Blue Maomao Arch

Cream Gardens

Labrid Channel

Middle Arch (Rikoriko Cave)

Northern Arch

Nursery Cove

Trev's Rock

Wild Beast Point

New Zealand cuisine features fresh Pacific seafood, lamb, and dairy products with strong Maori and Pacific influences. Green-lipped mussels, Bluff oysters, crayfish, and blue cod are regional specialities. The hangi, a traditional Maori earth oven feast, is a cultural dining experience. The craft beer and wine scene is world-class, with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir among the finest globally. Farm-to-table dining and artisan food producers are abundant throughout both islands.

Quality Hotel Regal Tutukaka

Suttons on the Marina

Discovery Settler Hotel

Lupton Lodge

The Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve is New Zealand's most famous dive destination, described by Jacques Cousteau as one of the top ten dive sites in the world. Located 22 kilometres off the Tutukaka Coast, this group of volcanic islands was declared a marine reserve in 1981, creating a protected sanctuary where marine life thrives in extraordinary abundance. The islands feature spectacular volcanic geology including the world's largest sea cave by volume at Rikoriko Cave, massive natural arches, sheer walls draped in soft corals, and channels that funnel nutrient-rich currents teeming with pelagic life. Blue maomao, pink maomao, and sweep congregate in their thousands beneath the arches, while huge kingfish patrol the walls. Seasonal grey nurse sharks, bronze whalers, and stingrays add big-animal excitement to the colourful reef diving. The marine reserve status ensures that fish are unafraid of divers, creating intimate wildlife encounters that are impossible in unprotected waters. The unique mixing of subtropical and temperate currents creates a biodiversity hotspot where species from both regions coexist. Diving is conducted exclusively by boat from Tutukaka Marina, with full-day trips offering two to three dives in this underwater paradise.

Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve

Boat from Tutukaka Marina, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour crossing

Dive Sites in Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve