Counting birds and blessings _{by Madelaine Empson}

Kapiti Island (Summer 2024)

As a born and bred Wellingtonian, Kapiti Island has formed the backdrop of many of my most-loved memories. Whether glimpsing her shrouded visage on a misty winter road trip up the coast, or hiking up to a lookout on a sweltering day to watch the blindingly blue sea lap her sides and the sun speckle her peaks, she’s always been there. But I couldn’t remember the last time I visited her. Mum reminded me of my first and only trip to the island, producing photographic evidence of a kākā on the shoulder of a gobsmacked seven-year-old girl, seemingly trying to nibble off her pigtails.

It feels like a running theme – that so many Wellingtonians have never been to this precious nature reserve despite the fact she stands in our peripheries. So, when the opportunity to stay overnight with Kapiti Island Nature Tours arose, needless to say, I jumped at it. To write about the privilege? Just awful. Can’t stand my job sometimes.

And so, on a Sunday morning, my friend Toula and I bundled into the car with my colleague Alessia and her fiancé Jas to cruise Transmission Gully, parking up at Paraparaumu Beach just 42 minutes later. One smooth biosecurity check-in process later, our shoes disinfected and our bags inspected for stowaway scoundrels and cheeky creepy crawlies, we were on a zippy little ferry. All in all, from rolling out of bed and out the front door, it took little over an hour to set foot in Rangatira, where our Kapiti Island adventure began.

We spent the first half of our first day on the eastern side of the island, which welcomes a maximum of 100 visitors a day. It all began with an introductory kōrero from our easy-going guides. Charlie talked us through the history of the island and the species that inhabit it, from the tīeke/ saddleback to the Kapiti ground wētā, the tauhou/silvereye to the pūngāwerewere/tunnel web spider, which I’m not that upset I didn’t see scuttling through the undergrowth. Charlie sounded out a number of bird calls to help us identify our feathered friends while making a couple of choice jokes about what we might expect to see and hear in Rangatira. “If you spot a kiwi during the daytime, I’ll tell you it’s a weka,” he quipped. “And if you’re absolutely adamant, come find me immediately… I’ll still tell you it’s a weka.”

From the historic whare, it was a pick-your-path, choose-your-own-adventure afternoon, with Alessia and Jas taking the steep two-kilometre Trig track up to Tūteremoana while Toula and I opted for the more gradual incline: the 3.8-kilometre Wilkinson Track, which still encouraged me to activate muscles I didn’t know I had. When we reached the summit, 521 metres above sea level, Alessia and Jas were patiently waiting for us and had barely broken a sweat. It was an unforgettable view from the top, with 360-degree panoramas of ocean stretching and swelling as far as the eye could see. With hopeful weka honky-tonking at our feet, we ate our delicious packed lunches (featuring a homemade blueberry muffin I still think about to this day) (thanks, Kapiti Island Nature Tours) and gently peeled our way back down the well-formed track to the beach, where Alessia and Jas took a quick, refreshing dip before the ferry arrived to transfer us to the north end of the island. I just baked in the sun on the stones, secretly stoked I could cancel my next two leg days at the gym – at least.

Kapiti Island Nature Tours are a whānau business, kaitiaki of the land and passionate about sharing the beauty and taonga of Kapiti Island with visitors. This kaupapa shone through every time we spoke to Manaaki and his family, who warmly welcomed us to their private lodge at Waiorua Bay. Our stay here met, then exceeded, every guiding principle of Kiwi hospitality there is. Let’s take our three-course dinner, whipped up by a wizard in the kitchen, Manaaki’s sister Maia, to start! With local wine from Ōhau in hand, we feasted on soup and fresh bread, roast lamb and veggies, and sticky date pudding swimming in butterscotch sauce, with so many more mouth-watering side dishes that I couldn’t help but go back for seconds. Alright, thirds. It was a choice I would come to regret during our next activity: a guided night walk to seek out the kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi. Here, silence was not only recommended, but necessary. Apparently, my stomach didn’t get the memo!

My gurgling might’ve single-handedly frightened away every kiwi in the vicinity, but we certainly heard them making quite the racket as we crept about, red torch guiding our way, whispers of excitement in the air. It was fascinating learning about, then hearing their calls: a loud, piercing, slurred note from the blokes, while the ladies sound a lower, rasping cry. We loved our walk with Piki and did make one friend: a kororā/little blue penguin bashing through the bush!

After such an exhilarating day out in nature – one that restored my mind, body, and soul – I put my head on the pillow inside our cosy cabin and woke up almost eight hours later, having not stirred once. I did gratefully stir my morning coffee though, which I sipped overlooking a bush-clad valley where bloated kererū argued with one another over prime real estate in the trees. Chuckling and wondering if the sagging branches would snap under their bulk, we set about another stunner on Kapiti Island. On the Ohuke Valley Loop Track, Toula and I enjoyed a much gentler walk than the day before that led us through ever-changing scenery to an equally stunning lookout, the ocean unfurling out from underneath us. Back down on Earth at the lodge, Maia had prepared a lunch I hope no one caught me salivating over. Pretty sure I lurked in the corner drooling over the roast lamb pies until karakia.

Before boarding the ferry back to the mainland, I spent a relaxing afternoon at the lodge taking stock of all the wonders I’d just seen and experienced. Peace washing over me, the sun tickling my cheek as my grin spread out to catch it, I counted my blessings while counting the baby weka waddling through the grass. How lucky we are to be able to visit Kapiti Island, and to call this country home.