Kapiti Island

KAPITI ISLAND ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL | Kapiti Island Information

Kapiti Island is a small island and protected nature reserve about 8 kilometres off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand.

On Kapiti Island many of the bird species living on the island are now rare or extinct on the mainland. A permit is needed to visit the island with a maximum of 50 people each day. Visitors can obtain permits through the Department of Conservation's Wellington office.

Since pest abolition, bird numbers have increased steadily. The little spotted kiwi prospers on Kapiti. Recently, 20 captive-bred short-tailed bats were released on the island, in the world's first successful translocation of bats for conservation purposes. Everything on the island is fully protected; all litter must be removed and no fires are allowed.

Kapiti Island History

In the 18th and 19th centuries Maori settled on the island. Te Rauparaha formed a base here, and his Ngati Toa tribe continually sailed in canoes on raiding journeys up to the Whanganui River and down to Marlborough.

Main Towns in the Wellington Region

Other Towns in the Wellington Region