Doco maker names NZ islands among top nature sites

Nick Stringer called his visit to the Poor Knights memorable. Photo / Top NZ Dive Sites

The Poor Knights Islands off the Northland coast have been declared one of the top 10 places to see nature at its finest.

The Guardian newspaper reported Emmy Award-winning director and producer of wildlife documentaries Nick Stringer had included the Poor Knights in the Bay of Islands on his list of the world's 10 best places to see nature.

The Poor Knights were listed in ninth place.

Stringer said he was in the Bay of Islands for only a few days but it was a memorable visit.

He said it was not hard to see why Jacques Cousteau rated it one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. It was a journey well worth making.

His list of the world's top 10 places to get the best of nature was:

1. Kalahari Desert, Namibia, for big cats and meerkats.

2. The Danum Valley, Borneo, for orangutans and gibbons.

3. Shark Bay, Western Australia, for wild dolphins and dugongs.

4. Yellowstone National Park, for grizzly bears, moose and wolves.

5. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, for tree-climbing lions, elephants and hippos.

6. West coast of Scotland for bird watching.

7. Al Hajar Mountains, Oman, for mountain life and endemic species.

8. Canaima National Park, Venezuela, for the adventurous.

9. Poor Knights Islands in Northland, New Zealand, for divers.

10. South Downs, England, for appreciating wildlife in your back garden.

National Geographic Traveller named the Tutukaka Coast one of the top three coastlines in the world.

- NZPA