Up North, Down Under

Stretching northwest from New Zealand's Northbays, sandy beaches and very few people.
Island is a narrow isthmus of land reaching into theKeen scuba divers will want to visit the Poor Knight
ocean like the claw of a local crayfish. It is known asIslands, 24 kilometers off the coast at Whangerai
"The Northland," a subtropical garden of delights that(pronounced "Fongeray"), 60 kilometers south east
visitors to this small country crammed with scenicof Russell. The Poor Knights are part of a marine
wonders should not miss.reserve that protects the sub-tropical fish and other
At the very tip of the peninsula is Cape Reinga, theunique marine life living in these waters.
most spiritually significant part of New Zealand to theA flow of warm water called the South Equatorial
Maori. Reinga means "underworld" and it is from hereCurrent sweeps down the east coast of Australia
that the spirits of the dead slide down the roots ofand then wanders across to New Zealand as the
the pohutukawa tree into the ocean.Tasman Current. The northern part rounds Cape
They climb out on Ohana Rock, which is visible fromReinga and flows down the east coast. It bathes the
the cape on a clear day. The spirits then bid their lastoffshore islands but not the coastline itself. So the
farewell from this rock before returning to thePoor Knight Islands have a distinctly sub-tropical
ancestral land of Hawaiki.flavor to their fauna.
Cape Reinga's clifftop lighthouse overlooks theThese representatives from warmer waters include
turbulent, crisscrossing tides where the Tasman Seathe exquisite diadema sea urchin, banded coral
and the Pacific Ocean meet.shrimp, firebrick starfish and many fish including the
The cape is accessible via road and private car, but ifmosaic moray, assorted gropers, long-finned boarfish,
you relax and take the bus you will have the thrill oflizard fish, blue drummer, green pufferfish,
driving to or from the cape along the Te Pakiyellowbanded perch and green and orange wrasses.
Quicksand Stream, which is part of the semi-lunarUnderwater visibility in the Poor Knights is truly
Ninety Mile Beach, actually only 90 kilometers long.incredible, sometimes as much as 200 feet (65
Private car insurance becomes invalid if you aremeters) during late summer to early winter.
foolhardy enough to try and negotiate this dangerousThe islands are volcanic in origin and considerably
stretch of beach yourself. The odd fender stickingeroded. The consequent labyrinth of caves, tunnels
out of the sand is testimony to human folly.and arches provide a haven for marine life and a
The bus trip from Cape Reinga will take you all theparadise for divers.
way back to Russell on the east coast, the capital ofThe Poor Knight Islands were named by Captain
New Zealand in the early 19th-century when it wasCook, but without explanation. One theory holds that
known as the "hellhole of the Pacific," notorious forthe Captain was eating a European peasant dish of
its sleazy grog shops and brothels. Today it's athat name, consisting of egg and bread, when the
sleepy, idyllic little town of 900 souls, famous as theislands were spotted. Another is that, from a
jumping off point for the Bay of Islands, whichdistance, the islands look like a reclining chess knight.
American novelist Zane Grey dubbed "an angler's ElBut, "What's in a name?" asked Shakespeare. For the
Dorado."Poor Knights are very rich indeed in attractions for
For fishermen, yachtsmen and scuba divers a visit tothe visiting diver and a shining gem in New Zealand's
the Bay of Islands is a must. There are nearly 150crown known as the "Northland.
islands, scattered in clear, blue waters, with secluded