Matauri Bay
Located in Northland, Matauri Bay is the resting place of the Rainbow Warrior and home to the Cavalli Islands. The diving here can be spectacular.
The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior was moored in Auckland in July 1985, preparing to depart for Mururoa Atoll, in the South Pacific, to protest French nuclear testing. The French secret service sent agents to New Zealand to stop the Rainbow Warrior from sailing, and they did so very effectively by planting two limpet mines against her hull. The ship sank with the loss of one life, Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira, who went below to collect his camera equipment.
The Rainbow Warrior was refloated and towed to Matauri Bay where it was sunk as an artificial reef in about 26 metres of water. A memorial to the ship overlooks the Cavalli Islands from the hill.
Other great sites to dive are True Love Reef and Taheke Reef (experienced divers only due to the current).
Resources
Death of the Rainbow Warrior
By Michael King
Eyes of Fire, The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior
By David Robie
AUUC at Matauri Bay
AUUC makes its annual pilgrimage to Matauri Bay at Easter each year, camping in a big group under the cliffs. You may struggle to find your tent amongst the 20 usually pitched there. You can turn up and leave whenever you want. There will be people at Matauri Bay from late Thursday / early Friday until Monday. If you plan to arrive late on Thursday night, you need to let us know so we can tell the campground as the owners will be asleep. Email matauri@akunidive.com. You need to pay for your campsite at the shop to receive a swipe card, which is your entry through the campground boom gate and into bathroom facilities.
You can dive from the shore, or patiently wait your turn to be shuttled out to the Rainbow Warrior and other sites on the club boat. Please expect only one boat dive a day, if you are lucky. We will be working hard to get everyone out there. Shore dives can be done off the back of the peninsula. There are crayfish after a little swim. Night dives are also great fun here.
What you need to bring
Camping gear, all cooking paraphernalia from utensils to dishwashing liquid (the holiday park kitchen has a fridge, toasters, urns, ovens and sinks only). It will be cheaper to buy your food in Auckland, but the park does have a small dairy for basics, as well as a fuel station, a takeaway shop, and they sell liquor (but not on Good Friday). Read about the Matauri Bay camping ground. It costs $20 per person per night to camp on a non-powered site.
Bring all of your scuba gear. One tank is fine but you are best to bring two tanks if you can as the park only does fills twice a day ($10/fill). Please bring cash for boat dives (to be paid before you jump on).
Directions to Matauri Bay from Auckland
Drive north on SH1 a really long way! At Pakaraka turn right onto SH10. At Kaeo turn right to Matauri Bay. Auckland to Matauri Bay takes around 5 hours.
We will be camping up against the hill at the end of the campsite, on top of which is located the Rainbow Warrior Memorial. Just come in and put your tent up anywhere in the sites against the hill.
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