Kapiti Island

We visited Kapiti Island on Sunday. Only 50 people are allowed on the island per day, as it is a nature reserve which has the rare status of rat and possum free thanks to many years of conservation efforts. We were taken out there on a boat, and enjoyed the sight of a couple of penguins bobbing around us. Once we got to the island we were greeted by a guide, as well as some cheeky wild Kaka (native parrots) and Weka (flightless bird, a bit like a rail) who proceeded to check our bags for freebies!

We decided to walk up a steep track to the summit, which is 520 metres above sea level. Along the way we encountered lots of rare native birds such as stitchbirds, red-crowned parakeets and weka. We were also visited by a few Kaka, which happily landed on our shoulders ready to unzip our bags! It was a gorgeous day and therefore a hard climb to the top, but we made it and enjoyed lunch with a panoramic view. The walk down was much better, and at the bottom Toni couldn't wait to have a paddle in the crystal clear sea. A seal came by to say hello and that made our day complete. We then got home, had a shower and went to a bbq at a friend's house.. it's a tough life.

These boots are made for walking.

Toni, Karlee and Yohei










After a great Christmas and New Year in Gisborne, we have been busy training for the 80km Heaphy Track, which will be 5 days amongst some of the most beautiful scenery of New Zealand. We have been joined on the last two hikes by Toni's third cousin Karlee and her partner Yohei who will be among the 16 people doing the track. On Saturday we walked around Eastborne, which was pretty tough at the start, but we were greeted by an ice cream van and a beach to dip our feet into at the end!

Lake Rotoiti,

We visited the family batch in Rotorua last year, and this is one of the surrounding lakes, just before the mossies started biting! We had a great time with lots of Toni's family there.