Enchanted isle _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

Kapiti Island (Summer 2024)

Waking up before the sun for an adventure has a particular feeling tied to it. The air seems crisper, your tummy feels fuzzy, and a sense that anything is possible pervades everything around you. On the morning my fiancé Jas and I embarked on a trip to Kapiti Island overnight, the mood was exactly that.

After meeting up with Maddi and her friend Toula, we made the 45-minute cruise up the coast all together. As we summited Transmission Gully, we couldn’t believe our luck when we saw the perfect weather settling over the entire Kapiti Coast. Before we knew it, we were on a Kapiti Island Nature Tours catamaran gliding across the waves.

When we disembarked, it was as if we had stepped through a portal to a world not unlike our own, yet entirely apart from the time and space from whence we came. One of New Zealand’s oldest and most important nature reserves, Kapiti Island’s predator-free environment enables birdlife and native species to flourish, making it effectively a snapshot of what Aotearoa may have looked like prior to human settlement.

Our guide Charlie began the tour with some history about the humans who have called this slice of paradise home over the centuries. With famous visitors and inhabitants the likes of chief Te Rauparaha and captain James Cook, Kapiti was a strategic location for iwi, trading ships, and whalers. The tangata whenua arrived on the isle in 1820 and have warmly welcomed visitors for eight generations. Of the total 1965 hectares, the whānau have held on to 13 around Waiorua Bay, where the lodge we would stay in was situated.

But for now, we still had the first section of the island, Rangatira Point, to explore. Charlie led our group out along the Rangatira Loop to start. This easy path wound its way through wetlands, coastal shrubland, and regenerating forest. It was fascinating observing this latter environment. While the trees with the shorter lifespans grew over the last 100 years, they provided shelter for the slower growing plants; now as those same trees were dying out, the old-growth ones could continue along their life cycle. Along our walk, Charlie pointed out the bird calls as well as the different species he saw amongst the trees, and part way through he stopped and opened a wētā box, which a beautiful native gecko had made its home in. Knowledgeable and passionate, my favourite moments were when he tied in Māori legends, such as when he recounted the story of Mahuika to show us how the mahoe branches can be used to start a fire.

When we reached a fork in the path, we were left to our own devices. Maddi and Toula headed off along the Wilkinson Track, while Jas and I set our sights on the Trig Track: a steep and narrow goat path that wove its way around trees, over roots, and up the steep cliffside engulfed by native bush. The journey to the summit took just under two hours and was punctuated by ancient trees, magical clearings, and a bustling hīhī/stitchbirdfeeding station. We heard and saw so many birds considered rare on the mainland, including hīhī, kākāriki/parakeet, and toutouwai/robin.

Having been blessed with a hot, clear day, the views at the summit were breathtaking. It was the perfect place to stop for lunch, the weka tootling around our feet. For the return journey we joined Maddi and Toula on the Wilkinson Track, which though less steep was just as gruelling with its hairpin turns. By the time we reached the bottom, Jas and I seized the gorgeous day and jumped in the ocean. Invigorating would be the nicest way to describe our plunge; exceptional would be more suited for the day’s adventures so far.

Following a short boat trip down the coast, we pulled into Waiorua Bay and were brought to our cabins that opened out towards the valley. The sky turning hues of pink, periwinkle, and powder blue signalled it was time for prosecco on the porch, our panorama a picture-perfect portrait of the Kapiti Coast twinkling in the sunset. Our romantic moment was crashed by a curious kākā who wanted a sip of our vino, so we scampered inside to enjoy the wine and cheeseboard and to catch a rundown from the charismatic and passionate Manaaki, our host on this private part of the island that belongs to his whānau. Gourmet, locally sourced, and made from the freshest and tastiest ingredients, our supper was three courses and a highlight of our trip. Manaaki’s sister Maia is pure magic in the kitchen.

Stuffed and sleepy, we were revived by promises of a kiwi night walk. Piki was our guide, and though she led us feather-footed over hill and dale, we didn’t manage to see a kiwi – although we heard plenty. Nevertheless, as a Northern Hemisphere gal I was overjoyed to see a ruru/morepork and several kororā/little blue penguins along our stroll! Feeling fortunate and cosy, the two of us cuddled up on the lawn before bed, the heavens twinkling through the indigo blanket of night overhead.

Come morning, we were met with a hearty breakfast and copious amounts of caffeine. We’d slept like babies, and so Jas and I were ready to explore this side of the island. Starting with the gentle Okupe Valley Loop Track, we caught picturesque views over Okupe Lagoon as we trekked through completely different native forests from what we’d seen the day before. At the top, we gazed out over the endless Pacific, wishing time would slow down if just to enjoy this moment a little longer. We were also on Kapiti Island right at the cusp of the seabird nesting period, so we were able to follow the rocky 45-minute Boulder Bank Loop Track, which skirts along the wild coast. That said, we may have been the last of the season, for we passed some very disgruntled gulls along the way!

After a delectable lunch, we hopped on the boat home. As Kapiti rose up behind us, I was hit with the same tightening in my chest that I feel when I leave my own island home on the other side of the world. Maybe it was because Kapiti and Catalina’s silhouettes are uncannily similar, or maybe because they both share the same enchanting atmosphere. Either way, our time on Kapiti Island was surreal, magical, and beyond my every expectation.