This way to Adventure
My search for New Zealand's truly great adventure location continues as we leave Hamilton at a sobering 3am on a miserable Wednesday morning. Our destination? Tutukaka, one of New Zealand's famed diving locations and home to the world famous Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.
What is it about shower water before 6am that makes your eyes feel as though they've been sprayed with some type of terrible stinging substance? I ponder this question for a moment while grabbing my Macpac and throwing it in Malcolm's car. Malcolm would be my adventure cohort on this foray into the waters of the far north.
At any other time getting up at this type of foul hour would prove difficult; however I've never found it hard when faced with the prospect of an exciting day ahead. Like the kid before Christmas I couldn't wait to get to Tutukaka to try my hand at diving the legendary Poor Knights Islands.
The weather on this particular day, of course, is particularly terrible. Thankfully though, due to the early departure, traffic is not an issue and we make great time - optimistically hoping the entire way, as one does, that the weather would clear up in some type of biblical fashion and make way to glorious sunshine. Of course, it doesn't. However despite the rain we arrive in good spirits. Our theory: Better to be underwater than above on a day like this.
This is my first visit to Tutukaka and I am surprised by the size of the town, or lack thereof. I expected to arrive in a mini Queenstown type town with cafes and shops dotting every street and corner to cater to a constant flow of tourists. Instead you'll be faced with a small collection of stores - all part of the prominent Oceans hotel, which consists of a few shops like Discover Tutukaka - the information centre for Tutukaka. A short meander down the footpath and you'll find the number one dive operation in New Zealand, Dive Tutukaka, adjacent to this is the top local restaurant Schnappa Rock, which is home of the famous ribs and beer special. Apart from these places and the fishing club/pizzeria there really isn't much else on the waterfront, apart from the sizeable marina, which is full of boats - perhaps the first hint that something very special is hidden away in this small town up north.
I get kitted up with the scuba gear I'll need for the trip and we head down to the marina to one of six different vessels operated by Dive Tutukaka. Craig, our captain for the day runs us through the do's and don'ts and where the lifejackets and more importantly on this day, the sick bags are located. Heading out of the Tutukaka harbor the clouds brood and the rain drizzles. I'm unperturbed, it's going to be a great day.
An hour and thirty minutes of rough open ocean and a few sick foreigners later we start to make out the Poor Knights in the fog ahead. The Poor Knights Islands are a group of uninhabited islands located 22 kilometres offshore, half way between Bream Head and Cape Brett. The chain consists of two large islands (Aorangi and Tawhiti Rahi) with a group of smaller islets between the two, the largest of which is Motu Kapiti. The islands are the eroded remnants of a four million year old rhylolitic volcano. The waters for 800 metres around the islands are a marine reserve (1981) in which it is prohibited to disturb marine life or remove rocks or shells. The islands were named by Captain James Cook in 1769 based on the apparent resemblance to 'Poor Knights pudding, a bread based dish popular at the time of discovery by Europeans.
Despite the rough weather the islands provide good shelter and little time is wasted in getting into wetsuits, out of the rain and into the water. The first dive location we visit is The Gardens on the western side of the northernmost island Tawhiti Rahi. There are literally hundreds of different dive sites around the islands, we will have time to visit two today. At this site I'll be snorkeling and Malcolm is going to get his scuba gear on and explore the reef and cliff walls. Having never snorkeled a sub-tropical location like this before I was blown away by the colour beneath the surface. However it's not only the colour that's amazing, it's the sheer number of fish. Even snorkeling I am able to appreciate the beauty of this place as the top five metres are teeming with life.
Ever since the islands were made a marine reserve in 1981 the area has seen a real growth in the both the types and numbers of fish. However despite this the decision to make the Poor Knights Islands a fishing free marine reserve was not one that happened overnight and encountered strong opposition from locals who grew up fishing in these areas. The community was split, many wanting the islands to remain as they were, a virtual treasure trove of fish and more particularly Marlin, the rest wanting to preserve what they realised was a very special resource for future generations. The reserve is now world famous and brings in thousands of tourists a year who pumps millions of dollars through the local economy.
I get back to the boat just before Malcolm surfaces to learn that both a turtle with a transmitter attached and a schooling shark have been spotted at greater depths than my lungs would allow. The crew and divers load up and we head off south around the islands to our next dive site, meditation wall.
At this site I'll be trying my first scuba dive. Having always peered from the surface at the underwater world beyond the capacity of my meager lungs I can't wait to experience the freedom that scuba provides. Today I'm doing a 'discover scuba': an option Dive Tutukaka offers to those that have never scuba dived before and are keen to give it a try while at the same time being free to explore semi independently. After a brief oral and visual lesson onboard my instructor and I gear up and hit the water, although the temperature is 16^0, which is apparently cold for the Knights I was never cold at any point during my dive. We go through a series of standard safety tests and once I've shown that I'm comfortable underwater we drift down to greet the hidden world below.
I am immediately greeted by a literal swarm of snapper, so close I can literally reach out and touch them. They approach curiously, swimming to within a foot and then veering off at the last moment, seemingly examining me before allowing me entry into their domain. At all times my instructor remains directly behind me, pointing me in the direction of features and areas she knows are home to certain fish. By the time we reach the reef at approximately 12 metres I've already seen more fish than I've ever seen in my life, this place makes the aquarium look like a theme park when school's on.
Once I am at a depth that I can start having a look around I soon discover that it's one thing to see something and want to take a look - it's another thing altogether to actually get there. Not so much the actual getting there but more the maneuvering yourself into a position where you can have a good look at something. This is obviously an acquired skill.
Close inspection of the reef reveals a number of amazing creatures. A yellow moray eel (Gymnothorax prasinus) hidden in a hole in the rock attracts my attention. When I move in closer for a look and a photo it looks as though he's an aggressive little creature as he emerges from his hole with mouth agape showing a small but razor sharp set of teeth. However this is not actually an aggressive pose, the yellow moray spends most of its time with its mouth agape as it needs to continuously draw water through its small gills. Growing to lengths between 50 and 150cm the yellow moray is not as large as many other morays and its diet is made up of crabs, sea urchins and small fish.
We float along the bottom a bit further and discover a scorpionfish camouflaged against the sandy bed. Also known as the 'RedRock Cod', the scorpionfish lies on the sandy bottom waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim by before swallowing them whole. I am not too worried about being swallowed as it only grows to a length of 40cm, however I'm not too keen to stand on it as its dorsal spines are toxic and a sting can prove excruciatingly painful, and last for about half a day. If you do happen to fall victim to a scorpionfish sting the best remedy is to immerse the affected area in very hot water before consulting a doctor.
An inquisitive male sandagers wrasse (coris sandeyeri) has accompanied me on my entire dive, swimming within a foot of me the entire way. The sandager is a stunning fish featuring bright purple cheeks, a green chin strap, a blue forehead and contrasting vertical bars of blue, black and yellow. This male allows me within inches to take a photo.
The aquarium of sea life continues for my entire dive, culminating in an amazing experience where I was circled for a couple minutes by an entire school of jack mackerel (Trachurus novaezelandiae). When I get the signal that it's time to surface I am definitely satisfied in what I've seen and experienced but certainly not ready to leave and vow to return. Malcolm has a similarly amazing experience and we are both buzzing as we pack up the gear. After a short stop at Rikoriko - the worlds largest known sea cave - we say goodbye to the Poor Knights Islands and make our way back to Tutukaka.
On route Craig gets a word that a pod of orca (Orcinas orca) are in the vicinity so a detour is made to try and locate the animals. It is estimated there are fewer than 200 Orcas living in New Zealand waters and are often seen in coastal waters. Known also as 'killer whales' orca are actually not true whales, they belong to the dolphin family (Delphinidae), of which they are the largest member. Orca are apex predators (top of the food chain) and feed on a diverse range of species from herring to whales and even sharks. Often referred to as the 'wolves of the sea' due to the way they hunt in packs orca truly are killers, but have never been recorded attacking humans in the wild.
On this occasion the orca were joined by New Zealand orca researcher, Dr Ingrid Visser. Visser broke new ground in orca research when she demonstrated for the first time that individuals can be reliably identified by their white eye patches.
On this occasion we didn't venture closer than about a hundred metres but it still made for an amazing sight and we were blown away, little did we know that the following morning we would be getting unexpectedly up close and personal with these magnificent animals.
We arrive back at Dive Tutukaka HQ completely buggered after a long day and head straight to our accommodation for the night - Tutukaka Holiday Park. Marked by a huge marlin at the entrance you can't miss it and it really is the place to stay while in Tutukaka. During our stay it was relatively quiet with just a handful of backpackers and a couple boaties but we were assured that during summer it is absolutely packed - with what I've seen so far today, I don't doubt that for a second. We head directly to our cabin and decide to have a power nap before we head off for dinner.
Waking up slightly refreshed after a 20min snooze we head 'downtown' to the top local restaurant Schnappa Rock. I make a valiant attempt to polish off a mountain of mouth watering ribs while Malcolm devours "the best steak he's ever had", we sit back and savour a few Monteiths while reflecting on what we believe has been the perfect day, cheers Nick - we'll be back.
Our 8am wake-up the following morning feels like a sleep in after getting up at 2.30am the previous morning. Our itinerary this morning is some sea-kayaking to explore the Tutukaka harbour and visit the 'lighthouse', which is supposed to hold magnificent views of the coast and the now distant Poor Knights Islands. Dylan, the local kayaking guru and operator of Tutukayax provides us with a couple sea kayaks and plenty of enthusiasm, he is a true ambassador for Tutukaka and his passion for the place is infectious.
We follow the edge of the harbour until we find the landing spot for the walk up to the lighthouse, which is only accessible by kayak. The landing spot requires navigation of a small opening in the reef, with the waves crashing through it's a tricky little run but doesn't prove too much of a problem. While walking to the lighthouse we spot the actual landing spot it turns out we should have used, it appears we took the slightly more 'fun' entrance.
Today the lighthouse is automated and relies on solar power. Wireless power poles leading back to the mainland that must have been a great undertaking to initially erect stand as a reminder of the technological advances of man. The views from this vantage point are staggering and well worth the effort. The Poor Knights Islands are prominent on the horizon and also the Hen and Chicken Islands further south down the coast.
We head back to our kayaks, run the opening again through the rocks and make our way across the harbour mouth and back towards the marina. The wind has picked up a bit this way and we use Philip Island, which is located in the centre of the harbour, to buffer us against the breeze.
While we were rounding the final corner before the last slog back to the marina we take one look back at where we've been, suddenly a massive dorsal fin emerges from the water. Our initial reaction is "shark", however as the fin grows larger and larger we realise this is no shark - it's an orca. We decide to maintain our position against the island and watch and see what happens. Soon the fin re-emerges, and a lot closer to us than before, this is followed by two new fins, it turns out there are three orca feeding in the harbour. We stick to the edge of the island virtually dumbstruck as with each new surface they get closer and closer to us. At points they swim over very shallow areas where we had passed earlier and the depth would have been no more than 1.5 metres. At this stage the water is so shallow that they are constantly visible. They appear to be uninterested in us as they feed on one of their favourite treats - stingrays, literally a few metres from our kayaks. The waves created by their feeding rock our kayaks as we're completely surrounded, with little choice but to sit and marvel at the sheer size and power of these amazing animals. Eventually they continue around the island and back out into the deeper areas of the harbour, finally making their way out towards the harbour entrance and the open ocean.
We quickly make our way back to the marina to alert the proper authorities and promptly a dive boat is re-commissioned as an impromptu research vessel. We head down the coast to try and get more sightings and more importantly, a photograph. Photographs of orca sightings are crucial in the ongoing research of orca in New Zealand as each individual orca is identifiable by its markings.
We find the orca soon enough and they make a few passes underneath the boat before taking a few deep breaths and diving out of sight, continuing their journey up the coast. We leave them here and make our way back to base, buzzing over what has been a truly unforgettable morning.
This concludes our trip to the coastal town of the north, Tutukaka. I always find it difficult to compare different trips and places as they always have their own different attributes, specific things that make them individually great places. However, while reflecting on the trip I can safely say that it's one of the best experiences I've had. Diving one of Jacque Cousteau's "top 10 dive sites in the world" and kayaking with orca, it doesn't get much better than that. I've marked on my calendar to return this summer and I'm already counting down the days.
