On October 10, 2003, I dove at the Poor Knights Islands with Dive Tutukaka, which did a fine job. The entire crew -- my DM Dan, the lovely and multi-talented Crystal (she also works at the restaurant affiliated with Dive Tutukaka), Brenda and Kate (both of whom are also lovely) and the captain, whose name, I regret to say, I cannot remember -- was very nice and helpful.
The Poor Knights are about 15 km off the east coast of the north island in New Zealand, about 90 miles above Auckland. Water temperature required a 7mm farmerjohn and jacket with a hood (all of which were rented from the dive op) and gloves, and an attendant 12 kilograms of weight. At least two DMs were in drysuits.
The weather was sunny and good, for the first time in a week, and swells were only the average 3 ft. or so for the 45 minute drive to the sites. The previous day, swells had been up to six feet, which would have made the trip pretty rough.
The boat had thirteen divers, plus three DMs in the water. We did two dives. On each, one DM took six who were completing their OW course. A second DM took three divers who hadn't been out for a while, a third DM took me and one other fellow, and one buddy pair was together.
The Poor Knights have over sixty listed dive sites. We dove the Magic Wall and the adjacent Blue Maomao Arch, which were selected, I believe, to accommodate the skill levels of the divers. My maximum depth was about 60 feet at the wall (though one certainly could have dived deeper there), and 40 feet at the arch. My DM did a good job of pointing out fish life and such, and allowed each of us to dive our air. Water visibility was excellent at least fifty feet. Both dives involve swimming above or through fields of kelp and other vegetation; this was a new experience for me, and did not detract at all from the dive.
Both sites have lots of fishlife, though, to my mind, not as many varieties as at Osprey Reef or GBR. Living things seen included: red crayfish, kina and black spiny urchins galore, long-tailed stingray, at least six gray morays (often, nestled next to urchins), scorpionfish, banded perch, bluefish, Sandagers wrasse (male), several types of triplefins, male leatherjacket, blue maomoas in schools, and several types of nudibranches (my first of those).
Blue Maomao Arch is great fun. Its a swim-through, with the bottom being huge boulders. In addition, an above-water-level hole in the arch wall lets in light, in a pretty spectacular way. We emerged into huge schools of blue maomaos and, I think, koherus.
We were accompanied by two small dolphins on the way out, and spied an orca on the way back. We got fairly close to the latter, but it never bothered to pose well for the camera I do have the dorsal fin on film.
I recommend highly the Pacific Rendezvous Hotel in Tutukaka. Its on a cliff at the entrance to the Tutukaka harbour and offers magnificent views. Try for rooms 5 or 6.
New Zealand and its people are lovely, though dont think California when you hear Oakland, or that a buddy peer is a diver who happens to be knighted.
The countryside north of Auckland is agricultural, very hilly, and beautiful. Aside from the highways around Auckland, there are only two-lane roads that have few flat or straight segments; so, even though the traffic in the countryside is minimal, dont equate short distances with short drive times.
Most importantly, perhaps, remember to cheer loudly for the All Blacks, the planet's only real rugby team.
The Poor Knights are about 15 km off the east coast of the north island in New Zealand, about 90 miles above Auckland. Water temperature required a 7mm farmerjohn and jacket with a hood (all of which were rented from the dive op) and gloves, and an attendant 12 kilograms of weight. At least two DMs were in drysuits.
The weather was sunny and good, for the first time in a week, and swells were only the average 3 ft. or so for the 45 minute drive to the sites. The previous day, swells had been up to six feet, which would have made the trip pretty rough.
The boat had thirteen divers, plus three DMs in the water. We did two dives. On each, one DM took six who were completing their OW course. A second DM took three divers who hadn't been out for a while, a third DM took me and one other fellow, and one buddy pair was together.
The Poor Knights have over sixty listed dive sites. We dove the Magic Wall and the adjacent Blue Maomao Arch, which were selected, I believe, to accommodate the skill levels of the divers. My maximum depth was about 60 feet at the wall (though one certainly could have dived deeper there), and 40 feet at the arch. My DM did a good job of pointing out fish life and such, and allowed each of us to dive our air. Water visibility was excellent at least fifty feet. Both dives involve swimming above or through fields of kelp and other vegetation; this was a new experience for me, and did not detract at all from the dive.
Both sites have lots of fishlife, though, to my mind, not as many varieties as at Osprey Reef or GBR. Living things seen included: red crayfish, kina and black spiny urchins galore, long-tailed stingray, at least six gray morays (often, nestled next to urchins), scorpionfish, banded perch, bluefish, Sandagers wrasse (male), several types of triplefins, male leatherjacket, blue maomoas in schools, and several types of nudibranches (my first of those).
Blue Maomao Arch is great fun. Its a swim-through, with the bottom being huge boulders. In addition, an above-water-level hole in the arch wall lets in light, in a pretty spectacular way. We emerged into huge schools of blue maomaos and, I think, koherus.
We were accompanied by two small dolphins on the way out, and spied an orca on the way back. We got fairly close to the latter, but it never bothered to pose well for the camera I do have the dorsal fin on film.
I recommend highly the Pacific Rendezvous Hotel in Tutukaka. Its on a cliff at the entrance to the Tutukaka harbour and offers magnificent views. Try for rooms 5 or 6.
New Zealand and its people are lovely, though dont think California when you hear Oakland, or that a buddy peer is a diver who happens to be knighted.
The countryside north of Auckland is agricultural, very hilly, and beautiful. Aside from the highways around Auckland, there are only two-lane roads that have few flat or straight segments; so, even though the traffic in the countryside is minimal, dont equate short distances with short drive times.Most importantly, perhaps, remember to cheer loudly for the All Blacks, the planet's only real rugby team.
