A children’s book regaling three children’s adventures snorkelling in Poor Knights Islands has been officially launched at the Mayor’s office.
Stoke resident Alan Parker has long held a passion for the ocean, first diving at Poor Knights, 20km off the East Coast of the North Island, in the 1960s – long before it became the bustling marine reserve that it is today.
The book, which also illustrated by Alan with more than 10 artworks, details the adventures of his three grandchildren, Eddy, Zoe and Lethain on their snorkel trip to Poor Knights. He hopes that it will inspire children with a life-long love of the ocean and all its creatures and draw attention to the importance of marine reserves – of which just one per cent of NZ waters is vested in.
When Nick Smith heard about the book, he invited Alan and his family to officially launch it at an afternoon tea. Eddy, who was the first to read his granddad’s book, made the trip from Hororata with his dad for the launch.
He informed Mayor Nick that he has already been snorkelling at Poor Knights, last year at the age of 10, and recounts getting bit on the finger by a large snapper – a subject briefly touched on in the book, too. Nick says he was drawn to the book, as he was the Minister of Conservation, at the time when he pushed for Poor Knights to become fully protected. In 1998, it finally became a full reserve.
“The significance of Poor Knights is those warm, subtropical waters,” he says.
Having grown up in Whangarei, Alan did most of his diving in Northland, relocating to Nelson with family in 1980.
