Kapiti Island - Roadside Stories

A Manatū Taonga audio guide to the warriors, whalers and wildlife of Kapiti Island. Check out the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's audio guide in the image carousel above.

Once a base for the famous chief Te Rauparaha and the Ngāti Toa tribe, with up to 3,000 occupants, Kapiti Island was the site of six whaling stations in the 1830s. It later became a wildlife sanctuary, where the eradication of pests has allowed kiwi, takahē, kōkako and other rare birds to flourish.

Kapiti and Mana islands,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/wellington-places/17

Ngāti Toarangatira,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/ngati-toarangatira

Te Rauparaha,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1t74

Island sanctuaries,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/nearshore-islands/5

Kapiti Island, a natural fortress,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/ngati-toarangatira/2/1

Jillett's whaling station,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/whaling/2/3

Land birds -- overview,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/land-birds-overview

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Roadside Stories are a series of audio guides to places of interest on major road trips in New Zealand. Each guide tells the story of an attraction along the way -- its people, its history, its cultural and natural significance. For more information about Roadside Stories visit http://www.mch.govt.nz/roadside/