Lovely cruise with a very positive vibe from the crew and other passengers, who were a wide range of nationalities. Perfect day for sailing, and a lovely tramp up the hill of the sanctuary island. Lots of good information, together with sightings of dolphins, penguins, albatrosses and other seabirds, but no kiwis.
We got a bonus by bringing back a team of researchers who had released some young kiwis on the island and monitored others, and told us all of their work.
I still think it is possible that kiwis do not actually exist, and may be a collective joke New Zealanders are playing on tourists. Many people talk about their encounters with them, but I've still never actually seen one in the wild.