NZ vacation

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flowerdiver

Registered
Messages
19
Reaction score
1
Location
Edmonton, Alberta,. Canada
# of dives
500 - 999
I'm heading to New Zealand in February. This will be a sight-seeing and visiting friends trip, and I would like to fit in some diving. I only have 3 weeks in NZ and plan to stick to the North Island. I will be a few days in/around Auckland, Waiheke Island, Northland, then drive down to Wellington (sight-seeing along the way) for the remainder of the trip (I know several people in Welly).
I already have a few ideas (Poor Knights, Cavalli Islands), but would like to know about diving opportunities further north, as well as in Waiheke Island (since I'm spending a couple of days there). But, I'm particularly interested in finding out about White Island, which seems like a very unique dive spot (I read about it in a dive magazine a few years ago), but I can't seem to find much information on-line... :(
Also any local, not-terribly-touristy spots (ie. hidden gems) always appeal to me - hey, most of my dives are in a cold, murky, mud-bottomed lake with very little plant and fish life, so anything with clear viz and temps above 15C is an improvement. :D

I expect to be travelling by myself, so need to either find local, or join already organized groups/charters. So please also consider this a request for buddies. :) I'm a PADI Rescue diver with close to 600 logged dives, mostly cold-water. I will have my own gear, except tanks and weights.

Cheers
 
I went to Paihia for Christmas. Dived the Canterbury wreck. Was fun :) Paihia Dive also run trips to the Rainbow Warrior wreck, weather permitting. Worth checking out if you're up in Northland to dive Poor Knights anyway!

I've asked around a bit about diving White Island since moving over to NZ, but general consensus seems to be "find someone with their own boat" so far.
 
Have no experience with Paihia Dive but have used Northland Dive a number of times. They also dive the Canterbury warship in Deep Water cove and offer very reasonably priced accommodations. Run by Shane and Julia, they use two large RIB's.

The Poor Knights are serviced by Dive Tutukaka with 7 boats (small to huge) and Yukon Dive with two intermediate sized boats. I believe they both also offer live-aboard options.
 
I dove with Dive Tutukaka and Paihia Dive and had awesome trips. I heard great things about Yukon and Northland, as well. I didn't find anyone running trips to White Island while I was there, but the local Bay of Plenty dive club organizes occasional overnight liveaboard trips - Mt Manganui Underwater Club. If you happen to be luckily enough too catch a trip while there :)

If you have the time and opportunity, look into Yukon's Poor Knights liveaboard trip. I really wish I had set aside time for it...
 
I'm heading to New Zealand in February. This will be a sight-seeing and visiting friends trip, and I would like to fit in some diving. I only have 3 weeks in NZ and plan to stick to the North Island. I will be a few days in/around Auckland, Waiheke Island, Northland, then drive down to Wellington (sight-seeing along the way) for the remainder of the trip (I know several people in Welly).
I already have a few ideas (Poor Knights, Cavalli Islands), but would like to know about diving opportunities further north, as well as in Waiheke Island (since I'm spending a couple of days there). But, I'm particularly interested in finding out about White Island, which seems like a very unique dive spot (I read about it in a dive magazine a few years ago), but I can't seem to find much information on-line... :(
Also any local, not-terribly-touristy spots (ie. hidden gems) always appeal to me - hey, most of my dives are in a cold, murky, mud-bottomed lake with very little plant and fish life, so anything with clear viz and temps above 15C is an improvement. :D

I expect to be travelling by myself, so need to either find local, or join already organized groups/charters. So please also consider this a request for buddies. :) I'm a PADI Rescue diver with close to 600 logged dives, mostly cold-water. I will have my own gear, except tanks and weights.

Cheers

The Aldermen Islands at the Coromandel are on a par with the Poor Knights. If you're driving down to Wellington on the east side, look into diving Cape Palliser/Tora coast for the sea lions and kelp forests. There is also great diving around Wellington - Taputeranga Marine Reserve, Whitireia Park, Titahi Bay and Wellington harbour. Just be aware that the dive currents in NZ are strong at times and it is best to dive with a guide from a local dive center.

Enjoy! New Zealand is amazing :)
 
As others have said, Northland DIve is great to do Bay of Islands area, Dive Tutukaka is also brilliant for Poor Knights. If you can only do one location, do Poor Knights.
 
I went to Paihia for Christmas. Dived the Canterbury wreck. Was fun :) Paihia Dive also run trips to the Rainbow Warrior wreck, weather permitting. Worth checking out if you're up in Northland to dive Poor Knights anyway!

I've asked around a bit about diving White Island since moving over to NZ, but general consensus seems to be "find someone with their own boat" so far.

Hmm... That's unfortunate about White Island. You'd think someone would be ready to take divers' monies!! ;-)
 
This time of year (start of our summer) the water temperature at the Poor Knights islands is 20-21 deg C (68-70 deg F). Maybe a degree or so warmer in Feb/March.

Slightly cooler by a degree or two at the mainland.

In the winter the water temperature at the Poor Knights can drop to 14 deg C (57 deg F).
 
Hmm... That's unfortunate about White Island. You'd think someone would be ready to take divers' monies!! ;-)
Of course there is. But you have to charter the boat for it specifically, assuming it's not already booked for something else when you want it. It's not a regularly scheduled trip. So unless you have enough people to split the charter cost...
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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