New Zealand - What does everyone think?

Dear uk.rec.scubas
For late 2005 (nothing like planning ahead) our dive club is planning to do
a trip to New Zealand for at least 2 weeks.
None of us have been there before, diving or otherwise. Wondered if anyone
has first hand experience of good Locations / Dive operators /
accommodation.
Any websites to view would be really good.

TIA
Malcolm
http://www.againstthewind.org.uk/seahorse/index.htm

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004 13:03:13 +0000 (UTC), "Malcolm Cole"
<malcolm.k.cole@bt.com> wrote:

>Dear uk.rec.scubas
>For late 2005 (nothing like planning ahead) our dive club is planning to do
>a trip to New Zealand for at least 2 weeks.
>None of us have been there before, diving or otherwise. Wondered if anyone
>has first hand experience of good Locations / Dive operators /
>accommodation.
>Any websites to view would be really good.
>
>TIA
>Malcolm
>http://www.againstthewind.org.uk/seahorse/index.htm
>
>
You need to talk to Pete Mesley at Dive HQ in Aukland. He is 10% of
the Inspirations in NZ. A search in google should find them easily
enough.

If you walk into the average Dive shop in NZ, they will only do air,
not much O2 in NZ.

Pete S.

Will let you know in a month's time once we are back from NZ.

Snash

I was in New Zealand this summer (their winter) for 6 weeks or so, and
did some diving while I was there. You may find a lack of web sites
(I did), certainly nothing like the amount in the UK as the diving
industry is not as geared up for advertising and promotion outside of
their locality. I ended up just sorting out my diving when I got to a
place, asking in the local tourist information or searching on foot
for a dive shop.

The one place that is different is the Poor Knights Islands and Bay of
Islands, towards the top of the North Island. The dive industry is
quite eveolved there as it is a famous place to go diving. Web
searches will help you as there are a few web sites - I went with
Paihia Dive (www.divenz.com), based in Paihia, for a few dives in the
Bay of Islands. The wreck of the Rainbow Warrior is really impressive
as it has been colonised by Jewel Aenemomes and really is a rainbow of
colours.

Of the places I've been, I'm not sure that you would find 2 weeks of
diving in one place like you would in Scapa Flow or the Red Sea, you
may need to move around. From the places I dived or researched for
diving posibilities (Bay of Islands, Poor Knights Islands, Malborough
Sounds, Milford Sound, Kaikora, Christchurch), your best bet may be
around the Bay of Islands. This is top right of the North Island,
nhot too much further north from the Poor Knights islands. You could
do a few days in the Bay of Islands, a few in the Poor Knights, take a
couple of days off to go to Auckland which is close by then travel
down to tip of the North Island and charter a boat to go from
Wellington (the capital) over to Malborough Sounds to dive the Mikhail
Lermontov, the world's largest diveable cruise liner wreck so I'm
told.

This is getting a little long, so if you want a little more info,
ignore the email at the top and use andy_harries at hotmail dot com.



"Malcolm Cole" <malcolm.k.cole@bt.com> wrote in message news:<bu8neh$8ak$1@visp.bt.co.uk>...
> Dear uk.rec.scubas
> For late 2005 (nothing like planning ahead) our dive club is planning to do
> a trip to New Zealand for at least 2 weeks.
> None of us have been there before, diving or otherwise. Wondered if anyone
> has first hand experience of good Locations / Dive operators /
> accommodation.
> Any websites to view would be really good.
>
> TIA
> Malcolm
> http://www.againstthewind.org.uk/seahorse/index.htm

"Malcolm Cole" <malcolm.k.cole@bt.com> wrote in message
news:bu8neh$8ak$1@visp.bt.co.uk...

> Any websites to view would be really good.
http://www.tdisdi.co.nz/ affiliates:
http://www.tdisdi.co.nz/affiliates.html perhaps they have a list of Nitrox
suppliers
http://www.nzunderwater.org.nz/ from link on PADI site
http://www.divenz.com/ for the Rainbow Warrior dive (bring your own
explosives)
http://www.diveunderwater.com/ Nitrox fills
http://charterguide.co.nz/1_tnails.htm Boats n stuff

"Simon Nash" <S_Nash@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:bu9jj1$ot0$1@hercules.btinternet.com...
> Will let you know in a month's time once we are back from NZ.
>
> Snash
>

Where are you diving while here?

rhys <= Waikato region NZ

>
> Where are you diving while here?
>
> rhys <= Waikato region NZ
>


Hi Rhys - just up at the Poor Knights and then on the Rainbow Warrior - you
gave me some info on Yukon a couple of months ago. Mainly coming out for
friends' wedding in Wanganui so just doing the north island this time. My
fiance is a kiwi (grew up in Napier and went to uni in Dunedin) so I am sure
we will be visiting quite a few times over the next couple of years.

Snash

As another native and resident of New Zealand a few suggestions.

If you're coming across as a club you may well have a few more options. In
as far as if you've got the numbers to charter a boat yourself then the
opportunites expand. Other wise I pretty much agree with the others.

So assuming you've got 8+ bods and do want to do the tad bit more leg work
with doing sole charters.

The Poor Knights area could certainly keep you going for a couple of weeks.
As part of a "normal" boat trip it wouldn't as you'd keep going to the same
places and coming all this way to dive middle arch 6 times is a bit daft.
But then you could move around more and in that time weather should allow
you to get most spots. Also allowing some time for the Waikato ( Leander
class frigate we bought of you guys back in the pleistocene) and the Tui a
Hydrographic ship we bought off the yanks.

I haven't dived the warrior for about 15 years so I can't speak there. Most
boats would be happy to toodle up the coast and dive the warrior from the
knights if you wanted a break. There are a few good spots on the way.

There are also some good sites a wee bit south. Namely Hen and Chickens,
Little Barrier and Great Barrier. Most can be done by charters out of the
greater Auckland area.

A good two weeks plus could be had by moving around a bit and doing all the
above. A pretty good look at the best the North Island has.

White Island is on my to do list but from what I hear it's a few days not 2+
weeks. The area has a few good spots but you'd be scratching for really good
divs for that time.

So rolling on down to the Marlbrough sounds. Nice spot some good diving but
not 2 weeks worth. If you're into wrecks then the Lermontov is well worth
while and if you've got some serious rust heads then yeah 2 weeks you could
fill. Best done from a new place thats started up calld lermontov lodges.
Nice shore accomodation nd a guy who's aongst the most knowledgable on the
wreck. http://www.pictondiversworld.co.nz/Lermontovlounge.html The area
around has some nice things waikorupupu springs in Golden bay (clereast
freshwater in the world) and Riwaka Resurgance, a nice cave for beginner
qualified cavers ,near by. Kaikoura is ok but a a couple of days would see
you through un;less you have a real fascination with either crayfish or
seals. But you could have a nice couple of weeks on the top of the south
going to all of the above. You'd want to think about hiring a van though.

The other spot is Fiordland. I had a week down there last year and it would
gobble up a couple of weeks no worries at all. Unless you're hiring a boat
yourself it's really hard to anything but day trips in Milford Sound. But
dop that and you can really spread ut and do some cool dives. Summer isn't
the best time for down there though. Trillions of sandflies and the
freshwater layer gets pretty thick. I did it in August and it was magic.
Much less rain little fresh water and bugger all sandflies.

As has been said there isn't a lot of web sites and quite a few of those
that are around don't have SFA on them. If you get a copy of Dive NZ of Rhys
you'll be ahead of the game. You can alo check out their site at
http://www.divenewzealand.com/ which has some good links.

Diving in NZ , and it really kicks in outside of Northland, is still largely
focused around seafood collection the "kaimoana" As a photographer I've had
lots of times I've been on boats and wanted to go somewhere for good sealife
but everyone else wanted to get a bag load of scallops instead. So keep that
in mind if you're looking at jumping on mixed chater boats in the south
island.

I can provide with more links etc but I've gone on long enough methinks.

Hei kone ra

Richard- Warkworth NI NZ







"Malcolm Cole" <malcolm.k.cole@bt.com> wrote in message
news:bu8neh$8ak$1@visp.bt.co.uk...
> Dear uk.rec.scubas
> For late 2005 (nothing like planning ahead) our dive club is planning to
do
> a trip to New Zealand for at least 2 weeks.
> None of us have been there before, diving or otherwise. Wondered if anyone
> has first hand experience of good Locations / Dive operators /
> accommodation.
> Any websites to view would be really good.
>
> TIA
> Malcolm
> http://www.againstthewind.org.uk/seahorse/index.htm
>
>

"Simon Nash" <S_Nash@btopenworld.com> wrote in message
news:buee7n$7ev$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
>
>
> >
> > Where are you diving while here?
> >
> > rhys <= Waikato region NZ
> >
>
>
> Hi Rhys - just up at the Poor Knights and then on the Rainbow Warrior -
you
> gave me some info on Yukon a couple of months ago. Mainly coming out for
> friends' wedding in Wanganui so just doing the north island this time. My
> fiance is a kiwi (grew up in Napier and went to uni in Dunedin) so I am
sure
> we will be visiting quite a few times over the next couple of years.
>
> Snash
>

I doubt I'd be able to meet up with you on a dive to the Porr Knights, cars
kaput and i'm broke, but best wishes while you're over here.

rhys

"Malcolm Cole" <malcolm.k.cole@bt.com> wrote in message
news:bu8neh$8ak$1@visp.bt.co.uk...
> Dear uk.rec.scubas
> For late 2005 (nothing like planning ahead) our dive club is planning to
do
> a trip to New Zealand for at least 2 weeks.
> None of us have been there before, diving or otherwise. Wondered if anyone
> has first hand experience of good Locations / Dive operators /
> accommodation.
> Any websites to view would be really good.
>
> TIA
> Malcolm
> http://www.againstthewind.org.uk/seahorse/index.htm
>
>
Gosh
Thanks for all the replies will have to go a way for a while and wear out my
internet connection with all the information you have all supplied.

Thanks very much for all the tips & advice

Malcolm