A Delightful Stay on Kapiti Island

Forest and Bird, Issue 171, 1 February 1969, Page 8

A Delightful Stay on Kapiti Island

By

W. H. PRESTON-THOMAS

LAST spring 1 had the opportunity of a delightful 2% weeks’ stay on peaceful Kapiti Island. Having been asked to act as ranger until the permanent appointee arrived, I was able to live alone amid the island’s beauty of bush bird life and appreciate the views of the mainland, with snow-clad mountains in the background, and of the South Island. Wild Creatures Fearless It was most pleasing to see how fearless most of the wild creatures were. One of my jobs was to feed the birds, and the large parrot-like kakas would perch on my head or shoulders to take dates from my fingers.

The wingless wekas would run round my feet, picking up date fragments which fell to the ground, and were often joined by tuis. ' Kaka’s Nose Tweak One kaka in particular, Charlie, would lean down with his face by my cheek and' give a little squawk for another date; once when 1 was busy feeding the others he leant forward and gave the tip of my nose a gentle tweak! Needless to say, he got another date at once. The wekas had a nest under a fern about 2 ft from the main path and one could go within a yard of it and see a bird on it with

two chicks, which soon would take titbits from my hands.

On the lawn just outside the office windows large native pigeons and pukekos could be seen feeding just a few yards away, their brilliant colours lovely in the sunshine. Also there were bellbirds and tuis round their bowl of sugar-water. In the trees were native

robins, red-headed bright-green parrakeets, the odd whitehead and ; saddleback, and of course many fantails. I twice saw kiwis on the lawn and penguins round the house and whare at night, and seals came on to the beach. , One afternoon 1 accompanied a party of officials to the trig station (1,700 ft), which was a pleasant but fairly rugged walk through thick bush containing numbers of other birds. Wekas* Curiosity The well-known curiosity of the wekas was shown twice. Once a discarded tin was left overnight in., the scrap bucket, but had vanished by morning to be found later by the wekas’ nest. Another time I lay face down on the lawn to enjoy a sun bathe when I felt gentle tugs at my metal wrist-watch strap and found that they had been made by a weka. There was much overcast or wet weather during my stay and at these times pukekos and pigeons liked to browse on the lawn, where the feeding platform was placed. One could look over the lawn and across the paddock and sea to the mainland, studded at night with the lights of the townships and cars moving along the main road. Having helped the permanent ranger and his wife to become established, I returned home with the thought that I would like another sojourn on lovely Kapiti Island. ‘

Donations to Waikaremoana Lodge Fund

THE following donations have been received for the Waikaremoana Lodge Fund $ J. A. S. Howard, Marton . . . . 1.00 E. Dear, Palmerston North . . . . 1.00 L. B. Williams, Napier . . . 25.00 L. H. Lloyd, Hastings . . ... 5.00 J. S. Heighway, Hastings . . . . 2.00 Miss N. Tanner, Hastings .. .. 1.00 Mrs C. F. Osboldstone, Havelock North . . . . . . . . 2.00 Wairoa Section . . . . . . 60.00 Hastings-Havelock North Branch . . 10.00 Mrs M. E. Somerville, Wairoa ... 1.00 L. and W. B. Young, Hamilton . . 20.00 These donations bring the amount available for building to $5,884.86. It is hoped to have the building erected this summer.

Three Lakes Now Part of Northland Domain

LAKE Waikare (100 acres) has now been included in the Taharoa Domain, north-west of Dargaville, which already includes Lakes Taharoa (720 acres) and Kai Iwi (80 acres), the Minister of Lands, Mr Duncan Maclntyre, said recently.

“The 1,275-acre domain has a tremendous potential for development as one of the main recreational areas of Northland,” Mr Maclntyre . said. “There js water ski-ing on Lake Waikare and safe swimming, sailing, and boating on the other lakes. The domain is close to the Trounson and Waipoua kauri forests and within easy distance of the west coast beaches.”

Until recently the lakes were almost unknown to the public. Originally they were part of the 20,000-acre Omamari Farm Settlement block, which the Department of Lands and Survey is developing as farm units.

The domain is 5 miles by metalled road from Maropiu, on State Highway No. 12. It is controlled by the Hobson County Council as domain board.

However, about another $l,OOO is required urgently to enable all essential interior services to be done, and a much larger amount is needed to complete the lodge inside and outside. The final plan, which was approved at the last Council meeting, provides for five 4-bunk rooms and sleeping room for four on the wall seats of the communal room. The original plan had to be modified because of the big increase in building costs and lack of funds, but the lodge is still designed for the maximum comfort and privacy for family groups. The Waikaremoana Lodge Building- Committee is appealing to all members, as well as branches and sections, to support the endeavour to build this lodge. Donations should be sent to Mr Ivor Sinton, Rutherford Street, Wairoa, who is the treasurer of the lodge building committee. ■