From a distance as you approach the islands from the west they appear to be covered almost entirely with Pohutukawa, Metrosideros excelsa. As you move closer you can see the caves and pitted cliffs where in any crevice wide enough to hold the smallest amount of soil plants will take hold, coastal tussock (Chinochloa brommoides), Read More…
Tutukaka Coast Blog
General updates and information about the spectacular Tutukaka Coast and surrounding areas
Birds of the Poor Knights Islands
The islands are noisy. Bird, reptile and insect life is prolific. Seabirds are the making of the islands. The under story of vegetation is riddled by the burrows of millions of seabirds and in some places it resembles low tide in a mangrove estuary. If you happen to be on the islands in late August Read More…
Reptiles, Insects and snails of the Poor Knights Islands
The Poor Knights are renowned for their diversity of reptiles, which include the northernmost population of tuatara, also many lizard species two of which are endemic. There is also a remarkable diversity of endemic or nationally scarce invertebrates. On the Poor Knights reptiles play a huge role in the ecology of the Islands forests; there Read More…
Poor Knights Islands Marine Life
Recreational diving is the biggest activity at the Poor Knights today. Jacques Cousteau rated the Islands as one of the top ten dive spots in the world. In hindsight the Poor Knights should have been a fully protected marine reserve from the start. In 1971 Parliament created the marine reserves act and in 1981 the Read More…
Weeds and Weed Programme on the Poor Knights Islands
In 1990 as Tutukaka Marina Manager I created a garden of Poor Knights plants for visitors and locals, Northland Department of Conservation were impressed by the idea and granted a permit to collect plants from the islands. A party of elders of the descendants of the Poor Knights people was visiting the islands to investigate Read More…
A Perfect Day (Eco Cruise)
Experience Northland’s best kept secret. The Perfect Day ocean cruise will take you on a half day journey of marine adventure for the whole family. Above and below water, the Poor Knights Islands are abundantly populated with unique and incredibly varied plant, animal and fish life, and thoroughly deserve their protected status.Converging warm water currents, Read More…
The HMS Buffalo: Part One
The HMS Buffalo was a ship that sailed to South Australia in 1836. Her connection to Tutukaka, started when she was moored here for a time, and had one of the first European contacts with the local Maori. This signified the start of a postive partnership in ours area between locals and visitors. This is Read More…
The HMS Buffalo: Part Two
HMS BUFFALO VISITS TUTUKAKA 173 YEARS AGO By Wade Doak The first big sailing ship to make a major visit to Tutukaka has left 36 tons of her ballast stones in the basin just within the entrance. A hawser secured her bow to rocks on the north side and a stern anchor strung her 120-foot Read More…
The HMS Buffalo: Part Three
HMS BUFFALO Visits Tutukaka 173 years ago continued… By Wade Doak I have come to see that the Buffalo visit is a foundation story for our district rather like that of the first four ships in Canterbury or the Mayflower in America. It really set the ball rolling for the community that developed and the Read More…
Autumn and Winter Diving
The visibility is outstanding, and the seals are playful! Our winter colony of seals has already returned, and these playful puppies of the water world are certainly interactive. With waters still warmish at 18-19 degrees, and the visibility up in the 25 plus metre range, we certainly have boats going every day still, and the Read More…
The Water is Still Warm!
Diving is still a very comfortable 20-21 degrees out at the Poor Knights Islands, and along the Tutukaka Coast, and with visibility of up to 25 plus metres, this summer sure looks like stretching out. Local weather reports and updates feature regularly here and a round up of the last couple of months is online Read More…
