Poor Knights Island & Marine Reserve

The eroded remains of a group of volcanoes, which erupted around 11 million years ago, The Poor Knights are undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of New Zealand diving. Just 24km off the coast, the Poor Knights Islands are regarded as one of the world's top diving locations. Spectacular water clarity and warm subtropical currents encourage varied and abundant sea life.

A marine reserve since 1981 this subtropical reef system presents a stunning diversity of reef fish, pelagics, sponges, anemonies, nudibranchs and sea weeds - so good that Jacques Cousteau rated the Poor Knights as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world.

The steep cliffs, which fringe the Poor Knights islands, plummet 100 metres below sea level in places, before reaching a sandy sea floor. The islands are bathed by a warm subtropical current and fish include tropical species such as spotted black groper, mosaic moray and Lord Howe coral fish, which are rarely found elsewhere in New Zealand waters.