Snorkeling at the Poor Knights Islands

Swiming with the fishes...

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January 18th 2008
After a day in Aukland, I was ready to get out of town and see some scenery. I headed north to Whangarei to do some pre-arranged scuba diving at the poor knights islands. Whangarei is a small town with it's own bay full of sailboats. My hostel turned out to be a 30 minute hike from the bus station, with the last part of it being uphill. This was the first test of my backpack, and it passed wit ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Whangarei

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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more