of Tuteremoana |
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| Rata flower - the shrub version, I think, as Rata are also large trees |
Up on the viewing platform I stood for a while chatting to a Belgian.
Then I went down & had a sunny lunch at the picnic table (peaches & a banana) with a Kiwi couple from Stratford.
There were awesome views north & south, & the Rata - still in flower, looked great in the sunlight.
It was awesome up there :-))
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| A Weka having a wash |
However, I wanted to spend time down at the beach at Rangatira Bay, so I
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| The Weka was very close to the path & unconcerned by yours truly |
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| Manaaki said these racemes are hebe |
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| Interesting roots & bark on the way down |
I also passed a great looking tree, & got a couple of pics of the amazing bark & roots.
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| Ditto, with great light through the bush |
I had no idea what it was, but thought we don't have them in the UK, so I took a pic.
I tried Google, & Avibase suggested it may be a Grey Gerygone. AKA Grey Warbler in NZ??
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| The next 5 pics do the naming for me! |
However, Manaaki said it's a North Island Robin. That means, having seen the Stewart Island Robin & the North Island Robin, I have only 1 Island Robin to go ;-)
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| You often hear these before you see them |
Check out: Stewart Island 2 - Monday re the Stewart Island blog where I took photos of the robin in Sep'11
I'd include a link to the blog, but don't know how: I'm a techno-saurus!
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| One of my favourite NZ birds with a very interesting song |
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| I think I saw one on the way up, but it flew off before I could focus the Lumix on it |
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| I saw loads of these today |
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| Driftwood on the east facing beach |
Then I headed off to the beach.
It was mostly sandy/shaly but there was a heap of driftwood at the northern end, & a shed-load of blue jelly-fish lying on the sand in the middle bit of the beach.
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| The 1st Portuguese Man O War pic |
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| More jelly-fish. Defo not a spot for a swim! |
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| I'd never seen one before, so took a few pics |
Manaaki said they were known as "blue bottles" in NZ, but I didn't fancy having a swim with any of these beasties in the water, so just took pics.
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| They're pretty, so it's a shame they're dangerous |
While I was clicking away at jelly-fish et al, I bumped into the Belgian I'd met at the top, & when we'd walked to the
southern end of the beach there were peeps hanging about in the sun awaiting the return of the boat.
My notes say a local guy had "had an accident" & lost his bracelet somewhere around.
The Belgian used his mask & snorkel & found it underwater a few metres into the surf.
Gosh!
That was lucky, eh?
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| Our water-taxi arrives |
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| We head to the north end of the island |
As the boat was on its way across, there was little time for a proper swim.
Maybe next time??
The boat arrived at the beach at 1435, & those staying overnight went aboard for the short transfer to the northern end where we were met by Janine & Minnie.
Then we had a short walk up to the Lodge where Amo gave us another bio-check.
My notes tell me Amo's family had lived on the island for generations, & it was Maori land.
While writing this blog in July 2018, I found this on Stuff.co.nz about the island's history:
In 1822 Te Rangihiroa invaded Kapiti Island with Te Rauparaha and Ngati Toa. Little could he have imagined that 193 years later, his descendants would still live there on a small slice of private land in the middle of a nature reserve. Te Rangihiroa's great-granddaughter, Utauta Webber, refused to give up her land in 1897, when the Kapiti Island Reserve Act bundled all Crown-owned land into a nature reserve. Part of the island is still in private ownership, allowing the public surprising access to a 20-square-kilometre native treasure trove. Kapiti Island Nature Tours, started by Webber's grandchildren John and Amo, operates tours and overnight stays on the island. Amo follows the family tradition and lives on the island. Various family members join her in summer, ferrying visitors across from the mainland, showing them the birdlife, walks and plants, cooking meals and showcasing their home. Manaaki Barrett, John's son, has been a guide at the company for four years and said he never imagined doing anything else. "Working here had been in the back of my mind for quite a while," he said. "I had worked at a bank in Wellington and for the whole four years I was there my career plan was non-existent, because they knew I was going to ditch them and come out here. [Webber] was the youngest child, so back then this would have been seen as the least valuable piece of land - the hardest to do anything productive with. Not giving it up was about her connection to this part of the island, rather than it being good sheep country." The family farm was wound down in the 1960s and the land given over to natural regeneration. Visitors to the island can see the difference between the 100-year-old forest in the nature reserve and the 40-year-old forest at the north end. "The hills at the north end used to be grass, while at the other end the regeneration had already started," Barrett said. "My first memories of here are of manuka and kanuka trees everywhere, but bare dirt underneath them. Now underneath is thick bush. It's great for the native habitats. In the past five years there's more and more, as it's really taken off." The Barretts' ancestors' stubbornness has meant visitors can stay overnight on the island (camping is not permitted off the private land) and go searching for one of the 1400 little spotted kiwi that come out to play under the cover of darkness. Barrett said it was important some nature reserves were open to the public. "Kapiti shouldn't be important - it should be like this everywhere. But sadly it's not, so if people want to see a wild kiwi they have to come somewhere like this. It's important to have reserves that are locked away. But you have to have some that people can go to, so they can see what's being done and see what New Zealand is in danger of losing if nothing is done. There's no point in trying to save the takahe if no-one knows what they are and in a generation no one cares." Kapiti Island is home to numerous native birds and trees - kiwi, stitchbirds, saddlebacks, kokako, tomtits, tui, silvereyes, bellbirds and more. The cheeky kaka and weka will come within centimetres, especially if there is food around. However, feeding them is strictly prohibited. The North Island black robin will follow walkers throughout the forest, eating the insects that are disturbed by human footprints. Janine Gardiner has been a guide for the tour company for about seven years. "From day one it has been brilliant," she said. "One of my coolest moments was seeing the kokako. They are one of my favourite birds, because their song is beautiful. It took me four and a half years to spot one, but it was amazing when I did. I also never tire of taking people on our kiwi walks to try to spot the birds. Seeing the looks on their faces when they see one is amazing." She said it was Kapiti Island itself that kept enticing her back year after year. "It has a life of its own - its own Maori, its own life force. The first time I came, I went for a walk by myself and just sat in the bush. You could feel it was special. I've got one of the best jobs in the world coming over here."
We were told to help ourselves to a brew, & then all we sat down at the big table for a short lecture about the history of the island's inhabitants & the reserve.
Apparently, the idea for the reserve had come in the 1870s.
Gosh!
Here's another interesting bit from Wiki:
The conservation potential of the island was seen as early as 1870. It was reserved as a bird sanctuary in 1897 but it was not until 1987 that the Department of Conservation (DOC) took over the administration of the island. In the 1980s and 1990s efforts were made to return the island to a natural state; first sheep and possums were removed. In an action, few thought possible for an island of its size, rats were eradicated in 1998.
In 2003 the anonymous Biodiversity Action Group claimed to have released 11 possums on the island. No evidence of the introduced possums has been found. The island is home to a number of native birds, mostly re-introduced. These include takahe, North Island kōkako, brown teal, stitchbird (hihi), North Island saddleback (tieke), tomtit (miromiro), fantail (piwakawaka), morepork (ruru), weka and North Island robin (toutouwai). The brown kiwi and little-spotted kiwi were released on the island between 1890 and 1910, and the island is now the stronghold for the latter species. Rat eradication has led to increases in red-fronted parakeets, North Island robin, bellbirds, and saddlebacks and the island is considered one of New Zealand's most important sites for bird recovery, as well as a major breeding site, for seabirds. In April 2005, the critically endangered short-tailed bat was introduced to the island from a threatened population in the Tararuas, providing them with a separate, safer habitat.
Owing to the proximity of Wellington, there are regular tourist trips to the island, limited to 160 people per day, and it is an especially popular destination for birdwatchers. Having no natural mammalian predators, New Zealand birds are trusting, and a visitor to the island is likely to be rewarded by seeing a number of different species.
On 14 June 2007, one of the buildings at the Department of Conservation ranger station caught fire, sparking a major emergency operation to prevent the spread of fire to the native bush. Thirty firefighters were flown to the island and managed to contain the blaze, preventing serious damage to the ecosystem.
A stoat, an introduced mustelid responsible for decimating the bird life in New Zealand, was seen on the island in December 2010, and by August the next year the Department of Conservation had killed three of them. It is thought that they could not have swum the five-kilometre stretch of open sea from the Kapiti Coast.
I have a comment about the pillocks who brought the stoats (& possibly the possums).Apparently, the idea for the reserve had come in the 1870s.
Gosh!
Here's another interesting bit from Wiki:
The conservation potential of the island was seen as early as 1870. It was reserved as a bird sanctuary in 1897 but it was not until 1987 that the Department of Conservation (DOC) took over the administration of the island. In the 1980s and 1990s efforts were made to return the island to a natural state; first sheep and possums were removed. In an action, few thought possible for an island of its size, rats were eradicated in 1998.
In 2003 the anonymous Biodiversity Action Group claimed to have released 11 possums on the island. No evidence of the introduced possums has been found. The island is home to a number of native birds, mostly re-introduced. These include takahe, North Island kōkako, brown teal, stitchbird (hihi), North Island saddleback (tieke), tomtit (miromiro), fantail (piwakawaka), morepork (ruru), weka and North Island robin (toutouwai). The brown kiwi and little-spotted kiwi were released on the island between 1890 and 1910, and the island is now the stronghold for the latter species. Rat eradication has led to increases in red-fronted parakeets, North Island robin, bellbirds, and saddlebacks and the island is considered one of New Zealand's most important sites for bird recovery, as well as a major breeding site, for seabirds. In April 2005, the critically endangered short-tailed bat was introduced to the island from a threatened population in the Tararuas, providing them with a separate, safer habitat.
Owing to the proximity of Wellington, there are regular tourist trips to the island, limited to 160 people per day, and it is an especially popular destination for birdwatchers. Having no natural mammalian predators, New Zealand birds are trusting, and a visitor to the island is likely to be rewarded by seeing a number of different species.
On 14 June 2007, one of the buildings at the Department of Conservation ranger station caught fire, sparking a major emergency operation to prevent the spread of fire to the native bush. Thirty firefighters were flown to the island and managed to contain the blaze, preventing serious damage to the ecosystem.
A stoat, an introduced mustelid responsible for decimating the bird life in New Zealand, was seen on the island in December 2010, and by August the next year the Department of Conservation had killed three of them. It is thought that they could not have swum the five-kilometre stretch of open sea from the Kapiti Coast.
They should be locked up in a small pit with a bunch of hungry stoats ~ dot dot dot
Anyway, my notes say "my watch stopped at 1450 & has not worked since" (Maybe the salt finally got to it? :-/ )
They also say that a Takahē showed up briefly.
Awesome!
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| My 1st Takahē :-D Taken shortly after arrival at the Lodge |
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| My bed inside my lovely little cabin |
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| The other bed |
After the lecture, brews & nibbles, we were allocated our rooms, & I found my great little cabin out at the back with views from the verandah of the hill & the bush.
There was a similar view from the beds.
Brilliant :-))
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| What a spot to spend the night :-)) |
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| The view from the verandah |
It was beautifully secluded, but a slight walk back to the loo at the Lodge, so I'd be getting some exercise during the night ;-)
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| The E from Manaaki said this is a young black-backed gull. Cute, eh? |
It would be a while before dinner, so ~ as it was a lovely late afternoon, I decided to walk the Boulder Bank Loop.
I did it anti-clockwise.
The Boulder Bank Loop is a 2 Km track going around the fresh-water Okupe Lagoon, taking in paths through the bush, & the paths along the shore north of Waiorua Bay.
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| The village from the north of Waiorua Bay |
Doing my anti-clockwise walk, I went east along the shore of Waiorua Bay, before turning gradually north & then north-west around the top edge of Okupe Lagoon.
Then the route left the shore-line & went back south to the Lodge via paths through the bush.
Then the route left the shore-line & went back south to the Lodge via paths through the bush.
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| A spoonbill/kōtuku-ngutupapa colony |
At 2 Km it should have taken me less than 1/2 an hour at my normal walking pace.
However, there were so many great things to photograph & look at, it took me nearly 3 times as long.
As I was on the east side of the island, there was little chance of a sunset photo, so I took my time, enjoying the sights & sounds of the bush.
Talking of sounds, someone (possibly Bruce?) had mentioned Kākāriki/Red-Crowned Parakeets sounded a bit like a machine gun going off, so I was keeping my ears open.
Sure enough, walking back along the path through the bush, I heard what was a bit like a burst of gunfire, so got ready to shoot!
Kākāriki are quite small & flit about a lot, plus, they were about 40m away, so having to zoom in at a moving target meant my pic is a bit blurred.
Again!
Proper Twitchers have proper cameras ;-)
I searched the net for a link to the sound, so if you're interested, go here: Kakariki: picture and sound - Project Island Song It's a great recording :-)
Shortly afterwards I saw a blob in the lagoon to my left.
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| I had no idea I'd see spoonbills today |
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| A zoomed spoon! ;-) |
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| I'd never seen them in the flesh before, so took loads of photos |
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| Like I said . . . |
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| Loads of photos! |
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| I'm quite pleased with this one. Thank you Lumix's 40x zoom! |
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| Manaaki said these look like black-backed gulls. I think they are doing an impression of meercats on the lookout ;-p |
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| The path back towards the village |
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| I think I took the left-hand path |
Talking of sounds, someone (possibly Bruce?) had mentioned Kākāriki/Red-Crowned Parakeets sounded a bit like a machine gun going off, so I was keeping my ears open.
Sure enough, walking back along the path through the bush, I heard what was a bit like a burst of gunfire, so got ready to shoot!
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| Kākāriki or Red-crowned Parakeet |
Kākāriki are quite small & flit about a lot, plus, they were about 40m away, so having to zoom in at a moving target meant my pic is a bit blurred.
Again!
Proper Twitchers have proper cameras ;-)
I searched the net for a link to the sound, so if you're interested, go here: Kakariki: picture and sound - Project Island Song It's a great recording :-)
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| Highly zoomed black swan on Okupe lagoon |
Shortly afterwards I saw a blob in the lagoon to my left.
The Lumix's 40x zoom showed it was a lone black swan, so I tried to steady my hands for a non-blurred photo! It didn't come out really well, but better than the Kākāriki. At least it wasn't flitting about!
Then I saw this info-board:
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| So now you know :-) |
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| Cool driftwood den |
Back at the beach I found this dinky little shelter, so grabbed a couple of quick pics before making my way back to my cabin to change out of my shorts for dinner.
It was about ten to six, & I'd had an awesome day :-D
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| Ditto looking inside |
But, take it from me, it was awesome, totally delicious, & exceedingly welcome after my 'quick march' up & down Tuteremoana, & my leisurely stroll round the lagoon.
My notes say we had:
~ paua patties
~ cheese & squiggle (;-p )
~ red & white wine
~ T=soup (Uh???) &
~ a BBQ with "loads of trad veg & a salad".
There was also pudding, & tea & coffee was"on tap".
Like I said, Awesome :-q
My notes also tell me I chatted with Perrine & Greg from France (at least I think that's what the hieroglyphs say?), & a brother & sister couple from near Wellington who were originally from Wales.
There were 5 other French folk there as well, but (generally) their English was better than my French!
We were to have a night walk to see if we could see any Kiwis in the bush, & this started at 2130, so I went back to my cabin to cover up the skin.
I have a vague recollection we were asked to avoid bug-spray so as not to smell too strong while we crept about the bush in the dark. However, I may be mis-remembering?
We walked along some of the paths I'd used on the way back earlier, plus other, narrower, paths meandering around the village. There were several 'sightings', but other than (maybe) some glittering eyes in the dark, I didn't see a kiwi :-(
Maybe next time??
Me & the bro & sis from Wellington called it a night at 2315, but some of the others carried on the search.
I was in bed by 2340, but there would be no sudoku tonight - there was no light in the cabin, & no moonlight outside.
The stars were out, though, & I enjoyed their light on the way to & from the loo.
Twice :-/
Evidently, I'd had too much wine, tea & coffee!
March 10th: Kapiti Island-Part 2, a helo ride, & on to Wellington
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| 0726, & the sun hasn't yet risen above the hill |
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| There's a Tui in that there tree! |
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| Waiorua Bay at 0738 |
Not that there was much to pack: I was still with the small ruckie & stuff I'd taken to Dawson Falls & Waitomo over the weekend.
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| Items on show at the Lodge. The black thing may be a chunk of pounamu? |
I was a bit early for breakfast, but whiled away the wait by taking pics of the scenery, a shy Tui, & the interesting stuff on show in the Lodge.
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| The view inside the loo |
I also got another one of the inside of a NZ WC ;-p
I'd got quite a collection of loo photos during my four trips to NZ, including one at Te Araroa on East Cape, & one at Okarito on the West Coast (both photos on blogs!)
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| Amazing things to look at in the Lodge |
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| I think most of it had been found on the beach |
We all ate breakfast on the long table in the Lodge, & I found out that the brother & sister couple (my notes give no names) had a place at Tawa, just north of Wellington.
During breakfast it was confirmed we would leave the island by helicopter, & we were split into 3 groups.
I was on the last flight, so I had time to explore a bit more.
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| I think was taken from the verandah at the front of the Lodge? |
The Lumix was full of charge so I went through the back door & got some decent pics of the tame Weka in the back yard.
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| A very tame Weka |
I got some info on Weka from the New Zealand Birds Online website.
Weka are flightless, and often approach people closely.
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| There seemed to be a family of them hanging about the Lodge |
Weka are omnivorous, and are both scavengers and predators. They consume a wide variety of fruit and invertebrates, also eggs, lizards, small mammals and birds, and carrion. They have been recorded killing animals as large and tough as stoats (300 g), Norway rats (500 g), and Westland petrels (1200 g).
I also took a while photographing the Tui in the tree. It was lighter by
I also took a while photographing the Tui in the tree. It was lighter by
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| He/she moved the head just as I clicked, but you can still see the lovely blue plumage |
now, so the photos came out better :-)
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| Two-tone blue Tui |
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| The poi |
Here's some stuff about Tui from the NZ Birds Online website.
Tui are boisterous, medium-sized, common and widespread bird of forest and suburbia – unless you live in Canterbury. They look black from a distance, but in good light tui have a blue, green and bronze iridescent sheen, and distinctive white throat tufts (poi). They are usually very vocal, with a complicated mix of tuneful notes interspersed with coughs, grunts and wheezes. In flight, their bodies slant with the head higher than the tail, and their noisy whirring flight is interspersed with short glides.
tbh, I liked their noises as much as Iiked how they looked.
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| Pied Shag / Cormorant |
Post Tui, I went back in front of the lodge & got a few pics of the seabirds on the shore.
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| Action shot? Ear scratching & singing |
I spent about 1/4 of an hour clicking away at the shags & gulls who were waiting for the tide to come in (& bring food?)
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| The Maori call them Kāruhiruhi |
If I knew how to pronounce it properly, I'd always choose to call shags
Kāruhiruhi.
It's a much nicer name than shag, eh?
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| Only 1 more pic of a Kāruhiruhi after this ;-p |
Given the vernacular connotations of the word shag, I googled it to see if I could find out why cormorants were called shags, & found this on the Beauty of Birds website:
Shag refers to the bird's crest, which the British forms of the Great Cormorant lack. As other species were discovered by English-speaking sailors and explorers elsewhere in the world, some were called cormorants and some shags depending on whether they had crests or not.
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| A cute little Red-billed gull AKA Akiaki or Tarāpunga |
I also found this about the word shag:
a dance originating in the US in the 1930s and 1940s, characterized by vigorous hopping from one foot to the other.
The bird does stand on one leg, but you can't say they're at all vigorous!
a dance originating in the US in the 1930s and 1940s, characterized by vigorous hopping from one foot to the other.
The bird does stand on one leg, but you can't say they're at all vigorous!
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| This is the final Kāruhiruhi pic, & he/she almost looks like they're dancing the shag ;-p |
Having taken loads of seabird pics (some of which didn't make the cut), I decided to go inland for a bit, & check out where we'd been in the dark last night.
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| This looked like a mixture of spit & spider web! |
I did, but he/she was very camera shy, & no sooner did I see one on one of the mown paths, than he/she disappeared into the grass.
Bum :-/
However, I did get a couple of photos of some bizarre white stuff which Sian of the Wellington DOC office said were "nursery webs made from spiders to home their babies". In that case, I'm glad I didn't poke my finger in it!
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| Ditto up close |
Wandering along the
mown paths, I found there was a kinda 'campsite', & it contained other cabins like the one I'd spent the night in, as well as some up-market tents.
mown paths, I found there was a kinda 'campsite', & it contained other cabins like the one I'd spent the night in, as well as some up-market tents.
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| One of the luxury tents out at the edge of the village, with its loo on the left |
I took a couple of pics of one, & saw that there
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| The view inside - how cool is that? :-) |
was a little wood-built loo very nearby. Not quite 'en-suite', but handy, all the same.
I couldn't see inside the other cabins, but they may have had somewhere similar?
Being nosey in the bush over, I went back to the Lodge for a brew & to watch the 1st helicopter arrive.
Kia ora Shirley,
Another brew happened at the lodge, then I hung around, taking pics of more birds, & other stuff of interest.
I couldn't see inside the other cabins, but they may have had somewhere similar?
Being nosey in the bush over, I went back to the Lodge for a brew & to watch the 1st helicopter arrive.
While at the Lodge I got chatting to Minnie about my 1st trip to NZ in 2009, my search for the 'Treebeard' pohutukawa in Wellington, & how they were thought of as NZ's Xmas trees. She told me the one outside the lodge was yellow, which was very unusual.
Then, on March 12th 2016 (2 days after my visit) I received an E from Minnie attaching 2 photos of the pohutukawa by the dock in bloom. This is what she wrote: Kia ora Shirley,
I just wanted to say, it was lovely to meet you on your visit to Kapiti Island this week. I have attached the photo of the yellow pohutukawa tree in flower…..this is at the bottom of the steps at our lodge.
My grandmother planted this tree, many years ago. Stunning when it is in flower.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in NZ and maybe one day we will see you again on the island. Safe travels.
Regards,
Minnie
Kāpiti Island Nature Tours
My grandmother planted this tree, many years ago. Stunning when it is in flower.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in NZ and maybe one day we will see you again on the island. Safe travels.
Regards,
Minnie
Kāpiti Island Nature Tours
Grandmother's Pohutukawa
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| A close up of the blossoms. Minnie was right: Stunning flowers :-)) |
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| OK. I lied, but I couldn't resist this pic! |
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| & then there were 2 |
The
Kāruhiruhit may have been fishing for breakfast as he/she was drying off on the old boat track.
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| This really is the last shag ;-p |
Then another
Kāruhiruhi showed up.
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| A Kaka hopefully waits on a tree above the patio |
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| Aren't they amazing colours?! |
Back by the lodge with (yet another) brew, there was a Kaka in the tree by the patio.
I think he/she was waiting in the hope of a titbit?
They're not a flashy as some parrots, but they have subtle beauty: a bit like the difference between a dress tartan & a hunting tartan.
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| He/she sat still long enough for me to zoom in :-)) |
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| Old whale bones |
Minnie also pointed out the old whale bones by the path, & spoke a bit about what her job entailed.
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| The 1st chopper arrives |
Then we heard the 1st chopper coming across the strait, & group 1 got ready to depart.
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| The |
With
the 1st group loaded & on its way, there was about a half-hour turn-round before number 2.
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| I become a Takahē stalker! |
So I went
Takahē
hunting!
I had more luck this time & found a Takahē who didn't keep hiding
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| Aren't they great? :-)) |
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| Shame I cut his/her foot off! |
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| Awesome blue-green sheen in the sunshine |
I followed him/her around for about 5 minutes, & got some half-decent photos.
5 minutes was a much shorter time than I'd spent Not getting a decent Pukeko pic during my four month-long visits to NZ in 2009, 2011, 2014 & this one.
On the whole, I'm pretty chuffed with my Takahē photos.
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| & a cute white tush ;-p |
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| I finally decided to leave the poor thing in peace, but was So pleased I was able to get some decent photos ~ better than my Pukeko pics over the years, anyway! |
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| Pre-flight briefing |
The sun came out briefly as well :-)
Given I didn't even know there was such a bird a few weeks earlier, & given my abortive attempts at getting a decent one of a Pukeko since 2009, I reckon my Takahē pics came out OK :-)
Another helo was imminent, so - leaving the Takahē to peck in peace, I went back for the event.
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| Group 2 heads off to Paraparaumu |
Group 2 had their pre-flight brief, loaded up, & set off across a darkening sky to Kapiti Coast Airport.
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| Another colourful NZ loo shot |
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| Proof it was actually a loo ;-p |
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| Our helo gets loaded |
The half-hour return trip had turned out to be barely 20 minutes, so I decided to make a 'recorded' visit to the loo.
After all, I had drunk quite a few brews, & it was a very jolly place to while away a few minutes ;-)
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| Our bags are stowed . . . |
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| & then it's our turn |
Our bags had been waiting in the lodge, & they were soon loaded into the helo.
Then it was our turn for a pre-flight brief & boarding.
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| Looking north to where I'd walked the day before |
Having said our Thank-yous & Goodbyes to all the lovely staff, we were up & away over Waiorua Bay, & east over the Otaheke Strait.
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| Kapiti Island from the helo |
While Waiorua Bay looked pretty flat & calm, as we flew over the Strait we could see the white tops on the waves, showing that a trip across on the relatively small jet-boat we'd arrived on would have been quite hairy.
Fun, tho ;-p
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| White tops show the reason we were airborne & not in a boat |
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| Unsure if this is mainland or island? |
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| Ditto |
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| That's the Waikanae River & estuary just N of Paraparaumu |
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| Kapiti Coast Airport & (possibly?) Mt Holdsworth |
The flight itself was barely 5 minutes, & it's a shame the sun had a sulk on & was behind the cloud.
It'd've been a great experience to see the coast up north & down south in good visibility.
Another case of: Maybe next time?
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| Our helo at Kapiti Coast being reloaded-poss for a provision trip back to the island? |
I was with the brother & sister couple from Tawa, & they had already offered to give me a lift into Wellington.
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| Bruce He of the running up & down Tuteremoana :-) |
How kind, eh? :-)
Especially as Tawa was quite a way this side of the city.
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| A more obvious reason why we didn't sail back! |
I feel bad I didn't write their names down :-/
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| Kapiti Island across the waves . . . |
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| Taken from the car just before midday . . . |
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| & by Pukerua Bay just before we leave the coast road |
I was pretty hungry so went into the McDonald's on Manner's St corner for a brew & use of their free WiFi.
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| Azog at Wellington Airport |
After checking messages I walked to Courtney Place to catch the bus out towards Lyall Bay, ending up with the 91 to the airport, & a quick pic of Azog the Defiler!
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| Lyall Bay again |
Then it was time to walk under the runway again back to MaryAnn's on Lyall Bay.
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| Afternoon tea at the Maranui Cafe |
Unfortunately she was out :-/
There was a cafe almost across the road, & it overlooked the beach, so I went there for a brew & a cake or 2, & rang Elaine about the evening's Scottish Country Dancing which she'd invited me along to.
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| Turning by the left in Tawa |
Before I'd left GB, I'd got in touch with the RSCDS' NZ branch, & asked about dancing while I was in NZ. They had told me about clubs in the Wellington area, & having found out that the Tawa club night coincided with a night I was in town, I made enquiries, & was invited to join them.
As is so common with NZ folk, everyone was very welcoming, & Elaine arranged to pick me up from MaryAnn's at 1915, take me to the hall in Tawa for 2000, lent me some shoes to dance in, & took me home again. Her husband did the driving, but he was another one I didn't write down a name for. Sorry :-/
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| Reeling |
Every dance but one (Flowers of Edinburgh) was new to me, so it was defo a 'Dr Kawashima' evening!
I also discovered I had been dancing an Allemande wrong, & was told by the Instructor that I should remain at the side of the set for bar 5, & not dance into the middle. Oops!
There was the usual brew & biscuits at half-time, & the evening was $5, so about the same as the club in Carleton I go to.
Elaine & hubby dropped me off just after 2200, & I spent some time packing & sorting out my stuff for Saturday's journey to Napier, going online to check the Auckland weather forecast, & sending texts to Heather at Strikemaster, Mark ~ the pilot who would take me up, & the taxi firm who would take me from Auckland Domestic to Ardmore in the morning.
As my long-awaited bucket-list fast-jet flight out of Ardmore wouldn't happen if it was too wet, I went to sleep praying for fine weather tomorrow!
OAO
