Sub-tropical reefs, clear water springs and wrecks are the spectacular foundation on hundreds of dive sites along the often indented 15,000km (9320 miles) of coastline and in numerous lakes and rivers, many of which are of world class standard. New Zealand is truly a diver’s paradise.
British Born John Hopkins joined our 10 day diving adventure through New Zealand in 2008 – this is his story.
Deep in the Southern Ocean, situated in the temperate latitudes between 35 and 50 degrees south, New Zealand is part of a weather cycle in which warm, low pressure air from the equator meets cold, high-pressure air from the South Pole. This is known as the Roaring Forties, westerly winds which have constant and high speeds. Consequently New Zealand feels the full force of the Roaring Forties and the swells that are forced to march up out of the deep. But that’s not all, New Zealand can pick up swell from just about anywhere. Waves can be generated from the south, the east, the west and the north. This is why New Zealand has so many diverse surf spots, spread over the coastline of the two islands. Conditions vary and there are wave sizes to keep any surfer happy.
For many years the good folk of Oamaru have celebrated their towns traditional Victorian heritage, with its wonderful white stone architecture, beautiful English gardens, alongside a resident rookery of little blue penguins. More recently Oamaru has become the home to an avant-garde artistic expression called Steampunk.
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Australia is a very welcoming country to travel to and appeals to a broad range of visitors from families with children to gap year students, and with wide open spaces, beautiful beaches, glorious sunshine, low crime statistics, and a vast and diverse landscape, it is one of the safest countries in the world to visit.
Topics Covered: Driving, Snakes, Spiders, Crocodiles, Swimming, Sharks, Mosquitoes and Stingers.
