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coromandel peninsula
Less
than two hours drive east of Auckland the Coromandel Range
thrusts out into the Pacific Ocean.
This bush clad scenic finger of land is one of New Zealand’s
most popular holiday spots because of its unspoiled coastline,
pristine beaches, idyllic offshore islands and rich reefs.
The west coast has a succession of jagged, rocky bays lined with
pohutukawa trees, while the east coast has gentle sandy bays and
coves that are ideal for shore dives. Offshore islands provide
the opportunity for deeper diving amongst a wide range of marine
life.
Dive shops in Coromandel township, Tairua, Pauanui and Hahei can
arrange day trips on dive charter boats, and in Whitianga you can
join dolphin-swimming cruises.
The top dive locations are as follows:
Hahei Marine Reserve
This is a high quality diving location in Mercury Bay with varied
marine habitats near four offshore islands. There is good beach
diving and snorkelling along the coast. Also superb weathered
rock formations at Cathedral Cove just 40 minutes walk from
Hahei.
Mercury Islands
These offer spectacular rock pinnacles, caves and drop-offs in
8-30m visibility, 30km out from Whitianga. Best sites are Black
Rocks, Danger Rocks, Whale Rock and South Sunk Rock. The
underwater terrain is exceptionally varied throughout the
Islands. Never Fail Rock is a popular cave diving area with
drop-offs to 37m. Scallops can be found at Opito Bay and Otama.
Tairua Area
This offers good diving 800m offshore around the Slipper and
Shoes Islands (5-18m) especially at King Rock and other rocky
points on the seaward side of the islands. Visibility is down to
6m in heavy ground swells. Some 12km offshore are the Alderman
Islands where scenic pinnacles and walls drop off to 55m and
harbour abundant marine life. Big game fish are often seen along
the drop-offs. Dogger Reef, 15m below the surface has a variety
of pelagic species in summer and is often visited by sharks.
Tairua Reef around 22km offshore has stands of black coral and
myriad schools of fish in depths ranging from 9-46m.
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