Kāpiti Island: birds of paradise
16 March 2025
Lying only 15 minutes off Paraparaumu by boat and only 90 minutes north of Wellington by road, Kāpiti Island is New Zealand’s most accessible offshore wildlife sanctuary.
Get up close with the native avian wonders of Kāpiti Island
Kāpiti Island is one of the few easily accessible offshore nature reserves in New Zealand.
Just 15 minutes – by boat, of course – off the coast of Paraparaumu, the distinctively shaped island can only be accessed by approved tour operators to protect the unique ecosystem.
While once the island was home to around 2,000 hardy folk in the dark days of whaling, today its only residents are native birds.
Kāpiti Island was designated a bird sanctuary way back in 1897 and thanks to an extensive predator eradication programme, its mature native bush now teems with species that are rare, endangered or virtually unheard of on the mainland.
Fantails flutter alongside kōkako; kiwi and takahē snuffle in the undergrowth, while tūī, saddlebacks and curious kākā soar through the trees.
The boat ride there and back is rather pretty, too, with the marine reserve around the island home to seals and dolphins.
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Kāpiti Island
things you need to know
- To get to the Kāpiti Island you must book transport with an authorised provider.
- The ferry departs from Paraparaumu Beach at approximately 9am each day. The boat ride across the marine reserve takes around 20 minutes.
- Private vessels such as kayaks, boats, paddle boards and jet skis are not allowed to land on Kāpiti Island.
- No one can land on the island without a permit.
- Download the Kāpiti Island guide here
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