The Pump House

Welcome to Lake Pupuke, a fantastic fresh water dive site located on the beautiful North Shore in Auckland, New Zealand. Whether you're a beginner, advanced, or expert diver, this site offers consistent and reliable dive conditions all year round, making it a popular choice among divers who don't have boat access to the Auckland Gulf diving.

Located just over the harbor bridge from downtown Auckland, Lake Pupuke is easily accessible, with little to no drive time required. It's a great advantage for divers looking for convenience and the ability to dive in all weathers. However, please note that the lake is also popular for other water activities such as rowing, wind surfing, and sail or row boating. To ensure your safety, remember to take a dive flag with you while exploring the depths.

Killarney Park is the go-to site for divers, offering ample parking and convenient facilities, including a theatre, café, and toilets situated in the old Pumphouse. This historic building was once the main source of fresh water supply for the North Shore. The grassy area between the car park and the lake is an ideal spot for gearing up, and from there, you can choose between a jetty entry or a shore entry from the boat ramp off the grassy slope.

Once underwater, prepare to be amazed by the diverse marine life inhabiting Lake Pupuke. Playful perch will accompany you on your dive, along with trout and long and short-finned eels, some of which can be up to an impressive 70 years old. The lake bottom is made up of fine silt, which may reduce visibility, typically ranging between 3-5 meters. To enhance your experience, practice good buoyancy control and employ frog kicking techniques to avoid disturbing the silt and reducing visibility further.

The topography of Lake Pupuke is fairly flat, with a gentle slope from the shore to around 10 meters, where it gradually becomes steeper towards the deeper parts of the lake, reaching a maximum depth of approximately 13 meters. Keep an eye out for the captivating weed line, consisting of eel grass, ribbon weed, or tape weed, which extends about 20 meters from the water's edge into a depth of about 6 meters. Local water fowl often nibble on this vegetation, allowing it to grow almost to the surface.

Navigation within the lake is made easier by utilizing the slope as a guide. On your way out from the pink buoy, the slope descends to your left and rises to your right. Upon your return, rotate 180 degrees, and the slope should be on your right as you descend and on your left as you ascend. Follow this path, and you'll discover interesting features such as the 'Caves,' a collection of rocky boulders with indents forming small overhangs, situated at around 12 meters. Alternatively, heading in the opposite direction will lead you to a grass meadow (chara or nitella) at approximately 12 meters or the pipeline at about 7 meters.

The lake's temperature ranges from single figures during winter months to the high 20s Celsius in the summertime. There are distinct thermoclines that fluctuate throughout the year, adding to the dynamic nature of the dive. Wildlife thrives both in and out of the water at Lake Pupuke. Various bird species, including ducks, black swans, geese, and Australian coots, make their presence known, while friendly Pukekos and Tuis can be spotted along the banks. Underwater, you're likely to encounter trout, perch, longfin and shortfin eels, common bully fish, snails, and, if conditions are right, thousands of Medusa jellyfish blooming.

Don't miss the opportunity to explore the depths of Lake Pupuke, a remarkable dive site that caters to divers of all levels with its accessibility, reliable conditions, and captivating marine life.