Tauranga -Takatata via Whangarei

---

The next day after reading in Lonely Planet decided to do another long haul to Whangarei.


24klms off the coast are the Poor Knights Islands rated by Jacques Cousteau as in the top ten dive sites in the world .
I just had to have a dive there.
After 2 hours I am in the horrors of Auckland, the largest city in NZ .Millions of cars rushing at a 100mph fortunately no toll roads to complicate things and was able with the confusing road signs to drive through via motorway, carried on to Whangarei.
For relatively small town horrendous sets of traffic lights just like Brisbane, waiting ages for them to change more traffic build up, began to hate Whangarei and headed for Takatata where the real diving took place .I would be right on the doorstep for the Poor Knights Islands. Being the weekend again accommodation not easy but managed to get a caravan very basic but would do. I then booked 2 dives for the following day.

Takatata a great diving and big game fishing centre, the night I arrived several marlin had been caught
a) Striped Marlin weighing in at 101klgs
b) Blue Marlin weighing at 209klgs

I was sad to see them brought in and not tagged and released to fight another day ,they are magnificent fish ,however a tagged fish has never been caught again and the feeling is that they die anyway of a heart attack after putting up a fight some times for several hours or they taken by a predator as they are in a distressed state
In all they had to date caught 67 Marlin that season a tremendous record
The yachting ,boat fraternity world wide are a funny lot, very insular, I approached one skipper as to the cost of going big game fishing ,well it was like going to the dentist pulling teeth ,eventually he answered $850 NZ but with further explanation as with, a share would cost $X much,just amatter of $850 . My head ruled my heart and let it go .Just as well the day I would have gone was not any good for fishing and they never went out.

Phileas

---

Photos

Auckland road bridge
Not as big as Sydney Bridge