Lyn Wade of Little Barrier Supporters' Trust was our guide for the walk and pointed out all manner of flora and fauna. The bush was teeming with singing bellbirds and tuis. We also heard and saw saddlebacks, kakas, fantails, robins, whiteheads and the rare yellow-crowned parakeet. Recent dry weather had brought some of the island's brown kiwi out to feed during the day and we disturbed one of these on the track much to our surprise! The forest was full of Kauri - largely untouched except the lower slopes that were logged in the 1880's. We continued on a soft carpet of moss to the highest point on Thumb ridge for lunch and then came back down another ridge to a breathtaking view from sheer cliffs across clear water to the boulder beach. We then followed a dry stream bed down a valley filled with very large lush nikau palms and came out on the flat again.
Then past an array of solar panels back to the ranger's house where we were treated to a feeding round at the baby tuatara enclosures. The island's tuatara population reached such a critical point a few years ago that a breeding program was established with great success. The ranger's son Liam showed us his museum which included a fascinating collection of rocks, kauri gum, bones and shells found on the island. At 4:00 pm we re-loaded our gear and were shuttled out to the waiting dive boat. Our fellow passengers had been diving whilst we tramped and had caught quite a few crayfish. The trip back was smoother and faster thanks to a following sea. We arrived dry, happy and content with no seasick passengers at about 5:00pm ready for the drive back to Auckland.