New way to see national treasure
19 Oct 2006
Visitors to Kapiti Island, just north of Wellington, can now experience the conservation in a new way with the opening of a day track at the island’s northern end.
The newly constructed loop track and visitor facilities, including a shelter, toilets and lookout are operated under a Department of Conservation (DOC) permitting system allowing groups of up to 18 people to visit the island’s north end per day. The permit system is designed to safeguard the island’s conservation values while enhancing the visitor experience.
Built with a gentle gradient, the four kilometre track provides easy walking access to a variety of landscapes from coastal areas to mature forest. Beginning in the Okupe Valley, walkers journey up the ridgeback to cliff tops overlooking the Cook Straight, before looping back down the valley. An additional coastal track is opened up during the non bird breeding months from April to October.
‘It offers a new perspective on Kapiti Island, one of our national treasures. The landscape and views at the north end are very different to those of the nature reserve at Rangatira,’ says DOC Kapiti Area manager Ian Cooksley.
Free from introduced predators, Kapiti Island is renowned as one of the nation’s most important sites for native bird recovery. With such a diverse cross section of landscape visited on the track, visitors have the potential to view a selection of these rare and protected birds.
The freshwater Okupe Lagoon features royal spoonbills, herons and the rare brown teal, while around the seasonal coastal track shags, white-fronted terns, reef herons and oystercatchers can be viewed.
Further inland, takahe, weka, kakariki and the North Island robin can be found in the shrubland, while in the regenerating five finger and mahoe forest and denser mature kohekohe and tawa forests tui, bellbirds, kaka and kereru can be seen and heard.
Interested visitors can book their permits though the Department of Conservation’s Wellington Information Centre.
Further Information:
Wellington Conservation Information Centre
Phone +64 4 472 7356
Email kapiti.island@doc.govt.nz
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