Wandering kiwi thrills family hosts

Athene Greenaway has had a closeup kiwi encounter she will never forget after a bird called K59 swapped native bush for her family home.

K59 (above) wandered into the house on Ngahere Drive in Maunu, about 500m outside Pukenui Forest, about 2pm on Easter Monday. It had to cross busy Maunu Rd (SH14) to get to the Greenaways’ home.

The adventurer marched across the lounge — “It was such a special moment”, said Greenaway.

A series of phone calls led Athene and husband Roger to Pukenui Western Hills Forest Charitable Trust ranger Bevan Cramp, who responded to the call for help immediately.

Greenaway said the two-hour visit was “an insane experience”.

The female bird was one of 12 adult kiwi released with transmitters into the Pukenui Forest on March 17. They are being monitored for 12 months.

They were raised on Hauraki Gulf kiwi-creche island Motuora, but incubated at Auckland Zoo.

Anyone who sees or hears a kiwi near the edge or outside the forest is asked to contact Cramp immediately on pukenuiranger@gmail.com