The Poor Knights

The Poor Knights Islands is a small volcanic island group 12 nautical miles off the eastern coast of Northland, with Whangarei being the closest major city. The islands have been uninhabited since the early 19th century after a Maori intertribal conflict ended in a massacre and the islands were declared tapu (taboo). A group of 10 million-year-old volcanoes now heavily eroded, with sharp cliffs falling into the water, they form a natural bird sanctuary that has flourished in the 200 years without people. Nowadays, the islands are completely protected, and you are not allowed to land, while the water surrounding them have been a nature reserve since the 80s.

Wenderholm Park

But our story doesn’t start out at those desolate islands. Instead, it starts with me walking through the industrial area surrounding Auckland airport on the 9th of July, just having moved out of Carlaw Park, heading to the rental shop to pick up the Toyota Aqua that would be my home for the next two weeks. This was a bit scary, both because I arrived a tad early, and it being the first car I ever rented. But it went really smoothly, just signing the same contract I had already signed online and then checking all the blemishes on the car. And then I was off, leaving the city that had been my home for 5 months.

Whangarei Falls

My plan was to make two stops on the way north to Whangarei and Tutukaka to split up the three-hour drive. The first off which was Wenderholm Park where I had my lunch, a rain soaked park with quite a nice windy beach. And then I did a small hike up though a very rainy rain forest not to a lookout, because that part was closed for renovation. Then quite a bit more driving until I got to Whangarei, where I visited the beautiful Whangarei Falls. The water amounts were really impressive because of the rain, and it was a nice walk around the falls in the last light of day.

Setting out toward the Poor Knights

Then I just had another 30 minutes more of driving until I arrived at Tutukaka, the gateway to the Poor Knights. More specifically, I arrived at Tutukaka Holiday Park (a camping which also had dorm rooms), just as it started getting very dark. Here I was faced with just how unprepared I actually was for this trip, because when the woman running the place came to take my booking I found out that my international cards didn’t work, and I only had $50 ~ 300 kr in either cash or on my New Zealand card which wasn’t enough for my two nights there. I at least managed to pay for my first night there with cash. Add to this that the kitchen had very spotty equipment (had to make dinner using my multi tool) plus realising my packing was completely useless to actually live out of, and you end up with quite an unhappy and small feeling Jonatan.

Next morning I was up early and made sandwiches for lunch, for my big day of diving! The Poor Knights are in fact one of the best diving spots in the world thanks to their clear nutrient rich waters and the very steep cliffs continuing underwater to form the backbone of an amazing marine ecosystem. With all my things prepared I jumped into my car and drove into Tutukaka proper, just to discovered that it was literally only a few hundred meters to the dive shop and Tutukaka consists of one street, mostly for tourists. Arriving at Dive! Tutukaka I signed in, paid for my probably quite cheap but for a student a lot of money dive trip, and then quickly went back to the camping and left my car. Then ran back to the shop and got together my rental gear. At this point, I was also informed that I was the only full diver on the trip, which meant that I would have a private guide, Carole.

Middle Arch, Poor Knights

With everything ready we left Tutukaka at a bit past 8 am all ten of us, the skipper, Carole, myself, two snorkellers and three teens doing their Open Water together with their instructor. The one-hour drive out to the islands were quite rough, with maybe two-meter waves and 10-15 m/s winds. But it was wonderful to be out to sea after the day before’s worries, and as we got further out from the coast the weather improved significantly, becoming almost sunny. As we got close to the islands the winds and waves calmed significantly, one of the perks of big 200 meter tall islands. The first spot the skipper checked out was too surgy, so after a bit we ended up at the very calm little bay Middle Arch, with probably 40-metre high cliffs, on the western side of Tawhiti Rahi Island.

I quickly geared up, and then went on probably one of the most magical experiences of my life. Descending along the sharp raged cliffs covered with kelp, with so many different species of fish around is truly something special, like entering a different world where you can suddenly fly. It took me a little time to adjust to my life support, as it had been two months since my last dive. But soon it felt natural again, slowly swimming into the arch, encountering some really beautiful species, including Nudibranchs (very colourful sea slugs), Snapper, Red Moki, cold water corals, Scorpion fish and a lot of sponges. One of the real highlights were swimming up into a large underwater cave at 10-metre depth which had an air pocket. Really surreal sticking your head up out of the water when you are at such depth (the air is from divers breathing out down there, so might not be the most wholesome).

From top left in a clockwise spiral: the sea flor with kelp and sponges, a Nudibranch, the underwater air pocket, a Scorpion Fish and cold water corals in the sea cave

Then my time was up (am a bit of an air guzzler), and we emerged 33 minutes after diving, with a very happy and cold Jonatan. Getting onto the boat, I thoroughly enjoyed showering my wetsuit in hot water and then getting some hot soup. Because I might not have noticed much while down in the water, it was cold in the water, just 15–16 degrees. During our surface interval, the skipper told us about the history and ecology of the Poor Knights, fascinating stuff. Then back on with the gear for another tour of the depth.

Left to right: another Scorpion fish, surfacing at the arch, a Moray eel and a Short-tail stingray

This time we swam around the outer “pillar” of the arch, meaning we had to deal with a bit more surge. Another astoundingly beautiful dive, it is hard to describe the ethereal feeling of swimming on your back ten-metre underwater and from below seeing the ocean waves roll by on the surface while surrounded by thousands of schooling fish. This dive, we say even more wonderful marine species including a tiny Grey Moray eel in a crag, a maybe meter wide Short-tail stingray sweep by below, and a rare Golden Snapper that normally live below 40 metres depth, but which is “tricked” by the relative darkness in the arch to come much closer to the surface.

And with that my diving out at the Poor Knights was over, after another 33-minute dive 😅 It was really nice to get some clothes on, and when everyone was back onboard (and after a hot cup o’ tea) we set out. Which first meant going to investigate the conditions at the next cove, which was way too surgy. So while we might not have had the absolut best conditions, I had a wonderful day and the trip went off, unlike on the following days which were all cancelled due to severe weather.

The sail back to the mainland was much smoother, going with the wind, but also quite grim as we were very much sailing into the fog and rain covering the shores. Well back on land, I grabbed my things, logged my dives, and then headed back to the camp site. Where I did not check out for the rest of the day. Instead, I repacked my bag, grabbed my umbrella and headed out toward the Tutukaka lighthouse.

The land bridge out to the lighthouse

This had just one minor complication, the lighthouse is not actually on the mainland, but on a small island that is accessible by a land bridge at low tide. And the tide was on its way in. So hurrying my steps I quickly walked the maybe half an hour walk out from Tutukaka, first on roads, and then on a trail in some really nice but muddy terrain, reaching out towards the island. When I got down on the land bridge, I checked on the tides and did some quick calculations on risk and how high the tide “should” get before I was back, and determined that it was safe. So then even more speedily I walked up onto the lighthouse island on the steep and very slipper trail, through the rain forest, and up onto the lookout at the “lighthouse”. Because the lighthouse was very much a stretch, more like small concrete box with a light on it.

But the view was great, and feeling the wind and the waves really satisfying. I spent maybe five minutes up there before then hastily heading back homewards. And I was happy to see that my calculations were correct, and I could in fact get back dry footed. Then it was just a shortish walk, and I was back at the camping and finally got some rest, as well as yesterday’s leftovers.