Napier was the second of the double-visit ports on the itinerary. We only had about eight hours in port and I had chosen a combination scenery and wildlife excursion to Cape Kidnappers and the gannet colony. I really wasn’t sure what to expect on this “safari”. To be honest, I wasn’t even certain that I wanted to do this one. How many birds can you watch before you get bored? The answer is “thousands and thousands”. This turned out to be one of my favorite excursions of the entire trip.
We hopped onto buses and were taken on a quick city highlights tour on the way to Cape Kidnappers. In case anybody is interested, I’ll tell you how this piece of land got its name. Captain Cook explored New Zealand extensively. He had a Tahitian cabin boy and the local Maoris mistakenly thought that he was a prisoner or slave. So while Cook was exploring the area, the Maori natives kidnapped the cabin boy. Cook eventually resolved the problem somehow and the cabin boy was returned. The site was named Cape Kidnappers and that’s how it’s known today. That’s the story as I heard it but I can’t vouch for its accuracy.
Anyway, we were on paved roads for a while, driving through some of the small communities on the way to the Cape. Then the roads turned to dirt, wound through woods for a bit, then we began going up and down some pretty steep hills. This was the first of several very “exciting” drives I would make while in New Zealand. The
road was extremely narrow, very winding (bendy, the locals call it) and very steep! I swear that the rear wheels had to be off the road when the front of the bus went around some of those curves. Oh, they don’t have guard rails down there, either. The trick is to stop looking but the scenery is so gorgeous that it’s hard to do. After a while we began to pass through Clifton Station, a huge sheep and cattle ranch on just about the most spectacular piece of land I can 
imagine. It stretches all the way to the sea and the views from the cliffs are just incredible! We stopped alongside the cliffs for some pictures and I didn’t know what to shoot first. I started with the cliffs, then the valleys with all the grazing animals, then the views across the water back towards Napier. I swear, it was impossible to take a bad picture. Every view was a postcard. I didn’t know it at the time but I had already taken a picture of the gannet colony on the cliff top off in the distance.
We re-boarded the bus and wound our way from the cliffs down into the valley. After a short distance on flat
road, more or less, we started the very steep climb to the top of Cape Kidnappers. This was the scariest part of the drive, then you reach the summit and you’re face to face with thousands of the most beautiful birds you’ve ever seen. They’re a creamy white color, tipped in black, with golden heads. We were able to stand within a few feet of maybe five thousand nesting birds and 
they didn’t seem to notice at all. One interesting thing was that each nest was situated at a certain distance from the surrounding nests. I was told that this keeps each bird just out of “pecking range” of the ones around it. Again, I can’t tell you if that’s true but it sure sounds good! Also, did you know that gannets mate for life? Better than most humans, huh? Oh, and by the way, the views from the cliffs overlooking the sea were simply amazing. I’m running short on superlatives…..
Too soon, we had to board the buses for the trip back to town. The trip back didn’t seem as scary as before, for some reason. On the way back to Napier, we stopped at the home of the tour company owner for a light lunch, served outside in a beautiful garden-like atmosphere. They served sandwiches, salads, drinks and a fantastic assortment of desserts. It was a great way to end the excursion.
We hopped onto buses and were taken on a quick city highlights tour on the way to Cape Kidnappers. In case anybody is interested, I’ll tell you how this piece of land got its name. Captain Cook explored New Zealand extensively. He had a Tahitian cabin boy and the local Maoris mistakenly thought that he was a prisoner or slave. So while Cook was exploring the area, the Maori natives kidnapped the cabin boy. Cook eventually resolved the problem somehow and the cabin boy was returned. The site was named Cape Kidnappers and that’s how it’s known today. That’s the story as I heard it but I can’t vouch for its accuracy.Anyway, we were on paved roads for a while, driving through some of the small communities on the way to the Cape. Then the roads turned to dirt, wound through woods for a bit, then we began going up and down some pretty steep hills. This was the first of several very “exciting” drives I would make while in New Zealand. The
road was extremely narrow, very winding (bendy, the locals call it) and very steep! I swear that the rear wheels had to be off the road when the front of the bus went around some of those curves. Oh, they don’t have guard rails down there, either. The trick is to stop looking but the scenery is so gorgeous that it’s hard to do. After a while we began to pass through Clifton Station, a huge sheep and cattle ranch on just about the most spectacular piece of land I can 
imagine. It stretches all the way to the sea and the views from the cliffs are just incredible! We stopped alongside the cliffs for some pictures and I didn’t know what to shoot first. I started with the cliffs, then the valleys with all the grazing animals, then the views across the water back towards Napier. I swear, it was impossible to take a bad picture. Every view was a postcard. I didn’t know it at the time but I had already taken a picture of the gannet colony on the cliff top off in the distance.We re-boarded the bus and wound our way from the cliffs down into the valley. After a short distance on flat
road, more or less, we started the very steep climb to the top of Cape Kidnappers. This was the scariest part of the drive, then you reach the summit and you’re face to face with thousands of the most beautiful birds you’ve ever seen. They’re a creamy white color, tipped in black, with golden heads. We were able to stand within a few feet of maybe five thousand nesting birds and 
they didn’t seem to notice at all. One interesting thing was that each nest was situated at a certain distance from the surrounding nests. I was told that this keeps each bird just out of “pecking range” of the ones around it. Again, I can’t tell you if that’s true but it sure sounds good! Also, did you know that gannets mate for life? Better than most humans, huh? Oh, and by the way, the views from the cliffs overlooking the sea were simply amazing. I’m running short on superlatives….. 
Too soon, we had to board the buses for the trip back to town. The trip back didn’t seem as scary as before, for some reason. On the way back to Napier, we stopped at the home of the tour company owner for a light lunch, served outside in a beautiful garden-like atmosphere. They served sandwiches, salads, drinks and a fantastic assortment of desserts. It was a great way to end the excursion.
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