i hope none of you died, llamas.

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In the middle of Wellington Harbour is a little island with a big history.  Just a short ferry ride away from Wellington City, Days Bay, or Seatoun, Maitu/Somes Island is the perfect day trip.

The island is a wildlife conservation reserve so new arrivals to the island are first shuttled into a biosecurity checkpoint.  Prior to our arrival I was worried about what this might mean, but the whole process was fairly stress free.  You are to check your pockets and gear for any rogue seeds or animals that may be stowed away, and you may be asked to brush your shoes to clean off any soil.  We arrived on one of the earlier trips so there were just the three of us to check and it went fairly quickly.  This gave the volunteer, Mike, time to give us a bit of the history about the island before the next ferry arrived.

Originally Maitu Island when it was settled by Maori explorer, Kupe, the island has had many faces over the years.   As Europeans began to settle in New Zealand, the island was renamed Somes Island and over the years it was home to a quarantine station for immigrants, an internment camp during both world wars, an animal quarantine, and though the guns were never fired, it was also set up as a strategic defense station during World War II.  Only in recent years has it become a scientific and historical reserve owned by Maori, but cared for by the Department of Conservation.  Even today there are relics of the island's past.

Gravestone inscription:
"Fell Asleep in Jesus"
There are two stories that stuck with me the most.  The first of which comes from the time when Maitu/Somes island was an immigrant quarantine station.  Upon arrival to New Zealand, immigrants were sent to the Smoke House for a delousing.  Many of these people were already sick with diseases picked up on the long, overseas journey and their welcome was to be sent into a warm building with slatted floors and slatted seats and fire underneath.  To make matters worse, it wasn't just a wood fire burning in the smoke house, they also added sulphur and cyanide to the mix.  No cupcakes though.  As you can imagine, there were quite a few deaths from the delousing process itself.  The youngest death on the island was that of a newborn, just one day old.

The other story is that at one point, Europeans thought it wise to completely burn the entire island, killing virtually everything.  The only animal to survive was the Little Blue Penguin.  I like to think that it was because penguins are awesome, but more realistically it was likely because penguins spend most of their day in the ocean only come back to the island at night.

Pinecones on an island!

Looking for giant weta

Now the island is lush and full of wildlife.  On our visit we saw sheep, red crowned parakeets, sheep, New Zealand black beetles, giant weta, geckos, and Big Mac, one of the island's many tuatara.  The volunteers on the island are absolutely wonderful and if they are free are more than happy to help you spot some of the island's native animals.  If you want to see a tuatara, I highly recommend bringing a pair of binoculars as they like to hideout and are practically impossible to spot with the naked eye.

Lunch & a song at the top of the island
We were on the island for a little over three hours and were able to hit all the major points and have a short picnic lunch.  There are conveniently benches and picnic tables placed all around the island, though there are no food shops on site so you must bring your own food along and take all your trash off the island when you go.  If you want a longer experience you can camp in a tent or rent one of two halls for a larger group.  All overnight visitors must book in advance.  Camping in the winter months is not recommended, but making a day trip during the off-season is definitely a good idea.  If you are lucky, you might get the entire island to yourself!





No matter how long your visit, remember to respect the space and the animals who call the island home.  Keep an eye out in the bush, but be sure to keep to the path.  You don't want to squash a giant weta by accident!  Walking slowly and keeping quiet will help you see more creatures and also makes a more pleasant experience for everyone else on the island.





Exploring the animal quarantine station



A volunteer helped us find a giant weta



Pretty certain this is an alien bush.

Not native to Somes Island, predatory birds have been sighted
recently, wreaking havoc on the lives of birds who call the
island home.



These birds are some of the most brightly coloured creatures in New Zealand, but they still do a good job of blending in!





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