“MV Chertan” is based in Milne Bay in the south east of PNG. This area is considered to be one of the last untouched dive destinations in the world and is the most exciting in PNG, and some would say, the world. It is special not only for the extraordinary riches of its classic tropical reefs which are packed with all the usual creatures that divers would expect to find but also for all the uncommon marine animals, including one of the most fantastic scorpionfish in the world.

We are running two chartered liveaboard trips on the “Chertan” this year. One is already full, but there are a few spaces left on the 20 August departure. Be in quick if you'd like to join this trip.

Note: Half the divers on these 2 trips are returning for their 2 nd or 3 rd time diving this area of PNG – such is the quality of diving!

Click here for more on MV Chertan

Get the best of both worlds on Niue. Niue is a special place both above and below water. Unparalleled visibility, great caverns and interesting marine life make this a dive destination visitors return to year after year. There's always a good chance of a swim with the spinner dolphins on surface intervals and right now the humpback whales are about, allowing snorkellers the rare opportunity to come eye to eye with these gentle giants. Niue Dive already reports some amazing encounters with whales only metres away and on several occasions this year they have swum up to divers mid dive. And when you couple all this with the luxury of the Matavai resort, south pacific holidays don't get any more memorable than this. For a limited time, Niue Dive and Matavai Resort are offering divers the chance to experience these great marine life encounters at a special price...

Namukulu Motel reports they have completed the rebuilding of their units and the new swimming pool is also finished.

Niue is also a great place for non divers. The bush walks are magnificent, there are sandy coves to visit, and spectacular caves to explore. There is also great fishing just offshore.

Niue Special: valid from 12 September until 21 November. Includes return airfares (depart Auckland Saturday, return Tuesday week) ex Auckland, 10 nights share twin accommodation including 10 dives.

• Stay at Matavai Resort for $1985 per diver (includes free continental breakfasts)
• Stay at Namukulu Motel for $1775 per diver (includes 2 days rental car breakfast pack)
• Taxes are an additional $100 per person

Click here for more info on Niue

We appreciate that most New Zealanders prefer not to travel in groups, but interestingly enough, many of our clients do. We've found that once a client travels with a group, they very seldom travel alone again.

The main reasons why year after year the same people travel with the same tour leaders and group members is the FUN and CAMERADERIE, along with ambience and atmosphere . Hard to put into words, but it's the friendships that develop between like minded divers, it's the fun of sharing the day's experiences in the restaurant and bar after a great day underwater, it's the knowledge gained from other people's experiences, its being able to relax and enjoy the trip because the tour leader will deal with the logistics.

There are many other good reasons why Group Travel has become so popular:

• Groups often receive greater, free or more services
• Single people can share a room, thus greatly reducing their costs
• Make new diving friends
• Benefit from other divers' expertise and experiences
• Tour leader has been there before so knows all the best places to go and will deal with any unexpected hassles such as lost luggage, flight delays etc
• Tour leader is often an instructor and is happy to give group members some casual lessons and advice if they want it - and it's free!

Diving ability : Don't think you need to be an experienced diver to join a group. You don't! Yes, there are likely to be experienced divers in each group, and they will sometimes buddy up with novice divers, but there are always dive guides to look after the novices.

So think about joining a group. You wont be disappointed. Check out our group departures on our website (click here for Group Departures )

Only 12 kilometres from the centre of Port Vila and an easy two minute ride by ferry from Port Vila is the appropriately named Hideaway Island and Marine Sanctuary Resort. Edged by white sands, coral beaches and fringed with palm trees, the island is surrounded by warm crystal waters teeming with friendly fish living amongst the pastel-coloured Plate Corals, unique to this area.

To fully appreciate the extent of the Marine Sanctuary's wonderful reefs and marine life...you just have to visit. The reef has been protected as a Marine Sanctuary for 15 years. The fish are very friendly - it's like an underwater “aquarium” of untold splendor right off the beach and you can hand feed hundreds of the tame fish just metres from the shore .

Includes:

• From $1125 pp

  Return airfares ex Auckland,
• 7 nights share 4 dormitory accommodation
• 6 dives

Wananavu Beach Resort, situated on the northern tip of Fiji's mainland near Rakiraki has just completed a $1.5million refurbishment. All existing bures have been completely refurbished, and 6 new bures built, including a luxurious honeymoon bure.

500 truck loads of sand have been brought in to form a new beach, and the pool and gardens have been titivated as well.

All in all, it's looking fantastic. Even better, they've just given us a special deal valid from now until 31 March 2006.

New cost, includes:

• From $1775 pp + Taxes of $130

  Return airfares ex Auckland,
• 7 nights share twin gardenview bure
• 10 dives, tanks and weight belts
• Return airport transfers
• Insurance

That's a savings of $400 per person! Which makes now a great time to check Wananavu out. It's a wonderfully romantic resort too, so a great place for weddings, renewal of vows, or just to get away from everything.

The diving is fantastic too! The Ra (or West) waters off the coast from Wananavu resort are world renowned for the quality of fish life, prolific colourful corals and pristine conditions. Two excellent dive operations run from here, including Ra Divers.

The Galapagos Archipelago is a cluster of some 13 volcanic islands and associated islets and rocks located just below the equator, about 600 miles west of Ecuador - South America in the Pacific Ocean.  The oldest of the islands are about 4 million years old and the youngest are still in the process of being formed.  Indeed, the Galapagos Islands are considered to be one of the most active volcanic areas in the world.

The islands were discovered by chance in 1535 when father Tomas Berlanga, the bishop of Panama sailed to Peru to settle a dispute between Francisco Pizarro and his lieutenants after the conquest of the Incas.  The bishop's ship stalled when the winds died and strong currents carried him out to the Galapagos.

We took a group liveaboard dive trip to the Galapagos and Cocos Islands a few years ago, and have some clients interested in another trip. So we are looking at taking a group over in late 2006 or mid – late 2007. If this sounds like you, let us know- we're not looking for a commitment yet, just for expressions of interest. But contact us soon, as the tour is likely to fill quickly once we advertise it.

Click here for more info on Galapagos Islands

After years of maintaining the huge wreck, Allan Powers Dive Tours have recently found the embossed port of registration, San Fransisco, on the stern of the “SS Coolidge”!

Another recent find was the remains of a storage cupboard containing crystal glassware, jugs, bottles and decanters.

Since Boris, the 2.5mtr long, 200kg grouper who was for many years a resident of the “Coolidge”, disappeared 2 years ago, the marine life is even more amazing than before. Schools of batfish have made the cargo holds and promenade decks their home, giant trevally and dog tooth tuna will buzz divers outside the wreck, and huge schools of yellow tailed fusiliers feed off the side.

Allan Powers and his staff have built and maintained the coral gardens over the past 20 years and it's a great way to finish off a dive.

But Espiritu Santo is not just all about wrecks. There are some great land based tours now available, so it's a great place for non divers too. Visit a traditional custom village, trek through beautiful rainforests, wade through caves and cascading waterfalls, take a dip in the famous “Blue Holes”, be enthralled by WWII history or just relax on a picturesque beach.

Click here for more on Vanuatu

“SS Thorfinn” is preparing to undergo a USD$1.2 million refit in September, and we are looking forward to seeing photos of the new improved ship later in the year.

Truk Lagoon is home to dozens of WWII wrecks scattered under the waters of her broad lagoon following the US attack on the Japanese base at Truk. One of these wrecks is the MV “Yamagiri Maru”, a big passenger freighter damaged 2 or 3 times before she final sank. Within her 5 holds is the most unique cargo of any shipwreck, with over 30 pieces of the largest artillery shells ever mounted on a ship of war.

Dive Fish Snow Travel are running a group trip to explore the shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon in August/September 2006. Please contact us if you are interested in joining this group.

Click here for more on SS Thorfinn

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Regards - "THE DIVE TEAM" - Dive Fish Snow Travel Auckland
PHONE: (09) 479 2210 -
TOLL FREE: 0508 348 334
EMAIL: divetravel@divefishsnow.co.nz

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