SELF DRIVE DIVING PACKAGE Auckland to Christchurch - 15 days
ANDREAS
GERMANY
ALEX JACOBSEN
SIFFIN
- All diving activities (18 dives) guided by PADI dive master or instructor
- Dive tank and weight hire
- Car hire (medium sized with unlimited mileage and standard insurance)
- Self-contained accommodation on a twin share basis (14 nights)
- Ferry crossing Wellington to Picton
- Free-phone support and re-booking service while in NZ
- Pre-departure booklet on dive locations and NZ fish identification card
Enquire about departure dates and pricing here.
Please contact us or complete our online enquiry form to receive further information on this tour or to check availability on your preferred date of travel.
YOUR TOUR ITINERARY
AUCKLAND
Spend a day relaxing and enjoying Auckland - New Zealand's largest city. Take a ferry to Rangitoto or Waiheke Island in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf.
MATAURI BAY
Drive north to Matauri Bay, launching point for the first of your dives. This beautiful bay is the perfect seaside location for getting into the diving mood.
RAINBOW WARRIOR AND CAVALLI ISLANDS
Dive the infamous wreck of the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace vessel fatally wounded by French bombers in Auckland harbour and later sunk as an artificial reef. In the late afternoon take a short drive to Tutukaka.
HMNZS Tui and HMNZS Waikato
Other vessels sunk in the vicinity especially for recreational diving are the HMNZS Tui and HMNZS Waikato. Both are ex-naval vessels purposely sunk for recreational diving and prepared for easy penetration.
Poor Knights
Dive the Poor Knights Marine Reserve, named by Jacques Cousteau as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. The warm currents here originate in the Coral Sea, so the water temperature is higher and visibility greater than that of nearby coastal waters. Born from volcanic activity, tropical and sub-tropical life abounds in this unique underwater environment. Caves, tunnels and archways are all home to great schools of friendly colourful fish - great photography!
Goat Island
Drive to Leigh and snorkel Goat Island Marine Reserve. For non-divers the reserve offers excellent and very accessible snorkeling.
Whitianga
Drive to Whitianga via Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, a scenic journey with many highlights. Take an afternoon dip at Hot Water Beach - just dig your own hot water pool in the sand and sink into a homemade spa!
Cathedral Arch
Dive Cathedral Arch's pinnacles with a chance to see monster crayfish and then take the coastal drive to Whakatane.
White Island
There are very few places you can dive a live volcano, but White Island, which has been steaming away for centuries, is something quite unique. Explore the crater area of this active volcano in the interval between diving with huge Kingfish, Stingrays and Blue Maomao, along with some of the biggest crayfish. But what makes this place truly unique are the bubbling underwater fissures creating an underwater Jacuzzi. Warmer currents also mean nudibranches like those of the Poor Knights and visibility of generally 20 metres plus.
After a big day's diving take the short drive to the Maori Cultural Centre of Rotorua with its geysers and bubbling mud for a hot spring bath.
River drift dive
Drive to Napier via Taupo for a drift dive on the Waikato.
Hawkes Bay
Enjoy a morning exploring the scenery of Hawkes Bay, perhaps even partaking in a spot of wine tasting, before taking the scenic drive to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand and an evening ferry to Picton.
Waikoropupu Springs, Riwaka Caverns and Fish Creek
Today is a day of huge contrasts. Start with an entry level cave dive with full technical equipment into the Riwaka Caverns, before a river drift dive at Fish Creek, then on to Waikoropupu Springs to dive reputedly the clearest fresh water in the world - a massive 62m visibility. In the late afternoon check out the beautiful town of Nelson, famous for its wide variety of arts, or head to the Abel Tasman national park for a spot of kayaking or walking.
Mikhael Lermontov
Dive the wreck of the Mikhael Lermontov, a Russian cruise liner that controversially sunk when the pilot took a miscalculated short-cut. Still largely intact you can cruise along the promenade deck looking into passenger rooms, swim the beautifully tiled swimming pool or check out the bridge or huge propeller.
Kaikoura dolphin/whale/seal
Drive to Kaikoura to swim with dolphins, go whale watching or dive with seals or in the kelp forests.
Christchurch
Drive to Christchurch for your final day. If time permits take a day trip to the French settlement of Akaroa to swim with dolphins, before dropping off your vehicle and boarding your overnight flight home.
