Well, you know when you've seen a Kiwi in full flight, your day is complete. And you heard that right, a Kiwi in full flight. And no, not an OE bound youngster on Air New Zealand, but a genuine Little Spotted Kiwi.
Our guide Ron was further up the path, and beckoned us all to come closer, but very quietly. Earlier in the trek our group had been divided in two, and we'd heard from the others that they'd seen two Little Spotteds out on a path not far from here. Most of that sight was the Kiwi's bums though, as the light-shy creatures turned tail and ran from the nosey humans. I wasn't excited about seeing much the same.
When we'd gotten close enough to where he was standing, Ron flicked on his torch. And there she was, Doris the Little Spotted Kiwi, busted in profile. Seriously, her name is Doris. Her mate is apparently called George!
We'd heard another mating pair calling to one another perhaps a five or ten metres from us at another part of the reserve, but this time we'd really lucked out. Doris kind of jumped upwards, turned a complete 180 degrees, and bounded off in full flight behind a Kawakawa that had been framing her.
Yup. Lame joke, but there you have it.
Regardless, my first decent sighting of a genuine Kiwi in the genuine outdoors.
When I talked a few mates into going on Kapiti Island Alive it was mostly on selfish motives. I'd heard that the marine reserve there provided great diving, and thought that it was a good opportunity to get the wetsuit into the brine again. As it turns out I was in for more than I bargained.
Don't get me wrong, Waiorua Bay (directly in front of the Kapiti Lodge) is simply fantastic, but I hadn't done my homework on the sheer variety of native birds I'd see. Pretty much as soon as we were off the ferry from Paraparaumu a couple of Kaka were checking us out, the place was crawling with pesky blimmin Weka, there were Tui and Bellbird singing everywhere, we saw Robins, Kakariki, Kereru, and there was rumour of a couple of Takahe out back of the property somewhere.
With predators completely eradicated from Kapiti the place is pretty much the way it would have been pre-Europeans, and the word is that the bird life will only improve as the forest continues to regenerate back from the farming era. Likewise, with the marine reserves in place the fish and other water life are bouncing back.
Originally I'd just wanted to go diving, but my dive buddies fell through. I'd contemplated going out alone, but there's a couple of fur seal colonies not far from the Lodge, and a quick web search informed me that it is currently pup season. Sharks are very fond of seal pups, I'm told.
On a recent dive to Mana Island I found out that the Great White known to inhabit the area is called Brutus, and I wasn't prepared to tempt fate and meet it in person. I couldn't resist a quick snorkel though, sucker I am for the water.
As I drove out of Wellington, the coast was looking pretty damn milky, and I wasn't fancying my chances. I shouldn't have worried. The water in Waiorua bay, near the tip of Kapiti, gave up what I guessed to be 8 to 12 metre visibility, and was quite simply, gorgeous. Remarkably shark-free too, which is always nice.
I've long though that the best thing about the water is the unusual things. A dive in Mebourne had me looking at near 20m visibility in shallow water, and I used to time to explore for the tiny or interesting little things you'd normally overlook. The number and variety of seaweeds in the bay was outstanding, with a mass of colours, textures and shapes. The fish life? Dull. But I saw the biggest freakin stingray I've ever seen and the water teemed with all kinds of bizarre planktonesque 'stuff'.
People like to talk about the tropics and reefs, but to me a tropical reef is the marine equivalent of a bottle blond. Damn nice to look at, but undoubtedly dull and uninspiring.
Waiorua bay is a fantastic shore dive. You can get there, including DoC permits, ferry and the like for less than the cost of your average boat dive, and it's far and away the best water I've snorkelled in the North Island. I already have another trip booked for February.
And the Lodge! John Barrett switched on the hospitality for us like you wouldn't believe. Included in the nights accommodation cost are four meals, and take it from an old lush like me, they were worth every toasted sandwich dinner I put up with to save for the trip.
You'd want to be quick though, the Lodge is already booked out until mid-January, and only sleeps ten. Get yourself a few good friends, some nice red wine, and get on over there. You won't regret a moment.