Driving from Rotorua to Wellington in one day was the longest day of driving I had done at the time. About an hour north of the capital I needed to straight my legs and get a breathe of fresh sea air to stop myself falling asleep. Turning off Highway One I randomly came to Otaki Beach. Although not the most picturesque beach, the drift wood featured here in the foreground was pretty usual. In the background of this photograph is Kapiti Island. This is a small (5km long) nature reserve home to a number of re-introduced native birds such as Takahe, Weka, Morepork and Kokako amongst many others.