New Zealand

[Gary Pittaway]

I have recently secured a flight to Aukland NZ in 1 weeks time. Clearly a missed opportunity if I dont seek out dive sites, schools etc. There are a few on the www. but anyone who has recently been there who can afford some advice to me, even general advice re the country would be very welcome. Thank you.

[Mike Halligan]

>There are a few on the www. but anyone who has recently been >there who can afford some advice to me, even general advice >re the country would be very welcome.

Gary,

Well done! I'm in Auckland right now, just back from 5 days diving the Marlborough Sounds and 4 days diving the Poor Knights. The blue water has arrived and the dives are truly AWESOME, a word you will learn the true meaning of when you've been here a few weeks.

Go to www.purenz.com, the national tourist board and to www.divenewzealand.com for general information. Try my e-mail (AD/OWI) or <a href="mailto:scuba@maxnet.co.nz">scuba@maxnet.co.nz</a> (David Plumpton, DL, now resident NZ) for further info.

Most operators v.good and reliable, all prices reasonable (food, travel, accomm, diving) weather fantastic but lack of ozone makes serious burns v. likely, be warned! Have a great time.

Mike

[richard scarsbrook]

My wife and I spent a month in NZ last year, and leave for 2 months on Saturday.

The February/March edition of Dive New Zealand should be out by the time you get there. It is the main source of NZ diving contact. Mike Halligan's reply gives the web address. Dive shops and the bigger newsagents like Whitcoulls stock it.

The dive operators run scheduled trips throughout the week at popular places like Poor Knights, Rainbow Warrior (Bay of Islands) and Kaikoura. Elsewhere scheduled trips tend to be at weekends. If you express interest in diving but no trip is scheduled, we found that operators would start a list and try and fill a trip. Obviously the sooner you contact them the greater the chance of getting something going. There are plenty of dive shops that will rent you tanks so you can go off and do your own thing. Not sure if they would rent a full set of gear for this purpose - we take our own, flying via the US with 64kg baggage allowance each.

The tourist hotspots, diving and non-diving, can be quite crowded and a little regimented, though in most cases still worth visiting. If you visit places advertised locally that aren't in Lonely Planet/Rough Guide etc you will have them to yourself. If you are into multiday walking (tramping in NZ) the famous tracks are a case in point. You have to book in advance for routes like the Milford and Routeburn tracks, but there are dozens of other huts you can use to do other walks equally good without seeing a soul.

NZ is a big place and if you try to cram in too many places into a short trip you can end up spending most of your time travelling rather than doing.

As to dive recommendations, I don't know what your taste or experience is so treat the following with caution. We liked Poor Knights, especially Northern Arch. We used Dive!Tutukaka www.diving.co.nz and were sufficiently impressed that we are using them again. A lot of the divers at Poor Knights appeared to be inexperienced. If that is an issue for you (it is for us when we're paying)make sure you get on the boat designated the 'advanced' boat.

We thought White Island was even better than Poor Knights. We booked on an excellent boat called Black Shag through Dive White www.divewhite.co.nz. World class dives, a visit to an active volcano, and the only day boat that has ever supplied me with freshly baked pizza and cake.

There is a river drift dive out of Lake Taupo that we recced but didn't do. It looks quite interesting. There is a dive shop in Taupo <a href="mailto:<a href="mailto:<a href="mailto:diveinn@reap.org.nz">diveinn@reap.org.nz</a>"><a href="mailto:diveinn@reap.org.nz">diveinn@reap.org.nz</a></a>"><a href="mailto:<a href="mailto:diveinn@reap.org.nz">diveinn@reap.org.nz</a>"><a href="mailto:diveinn@reap.org.nz">diveinn@reap.org.nz</a></a></a> If you like mountain walking the nearby Tongariro National Park is worth a visit. The 1 day crossing is splendid, if crowded. Do Mt Naurohoe and Mt Tongariro at the same time and you lose the crowds and catch them up at the end - a fairly tough day though.

Other dives - plenty of stuff in the Bay of Plenty, and out of Auckland. Not so much in South Island. Kaikoura was a bit like St Abbs with bigger kelp and lots of juvenile crayfish. Fjordland is remote and really needs a liveaboard. Three Kings is on my must do list. They are islands 50km off the north of North Island. April and May is the time to go, there's too much chance of big seas from tropical storms in Feb/March (tried to charter a liveaboard there - it's taking us to fjordland instead). Stewart Island also has good diving, again with poor sea weather at the moment. There is a freshwater dive at Pupu springs near Abel Tasman, which often gets recommended. We went for a look. It has amazing 100m vis which you can see through a viewing gallery without getting wet. There are restrictions about when you can dive there posted locally, lots of spectators, and the whole thing is only the size of a swimming pool, so we didn't bother diving.

NZ is a brilliant place if you enjoy the outdoors. The diving is good, but do other stuff as well. Enjoy.

[Mike Halligan]

Gary,
It is now the morning after the Alinghi party (Kiwi-skippered Swiss boat stuffed Oracle (US) 5-1 in the Louis Vuitton Trophy races), so I've more time. Richard's answer is excellent and I can update several items from recent personal experience.

The dive operators run scheduled trips throughout the week at popular places like Poor Knights, Rainbow Warrior (Bay of Islands) and Kaikoura.
Bigger operators will hire full or partial kit. Some will fill UK ponies despite local regulations - if you're going out with them.

Elsewhere scheduled trips tend to be at weekends. If you express interest in diving but no trip is scheduled, we found that operators would start a list and try and fill a trip.
John at Performance Diver, Auckland, is particularly good at this (09) 489 7782. You've got e-mail for contact with the Auckland City Dive Club (a loose confederation of individuals regardless of certification) and its network of knowledge & advice.

There are plenty of dive shops that will rent you tanks so you can go off and do your own thing. Not sure if they would rent a full set of gear for this purpose - we take our own, flying via the US with 64kg baggage allowance each.
I "persuaded" Singapore Air to let me have their UK-Far East concession of 30kg + 7kg for MAN-AKL, it is not enough.

NZ is a big place and if you try to cram in too many places into a short trip you can end up spending most of your time travelling rather than doing.
Too right, a whistle-stop tour takes 6 weeks, without recent additions due to Lord of the Rings.

As to dive recommendations, I don't know what your taste or experience is so treat the following with caution. We liked Poor Knights, especially Northern Arch. We used Dive!Tutukaka www.diving.co.nz and were sufficiently impressed that we are using them again. A lot of the divers at Poor Knights appeared to be inexperienced. If that is an issue for you (it is for us when we're paying)make sure you get on the boat designated the 'advanced' boat.
Dive Tut are very good at sorting this out, be open with them and if you're as lucky with the weather as seems likely, you should get onto the East Side, Sugarloaf and Tie-dye Arch. We also got to see a pod (100m x 500m) of dolphin and a school of around 20 Orca incl young on consecutive days. Dive Tut are very much in-touch with non-diving interests.
There's a campsite in walking distance with motel units, very reasonable. Get plenty of repellent and anti-histamine, the insects are legendary on the East coast.

We thought White Island was even better than Poor Knights. We booked on an excellent boat called Black Shag through Dive White www.divewhite.co.nz. World class dives, a visit to an active volcano, and the only day boat that has ever supplied me with freshly baked pizza and cake.
I concur with me learned friend, though the area is considerably smaller than the PKs. The only thing I can usefully add is contact Black Shag (Rob & Lynn) on +64 (0)7 304 8772 and(mobile) +64 (0)25 816 771.

There is a river drift dive out of Lake Taupo that we recced but didn't do. It looks quite interesting. There is a dive shop in Taupo.
We tried, they are shut on Sundays :-(

If you like mountain walking the nearby Tongariro National Park is worth a visit. The 1 day crossing is splendid, if crowded. Do Mt Naurohoe and Mt Tongariro at the same time and you lose the crowds and catch them up at the end - a fairly tough day though.

Other dives - plenty of stuff in the Bay of Plenty, and out of Auckland.
Yeah, Cathedral Cove Dive at Hahei for hunting (crays), Silverwing from Tairua for Penguin Shoal and/or Aldermans, Pacific Runner at Tauranga for the Taupo and the Taioma, all excellent.

Not so much in South Island.
Only the Mikhail Lermontov, Russian Cruise ship, 22,000 tons and the most fantastic scenic diving around D'Urville Island. Don't let anyone lure you into French Pass, 3 died there recently.

Kaikoura was a bit like St Abbs with bigger kelp and lots of juvenile crayfish. Fjordland is remote and really needs a liveaboard.
It is said to be the very best of Kiwi diving with phenomenal vis.

Three Kings is on my must do list. They are islands 50km off the north of North Island. April and May is the time to go, there's too much chance of big seas from tropical storms in Feb/March (tried to charter a liveaboard there - it's taking us to fjordland instead). Stewart Island also has good diving, again with poor sea weather at the moment. There is a freshwater dive at Pupu springs near Abel Tasman, which often gets recommended. We went for a look. It has amazing 100m vis which you can see through a viewing gallery without getting wet. There are restrictions about when you can dive there posted locally, lots of spectators, and the whole thing is only the size of a swimming pool, so we didn't bother diving.

NZ is a brilliant place if you enjoy the outdoors. The diving is good, but do other stuff as well. Enjoy.

Abso-bl****-lutely.

Mike

[nick McV]

I concur!!

We used the Catamaran 'Pacific Hideaway' to do the Poor Knights - they were perfect hosts.

We also used Matauri Cat Charters from Matauri Bay to go out and dive the Rainbow Warrior. It's a one-man operation - but certainly good enough..
Imagine my disgust to see someone had nicked the propellor - only to be suitably embarrassed the next day when I walked up to see the memorial sculpture and the propellor is the centrepiece!

Have a wonderful hol...
Nick & Jenny