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North Island Sites
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Three Kings Islands
A group of 13 islands (surrounded by many more islets and rocks), 64km northwest of Cape Reinga at the northern tip of New Zealand. The Three Kings Islands are for the diver with a thirst for adventure. Rich in marine and bird life you'll find many exotic dive sites. Here the tide rips are fast and furious as the Pacific Ocean rushes around the top of New Zealand to meet the Tasman Sea. Hapuka and bass are easily seen by divers. Novice divers should gain the experience of at least 30 to 40 dives around their local offshore islands and rocks before attempting a Three Kings dive adventure.
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Ninety Mile Beach
. Access by boat or road. Reefs 5km offshore, 12-40m deep. Sponge life is prolific.
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Cape Karikari/Matai Bay.
Spectacular water clarity. Sand and reef territory. Good variety of dives and fish life. Boat or road. Matai Bay-reefs and small islands. Visibility to 30 meters. Good photography.
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Cone Rock.
Small boat launching at Taupo Bay. 6km. Good snorkelling and scuba diving. Visibility to 15 meters.
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Whangaroa Harbour.
Road 11 km Whangaroa. Snorkelling from North Head to Tauranga Bay. Stephenson Island (ramp), shell fish plentiful. Whangaroa Harbour is New Zealands largest and deepest natural harbour.
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Flat Island.
By sea 15km Whangaroa. North of Cavalli Islands. East coast, rocky, fish good. Reef at Northern Point. North of Cavalli Islands. Wonderful Coloured sponges, prolific fish life. Visibility 10-35 meters. Good photography.
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THE CAVALLI ISLANDS
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Rainbow Warrior Wreck
22-27 meters on sandy bottom. Clear water. 9km boat trip from good beach launch sites.Visibility to 10 meters.
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Motutakapu Island
reef runs NW to Takaroto Rock. Outer islands extensive fish life.
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Tokananobia Reef
bluefish, reef.
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Taheke Reef
8 meters to top of reef. Dropoffs to 45+m.Very exposed offshore site with currents. Experienced scuba diving only. Spectacular fish life. Sharks, whales, barracuda.
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Frenchmans Reef
shallow reef with central tunnel. Great night diving. Schooling fish Good photography.
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Purerua Peninsula.
Road 20km Kerikeri. Black Rocks-several small volcanic islands. Incredibly interesting volcanic slabs with many cracks and crevices. 10-30 meters deep. Visibility 5-20meters. Lion Rock and Rocky Point-snorkelling, reefs, caves, guts and drop-offs to 27 meters. Very clear water. Ninepin-snorkelling and scuba diving very good. The Needles 3-30 meters deep. Rock formations, sandy and rocky bottom. Prolific fish life. Diving and snorkelling. Many reefs and islets- boat ramp- Good photography. Cape Wiwiki spectacular tunnels, guts, canyons, caves, reefs, islets. Visibility 10-30meters.
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Bay of Islands.
Red Head Area Islands.
Sea 13km Russell. Plenty of reef species, rocky guts. Scuba diving, west. Good dives also off Whale Rock. Hope Reef-shallow plateau to 30 meter canyons. Sea side of Urupukapuka Island. Schooling fish and crayfish. White Reef. 1 hour boat trip from Paihia. Easy access. 2-25meters deep, excellent marine life, sandy bottom. Good photography. Urupukapuka Island. East coast of island. Rugged cliffs and channels. Sheltered sandy passages, often dolphins.
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Cape Brett.
Sea 30km Russell. The peninsula and adjacent islands offer full range of diving to 30meters. Cathedral Cave and Hole-in-the-Wall-tunnel and sea life abundant. Bird Rock-excellent for pelagic species. Motutara Rock-popular shallow reef. Deep Water Cove-sandy down to 37 meters, drop-offs. Whakapae Bay to Karerarera Bay snorkelling and caves. Cape Brett to Waiwiri rock bottom, guts. Waiwiri Rock drop off to 24 meters. Waiwiri to Whangamumu-snorkelling, scuba diving and sharks. Rawhiti Channel (Albert Channel) 10 meter scallop beds. Blue Maomao Reef and Piercy Island rocky formations, wall diving.
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Bland Bay to Helena Bay.
Road 48km Whangarei.
Danger Rock
-drop-offs to 37 meters, scuba diving. From Mokau good snorkelling and reef fish. Visibility to 9 meters.
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Mimiwhangata Peninsula.
Road 40km
Whangarei Islands
off the headland, good scuba diving. Spectacular sponge life and gorgonians. Boat ramp available.
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Whananaki.
Road 38km Whangarei. Elizabeth Reef, reef fish and pelagics prolific.
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Matapouri.
Road 31km Whangarei. Whale Bay to Matapouri Bay. Conditions ideal for novice divers. Marine life prolific, small guts, cliffs and canyons. The Tutukaka coast is good for both snorkelling and scuba diving.
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Tutukaka.
Road 20km Whangarei. The port of Tutukaka is the main base for charter vessels operating trips to the POOR KNIGHTS ISLANDS, and surrounding areas. This section of coastline 'Tutukaka' coast boasts some excellent sandy beaches and sheltered rocky coves. Conditions ideal for novice divers. The Tutukaka coast is good for both snorkelling and scuba diving.
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The POOR KNIGHTS ISLANDS MARINE RESERVE.
The Poor Knights are undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of New Zealand diving. A marine reserve since 1981 this subtropical reef system presents a stunning diversity of reef fish, pelagics, sponges, anemonies, nudibranchs and sea weeds. In fact recently Jacques Cousteau rated the area as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world.
These islands located off the east coast of Northland (21km by sea from Tutukaka), are the eroded remains of a group of volcanoes which erupted around 11 million years ago.
The diving is superb, with very good visibility 15-30 meters and rich marine life. Good photography. The islands are bathed by a warm subtropical current and fish include tropical species such as spotted black groper, mosaic moray and Lord Howe coral fish, which are rarely found elsewhere in New Zealand waters. Reef fish include pink maomao, blue maomao, and two-spot demoiselle, kingfish, koheru and trevally are common.
The steep cliffs which fringe the islands plummet 100 metres below sea level in places before reaching a sandy sea floor. Broken by caves, archways and fissures, they provide many different nooks and crannies for sea life over a wide range of depths. Kelp forests, sponge gardens and gorgonian fields are inhabited by a myriad of fish, shellfish, urchins and anemones, with black coral in deeper waters.
Nursery Cove, and some of the shallower parts of South Harbour are the best places for novice divers. Red Baron Arches has a wide range of fauna and flora, rock formations. Experienced divers can find spectacular and challenging dives all around the islands. Almost 100 dive sites have been named. As there are excellent dive sites right around the islands there is almost always a calm sheltered place to anchor whatever the weather conditions.
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Mokohinau Islands.
29km to the east of the Hen & Chickens Group. Rated as one of New Zealand's best dive spots by many people. Fish life abound in wonderful colours with cavern diving and large areas never dived before. Groper Island-pinnacles with deep drop-offs, wall dives. Visibility 15-30 meters. Very good photography.
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Hen & Chickens Group.
A group of 7 islands and islets lying between 11-18km off Whangarei Heads. Best scuba diving-West Chicken, Tara Rocks Coppermine Point, Lighthouse Point and lawatawa Bay. Dolphins are often sighted. Fish life is varied with school fish, snapper, kingfish, crayfish. Prolific kelp beds. Visibility 7-30 meters. All islands good photography.
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Mangawhai Heads.
Road 32km Wellsford. McGregor Rock lies I lm below surface. Excellent diving and spear fishing. Coastal diving around Bream Tail. Boat Ramp. Good photography.
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Little Barrier Island.
World-renowned bird sanctuary 22km out, boasts more than 24kms of diveable coast and is generally considered "good" crayfish diving. During the season scallops are plentiful and when the stingrays are schooling there is plenty of excitement. Visibility between 6-20 meters. Boulder type diving with kelp bed zones. Whale sightings prior to December. Horn Rock-weather dependent pinnacle just over 6km SE of Little Barrier. Big fish.
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