We visited the island with a guided tour. If you are not familiar with the island, it is best to find a guide too it will make you enjoy your time on the island more and will make you more familiar with wildlife than most. Note that the ship travels once a day, so the visit must be a full day. (From 9am to 4pm, but also depending on the season). Also make sure to bring lunch and seal it in case there are bugs. We highly recommend this and for us this tour gives us a good idea of the New Zealand birds.