Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Scuba Diving
NZ is prime scuba territory, with warm waters up north, brilliant sea-life and plenty of in-
teresting sites.
Around the North Island, get wet at the Bay of Islands Maritime and Historic Park, the
Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park, the Bay of Plenty, Great Barrier Island, Goat Island Marine
Reserve, the Alderman Islands, Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve near Gisborne,
and Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Park near New Plymouth. The Poor Knights Islands near
Whangarei are reputed to have the best diving in NZ (with the diveable wreck of the
Greenpeace flagship
Rainbow Warrior
nearby).
Expect to pay anywhere from $180 for a short introductory, pool-based scuba course;
and around $600 for a four-day, PADI-approved, ocean dive course. One-off organised
boat- and land-based dives start at around $170.
Resources include:
»
New Zealand Underwater Association
(
www.nzu.org.nz
)
»
Dive New Zealand
(
www.divenewzealand.com
)
Skydiving
Feeling confident? For most first-time skydivers, a tandem skydive will help you make
the leap, even if common sense starts to get the better of you. Tandem jumps involve
training with a qualified instructor, then experiencing up to 45 seconds of free fall before
your chute opens. The thrill is worth every dollar (around $250/300/350 for an 8000/
10,000/12,000ft jump, extra for a DVD/photograph). The
New Zealand Parachute Federation
(
www.nzpf.org
)
is the governing body.
Sea Kayaking
Sea kayaking is a fantastic way to see the coast and get close to wildlife you'd otherwise
never see.
Highly rated sea kayaking areas around the North Island include the Hauraki Gulf (par-
ticularly off Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands), the Bay of Islands and Coromandel Pen-
insula. Other North Island kayaking locations include Auckland's Waitemata Harbour,
Hahei, Raglan and East Cape. Useful resources:
»
Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers
(KASK;
www.kask.org.nz
)
»
Sea Kayak Operators Association of New Zealand
(
www.skoanz.org.nz
)
