Snorkeling in New Zealand
 

we really caught the snorkeling bug in Australia on the GBR and would like to do some snorkeling on a future trip to New Zealand. It's never too early to plan and dream! Plus, I know next to nothing about the country so it is fun learning about it from this board. Are there any places that you can snorkel off the beach? What month is the best for snorkeling?
Thanks,
Sally

You are not going to find as many snorkeling possibilities in NZ, compared to OZ, because there are no tropical reefs - the latitude it too high (comparable to Seattle, where I gather you are from, as am I - Snohomish). The only good choices that I know of involve a boat, as opposed to snorkeling off a beach. Sure, in the summertime there are beaches you can snorkel off, but there is little of interest to see.

Unquestionably, the best snorkeling and diving are in the Poor Knights Islands, off Tutukaka, on the North Island. There are several operators that take snorkelers out to see the great schools of fish that congregate there. We used Pacific Hideaway Charters (www.divenz.co.nz/), and were very pleased with their boat, equipment, and staff. I dived, while my wife and kids snorkeled.

The other fun thing to do is dive/snorkel off Kaikoura, which has tons of marine mammals (seals, dolphins, whales). We did this with Dive Kaikoura (www.scubadive.co.nz).

Hi there,
Agree with above, NZ doesn't have the snorkelling opportunities that Oz does -however there is a spot just north of Auckland by Warkworth called Goat Island which is a marine reserve and there are thousands of fish just off the beach - not the tropical babies you see at the GBR, but large snapper & pink mau mau - really cool! The downside is that it is extremely busy on the on the weekends & the water temp is pretty cool year round. Jan/Feb/March would be the best time.

Why not try Fiji or Rarotonga for your snorkelling fix on the way to NZ??

nzers