4 mile reef - Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf
Four Mile Reef, just off Goat Island, offers a simple, rewarding dive. We like the easy shore entry, gently sloping over sand and stone. You'll drop to about 18 metres, often finding good visibility on the sand flats, though the deeper areas can get a bit silty. It’s a great spot for an easy navigation dive, with plenty of koura tucked into crevices. Keep an eye out for schooling snapper and those ever-present rainbow trout. It’s a low-key site, perfect for a relaxed dive when the easterly winds stay under 8 knots.
- Location
- Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, Australasia
- Coordinates
- -38.727400, 176.069200
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf
The warmest water temperatures in Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf occur in February, averaging 22.4°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 14.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 21.4°C
- February: 22.4°C
- March: 21.8°C
- April: 19.8°C
- May: 17.4°C
- June: 15.3°C
- July: 14.1°C
- August: 14.1°C
- September: 14.7°C
- October: 16.3°C
- November: 18.5°C
- December: 20.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf
- 4 mile reef (reef)
- Acacia Bay (reef)
- Acacia Bay (reef)
- Aldermens- Bishops Hat (cave)
- Aldermens- Bishops Hat (reef)
- Aldermens- Fish Factory (wall)
- Aldermens- Fish Factory (pinnacle)
- Aldermens- HoneyComb (cave)
- Aldermens- HoneyComb (reef)
- Aldermens-Middle Middle (reef)
- Aldermens-Middle Middle (wreck)
- Aldermens- Mooring Bay (wall)
- Aldermens- Mooring Bay (reef)
- Anemone Boulders (reef)
- Anemone Boulders (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to 4 mile reef
- Cathedral Cove Dive Ltd - ["PADI"]
- Dive Doctor
- Dive HQ Auckland - ["PADI"]
- Dive Tatapouri
- Dive Zone Tauranga - ["PADI"]
- Dive Zone Whitianga - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf
Home to 77 recorded species including 43 reef fish, 11 sharks & rays, 3 whales & dolphins, 3 crabs & lobsters, 3 other, 3 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Snapper (Pagrus auratus) - Reef Fish
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- European fan-worm (Sabella spallanzanii) - Worms
- Asian paddle crab (Charybdis (Charybdis) japonica) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Red Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) - Sharks & Rays
- Bluefin Gurnard (Chelidonichthys kumu) - Reef Fish
- Bronze whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus) - Sharks & Rays
- dory (Zeus faber) - Reef Fish
- California Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi) - Reef Fish
- Blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Ranger (Pseudocaranx dentex) - Reef Fish
- Pacific sardine (Sardinops sagax) - Reef Fish
- Rig (Mustelus lenticulatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Dab (Rhombosolea plebeia) - Reef Fish
- Spotted Stargazer (Genyagnus monopterygius) - Reef Fish
- Carpet sea squirt (Didemnum vexillum)
- Southern Eagle Ray (Myliobatis tenuicaudatus) - Sharks & Rays
- Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei) - Whales & Dolphins
Recommended Packing List for 4 mile reef
Based on average water temperature of 18.0°C, currents 2 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 18°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories