When

When
seeking out lesser-visited beaches, rugged bays and hidden
coves, there are two tribes we tend to follow: surfers and divers.
Often these intrepid travellers will have earmarked undiscovered
spots long before they hit the tourist trail.

That’s why, as part of our partnership with Corona, we’ve
called upon the expertise of ocean activist, marine specialist and
avid diver Annika Andresen to give us the inside track on an
outdoor (and underwater) adventure through
New Zealand‘s sparkling east coast and the epic Poor Knights
islands.

Having been raised on a yacht built by her father, Annika grew
up sailing and diving along the east coast of New
Zealand and the water quickly became her home, both above and
below the surface. “If I had a superpower, it would be to have
gills, so I could breathe underwater,” laughs Annika. Witnessing first-hand the changing ocean
environment, she set about trying to build awareness and
understanding of the wider issues facing our seas.

Photo Credit: Dive Tutukaka

Annika doesn’t take this role of ocean ambassador lightly. She’s
currently educating North Island students -over 35,000 and counting
– about the importance of protecting and preserving our oceans. And
we’re not talking just your run-of-the-mill whiteboard-and-marker
lessons. As a Virtual Reality Environmental Educator, she uses VR
headsets and videos to compare pristine with degraded marine
environments for wide-eyed students. Impressive, right? And her
work doesn’t stop there. She’s also empowering the next generation
of divers through her work with the Global Underwater Explorers, a scuba-diving
organisation that provides education within the diving community.
If Jack Sparrow’s a pirate, then Annika’s our ocean guardian.

Although no longer an off-the-beaten track find, the Poor
Knights Islands still fly relatively under-radar – except for avid
divers who never miss their annual pilgrimage. The dive site is
home to a rainbow-like realm of lively marine life that includes
bronze whaler sharks, turtles, trevally and schools of tropical
fish. “This world-class diving site is a subtropical paradise
that’s a sanctuary to many marine creatures and can be admired from
above and below the surface – truly, it’s an experience not to
miss!” gushes Annika. The islands are rich with history, having
been admired by everyone from the indigenous Maori tribe that calls
them home to the world-famous Jacques Cousteau. In short, this
oceanscape offers a masterclass in what a flourishing marine
ecosystem can look like.

Photo Credit: Cole Johnston and Matthew
Coutts

Acting as the gateway to the islands, Tutukaka is the epitome of
a laid-back coastal town. All chilled-out beach vibes, with jandals
and togs (sandals and swimwear) being the go-to dress code, it’s
the ideal place to escape and reconnect with nature, letting slow
travel take centre stage. This is easy-breezy living at its finest,
so don’t expect raucous parties or an avant-garde food scene.
Evenings are best spent indulging in the candy-floss sunsets, cold
beer in hand, chomping on catch-of-the-day feasts or nipping into
locally owned spots that specialise in organic, locavore fare.

Annika’s advice for a more sustainable getaway? “Be a conscious
consumer, think about what you’re buying – be aware of simple
things, like knowing what seafood you are eating and how it has
been caught, avoiding single-use plastics, supporting local
businesses and respecting the environment.”

Here, the ocean activist shares her insider guide to Poor
Knights. From Barbie-pink food trucks dishing up locally sourced
surfer snacks to awe-inspiring underwater expeditions and
back-to-nature, sustainably designed lodgings nestled deep in the
native bush, we’re going off-grid, underwater and into the wild.
This is
living.