 Nature
reserves are areas set aside for the protection of native plants an animals,
where human influence is kept to an absolute minimum. Every effort is
made to minimise the adverse affects of any introduced plants or animals
that have managed to establish on the island.
Kapiti is one of New Zealand's most valuable nature reserves. It is the
only large island sanctuary for birds between Hauraki Gulf in the north
and New Zealand' southern outlying islands.
Most people never get an opportunity to visit nature reserves because
access to them is so difficult. Kapiti is unusual because it is one of
the few relatively accessible island nature reserves.  It
provides an opportunity for people to observe birds that are either very
rare or absent from the mainland, and to see the recovery of vegetation
after intensive modification during last century.
Kapiti lies about 5 kilometres off the west coast of the southern North
Island. Its 10 kilometres long and about 2 kilometres wide, covering an
area of 1,965 hectares. The highest point, Tuteremoana, is 520 m above
sea level.
A Marine reserve spans the gap between the mainland and Kapiti; a smaller
area off the north-western shore of Kapiti is also marine reserve.
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