What a wonderful day!! Saturday morning market to serenade our coffee stop before checking in for our trip over to Kapiti Island. It’s a nature reserve managed by the Department of Conservation. It has been predator free since 1996 and so successful that they are helping to re-establish the Little Spotted Kiwi in other parts of New Zealand. This place is teaming with birds of all shapes and sizes. At times the sound of their calls is overwhelming. We have a hike up a fairly steep, twisty trail (that nearly killed me!) to a Stitchbird (Hihi) feeder. These are the only birds to be fed on the island and they are fed sugar water to supplement their wild diet, as otherwise they would struggle to breed. It’s great fun watching them swoop down to feed. We head back down to the beach some 5 hours later to wait for our ride home. This island is spectacular and a great success in helping to stop the decline of some of NZs most iconic native birds.

We camp for the evening right on the beach at Otaki and watch the sun go down over Kapiti, with a well earned beer!