Paul Ward: a local guide to nature

If there's anyone who knows his way around the Wellington trails, it's Paul Ward. As founder and project lead at Capital Kiwi, Paul is returning taonga species like the kiwi to Wellington's hills. An enthusiastic runner, hitting the trails in the Waimapihi Reserve turned into trapping rats and stoats. Then came his ambitious lightbulb moment. Twenty thousand-odd hectares of wind-swept coastal hill country on the city fringe — why not reintroduce kiwi here? "More than a few people thought I was mad" says Paul. Now, with over two hundred birds released into the wild, Paul and his team spend their days monitoring trap lines, weighing kiwi chicks, and watching over the precious birds he's helped return home.

On the trails

When it comes to a favourite Wellington trail, Paul is a little biased. "Pre-Capital Kiwi, I would have said somewhere in Waimapihi, like Clinical. That's the track where we found the first tīeke or saddleback nesting in the wild 12 years ago." Just minutes from the city centre, Waimapihi Reserve offers world-class mountain biking trails, walking trails and some of the best bird song around.

"Nowadays, I have a lot of affection for the wild west," says Paul, referring to the rustic western coastline of the Wellington region. "Those parts of Te Upoko o te Ika where the wind and salt lash the hillsides. They're scrappy, they're scrubby. Kiwi are reestablishing there. That's pretty sweet." The southwestern hills of Wellington are rugged and dramatic. Try the Red Rocks Coastal Walk or the Mākara Walkway for a truly wild Wellington experience.

Bush tucker

When it comes to fuelling his outdoor adventures, Paul has a go-to. "You can't go past a DIY picnic from Commonsense Organics." With stores in Kilbirnie, Tory Street, and Lower Hutt, Commonsense Organics has some of the freshest food in the city. "For a special occasion, Rita in Aro Valley is pretty great," Paul adds.

Like all Wellingtonians, Paul fuels up on coffee before heading for the hills. His spot? "Customs on Ghuznee Street, it has an amazing sun trap even with that low winter sun."

Bird is the word

When out in the bush, Paul's favourite bird to spot might surprise you. "This is going to be a scandalous answer: it's not the kiwi. When I was a kid, the kōkako was the bird that hooked me." With a small population on Kapiti Island, you'll have a take the ferry out to spot one of these elusive birds.  

But where to go for the iconic kiwi? Paul has the inside scoop. "Head out on Mākara Peak, go night riding, anywhere along that southwestern edge of the skyline. We know there are birds around places like Johnston Hill. Pick a still, dry night when the moon's not very bright and go and listen to some kiwi calling."

Capital Kiwi and all the other incredible community conservation efforts are changing the face of Wellington. They're bringing the bird song back into the city and rewilding its surrounding hills.

Southerly or northerly? "The in-between," laughs Paul. "Any local knows that."