One Friday, twenty of us wagged work and drove north to Tutakaka drawn by the promise of a day exploring one of the worldís best marine reserves.

Being a mixed bag of friends and associates, we were initially a bit reserved and awkward. A night on the marae at Matapouri helped cure that and by breakfast time everyone was getting along famously. Our chores done, we packed up and wandered down to the marina with our wetsuits.

Skipper Lew Ritchie had been over the night before to introduce himself and he now ran through a briefing before we stepped aboard the Wairangi. By mid morning we had reached the Islands. Lew anchored a little offshore as the islands are tapu and no one is allowed to land. There was little swell and the water was clear as glass.

Diving and snorkelling are clearly the best ways to enjoy the underwater world of the Poor Knights. While there were some experienced divers amongst us we were assured of enough to see without tanks. Nursery Cove was our first dive and we were not disappointed. A kaleidoscope of brightly coloured fish appeared as we entered the water. Pretty trevally demoiselles, red pigfish, blue and pink maomao were easy to spot as we swam through the kelp.

An array of interesting tropical and subtropical fish gather to feed from the nutrient rich streams flowing back and forth through the many arches around the islands. Lew chose two of these for our second and third dives.

We entered the water for the second time to spy wrasse and small snapper emerging from a shadowy background of blue-green. We swam away from the boat until we fell under the shadow of the arch. Here we witnessed something extraordinary. Squadrons of stingrays loomed like alien spacecraft from a deep crevasse beneath us and several of us free dived to get a closer look.

The water wasn't so deep at our final dive. The water was once again teeming with a multitude fish, and sponges and colourful anemones lined the craggy walls of the arch. Some of the more adventurous among us, free dived to explore the deeper water and someone discovered a small underwater arch about 10m below the surface. It was an exhilarating dare to take turns to dive and swim through it. Each of us burst upon the surface wide-eyed and gasping for breath. Meanwhile the fish kept their distance with a nonchalant flip of their tails and swam by unperturbed.

To inhabit, however briefly, the waters beneath the Poor Knights was a spectacular and amazing experience. The diversity of wildlife and the sheer joy of being part of another world made us reluctant to leave the water but our bodies were cold and weary. We climbed back on board 'Wairangi' feeling tired but happy. The trip back to Tutakaka was an opportunity to argue our sightings and swap stories. Being part of a group made our time in the water more enjoyable as part of the fun is sharing something you've seen. We had shared an awesome time out there.

Though the morning had been overcast, for the return cruise we were blessed with broad blue sky and glorious sunshine. We made the most of the hour-long cruise lounging on the deck and warming ourselves in the sun. Fish, fellowship and fun ñ it was a great day and something to look forward to again this summer.

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