A break on the Kapiti Coast is an enchanted chance to unwind, writes Cloe Willetts
You'll never fully understand the beauty of iconic Kapiti Island until you've hovered above its peak at sunset, as the sky falls in early evening pastels and the tips of native trees gather as silhouettes.
It's a Saturday evening as we trail the rolling slopes by helicopter, taking in the sights of sea and an island more than 200 million years old.
I've visited the pest-free sanctuary by boat as many locals do, to hike its spiralling tracks and witness the array of preserved bird life.
Tonight though, accompanied by local pilot and Kapiti Heliworx owner Dennis Young, a friend and I are taking in the Kapiti Island Scenic Tour.
The 18-minute trip, one of a choice of short distance, day-long and overnight services departing from Paraparaumu airport, is the quickest, most exciting way to grasp the coast's most picturesque views.
My Irish friend, who is visiting Kapiti for the first time, soaks in the hills through the glass, as pre-recorded headset audio details the island's rich ancestral and eco history.
The stunning views have overshadowed any pre-flight nerves for my heights-conscious friend, who describes the experience as one of the best he's had during his two years in New Zealand.
Kapiti's beaches and calm pace are a refreshingly tranquil step away from Christchurch's concrete jungle he says, where, like many internationals, he's working to help rebuild the city.
A day into a weekend of local activities, he has fallen for the charm of the Wellington region's thriving coastal township.
As we prepare to land on Raumati Beach, a small crowd of locals is gathered, eager to fill their cameras with sunlit helicopter snaps.
We stroll from the beach to one of Kapiti's long-running restaurants The Waterfront Bar.
Taken over last year by locals Ricardo Reis, Blair Nicholl and Kate Whiting, the restaurant's recent revamp has added sophistication to a laidback setting and a menu focused on local ingredients.
Seated at a window table with views of the island, we begin by tucking into the aptly named Waterfront Plate, a platter filled with a selection of cold meats, cheese, pickles, breads and dips.
It's going to be my favourite course of the evening, I decide.
Regionally caught fish follows, served on a pea and bacon risotto with burned butter and capers, along with the restaurant's vegetarian option, the Fresh Bongusto Casarecce — a generous dish of roasted kumara and toasted pinenuts, topped with sage butter and pecorino cheese.
By the time we finish our warm sticky date pudding and a creamy concoction of affogato and Baileys, it's nearly 10pm and we head to the resort across the road, aglow with illuminated palm trees.
Raumati Sands Resort, boasting 20 two-storey apartments and a set of new owners, overlooks Kapiti's bowling club and the Marine Gardens Reserve, and is just steps from the shopping strip.
Encased in palm trees and upper-level balconies, the complex is a private, spacious haven, with outdoor heated pool and hot tub.
The Waterfront co-owner Ricardo Reis. Photo / Maggie Mouat, Luvly
In the morning, we set off refreshed and ready for a day's exploring of bush tracks and quirky suburban coffee spots. Time is of the essence because this afternoon we have a beer tasting planned.
Tuatara, New Zealand's multi-award winning craft beer brand, is among a collection of entrepreneurial successes in Kapiti.
It began as a backyard operation for founder Carl Vasta from his Waikanae home and quickly spiralled, going on to fill both national and international markets.
According to the Irishman new to the many tastes, aromas and potencies of Tuatara, that success makes sense.
As we test a series of styles in the tasting room, Vasta answers my questions with quiet modesty, despite having collected a stream of awards including more than 20 gold titles.
Visitors to the tasting room learn about the beer brewing process, as well as the varying styles and origins of Tuatara's most popular blends. Alongside a tasting tray of four must-try beers, guests are given four small food courses, made from local produce and paired with each beer.
It's an unusually dark Sunday for the coast, so instead of going out for dinner we pick up takeaways and head in for a peaceful night.
Our new accommodation is Waikanae's Te Nikau Forest Retreat, a self-contained holiday home tucked in soaring native bush.
Owned by locals Elizabeth and Bryan Couchman, the wooden retreat has high curved roofs, with pockets of glass for night-time star gazing and large barn doors that open out to private decking and a sheltered spa area.
The track towards the two-storey bach takes us into a world that suddenly feels miles away from anyone or anywhere else, the unfamiliar quiet broken only by the trickling of a neighbouring stream and sounds of birdlife. The peace makes me realise how greatly I needed to escape.
We fill our glasses with a bottle of the award-winning Ohau Gravels Pinot Gris 2009, left as a welcome gift and head to the spa, illuminated by the glow of red lights and hanging candles.
The birds are now quiet but the stream continues its gentle flow, momentarily drowned out by the clinking of wine glasses.
The sky is black and the warmth of the water counteracts the fresh night-time chill and, as hours of conversation pass, the evening again pulls us into a relaxed bed-ready daze.
"I'd never guess a place like this would exist in Kapiti," my friend tells me.
I suppose you can never fully understand the beauty of a place until you've hovered through its sunset, dined on ingredients from its soil, and slept among its trees.
Kapiti Island during sunset. Photo / Cloe Willetts
CHECKLIST
Getting there:Air New Zealand flies daily from Auckland to Paraparaumu.
