Kiwi!

They gave their name to the people of this country and to the famous kiwifruit and, because almost all visitors to New Zealand leave without seeing one, they've taken on an almost mythical reputation. But on our way back from the Queen Charlotte Track, we saw a real, live kiwi!

A group of workers from the Department of Conservation were sharing our water taxi and had just picked up a young kiwi on an island nearby. The story goes that he was taken by DoC as an egg from Franz Josef on the west coast, where kiwi chicks are at risk from predators, and he had spent the first few months of his life on a predator-free island in the Marlborough Sounds. It was now time for him to return home, where he is expected to double in size over the next year. We'll definitely keep an eye out for the little guy when we get to Franz Josef! As lucky as we felt to see a kiwi, especially so close up, we'd still much prefer to see one foraging around in its natural habitat.

Rachel x