Fiji

While Fijian politics may currently be in disarray, it’s all good news for divers. With the combined strength of the NZD, a weakened FJD and Fijian tourism being down by 6%, it all adds up to some fantastic dive deals.

The friendly Fijian people will still greet you with a big “Bula” smile, the kaleidoscope of corals and tropical reef fish are just as colourful and the sun and water are still hot. So hurry up to take advantage of these Hot Fiji deals. Give us a call for latest specials and availability.

Tonga & Niue
A "must do in your diving lifetime"

Imagine yourself snorkelling in the cobalt blue tropical Tongan or Niue waters  with lots of humpback whales and their newborn calves, while listening to their  whale songs.

Every diver should do this in their lifetime. It’s one of life’s great adventures. Gazing into the eyeball of a humpback and the sound of the whales songs are memories that will remain embedded in your mind forever.

So fulfill your dreams and take a snorkel with whales while the opportunity is still there. You’ll need to act now as the whale season is mid July to mid October, and many of the whale watch boats and best accommodation is just about sold out, with few spaces left.

Visit our Tonga Webpage »

Visit our Niue Webpage »

Solomon Islands, Post Tsunami

Diving and business as usual.

It was a peaceful morning with the sun just above the horizon, calm seas and the smell of bacon in the air on 02 April when the magnitude 8.1 earthquake hit one of the South Pacific’s premier dive locations, the Western Provinces of the Solomon Islands. In an instant, the tranquil setting changed as the resultant tsunami hit, causing severe damage to the worst affected area: Gizo.

Sanbis Resort, Gizo 4 days after the Earthquake

4 months later, after all the death and destruction, much of the infrastructure has been rebuilt and the land is healing itself.  Beneath the waters, life has begun again as new reefs are formed and the cycle of life on the tropical reefs continues.

Life in the tranquil waters of the Solomons, post tsunami, has returned to normal, along with the dive operations who are all back in business. We have had lots of clients returning from the Solomons, all saying that the Solomons’ diving is as spectacular as before and the dive sites unaffected. The dive sites around Gizo are pretty much intact, except for 3 or 4 sites where the tidal surge smashed the coral. Mother Nature, as cruel and destructive as she can be, has taken full advantage of the extra food source from upturned and squashed coral, with an explosion in the number of coral feeders and other fish in the food chain. The number of tropical fish now found on these dive sites is staggering. None of the incredible shipwrecks which litter the ocean bottom were affected, and are still as safe and exciting to dive as before.

Being so close to the Equator, with strong oceanic currents, a relatively small population and unaffected by cyclones, the Solomon Islands enjoy some of the most bio-diverse reefs in the World.

Diving in the Solomons is still spectacular and it’s still the most amazing, affordable, closest, reef and wreck dive holiday location in the South Pacific. Head over there now!

Visit our Solomons Webpage »

Q. What do the Labour Party and diving have in common ?
A.: Well, not much really. But .. Labour has given all working Kiwis an extra week of annual leave so we now have 4 wonderful weeks of holiday each year.

Q. So what are you going to do with your extra week ?

Work ? NO!
Nothing ? And lose it ? - Definitely not!

Go diving ? Yes. A week in the tranquil tropical blue water of the South Pacific, great diving and a cold one in hand as the warm sun sets behind the palm trees! Sounds great, can't wait!

And now Kiwis can fly, along with our high flying dollar!

We are in the early stages of planning some group departures on some amazing liveaboards. If this looks like your type of dive adventure give us a call so you will be first to know and take advantage of costs, while the exchange rate is good.

Palau

Big Blue Explorer

Around mid May 08 to take advantage of best time of year and moon and tide conditions.

Tentative cost is NZD$5500-$5700, ex Auckland. This includes airfares, 7 days on board, meals and 25 – 28 dives.

Dive Komodo National Park
Indonesia

Early September 2008 renowned for its strong currents big fish action and best colourful reef dives. This is our send charter in 2 years. Tentative cost ex-Auckland $5750-$6000. This includes airfares 10 nights on board meals and 35-38 dives.

Dive Wakatobi Area Late August 2008
Indonesia

Renowned to be the best Macro Dives anywhere. The MV Pelagian Combines Macro and Big Wall dives in one of the most comfortable liveaboard around yet at amazing value. Plenty of spaces, 12 divers only.

Tentative cost NZD$ 5300-$5600,
ex Auckland. This includes Airfares, 7 nights on board, meals and 25-28 dives.

If you would like more information about any of the above trips, give Christine a call : 09-9185520 and we’ll keep you updated.

If you are an experienced diver searching for the “Holy Grail” of dive trips, picture this:

• 3 trips (60 divers), all from different countries, all with different agendas, but sharing a common goal.
• 2 private charter flights to fly 650km to the “back of beyond”.
• A liveaboard dive boat and its crew pushed to operational capacity.
• 4 dives a day for 10 days.
• A commitment to the environment.
• A unique marine research programme involving a top marine biologist, turtles, sharks and coral spawning.
• Catch a Tiger Shark without harming it, bring it on board for a health check, attach a satellite tag and set it off on its merry way.
• Find, document and film historic sailing ships
• "The area from the tip of Cape York to just north of Lizard Island is the most biologically diverse region of the Marine Park. It is a remote natural area valued for its natural and undeveloped character."
  - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Now picture yourself as part of this unique opportunity.

Ron Blake, adventurer and Director of Dive Fish Snow Travel, first dived the extreme far north of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef 20 years ago, and its long been his dream to go back there. This has to be one of the remotest areas of the planet,  but if he could only work out the logistics, it would be worth it to get back to that impressive marine life and virgin dive sites. Here, turtles in their thousands litter a remote island, the coral spawning has to be seen to be believed, and the mantas, huge Queensland gropers and potato cod and other pelagic are prolific as they thrive in the World’s largest protected Maine Park

The Problem

But, .. the area we are talking about has no regular charter boats visiting as it’s too far from land – over 800kms from the nearest port. Its just not affordable or practical to take a commercial dive charter boat out that far.

The Dream

However, for a man with a passion and a dream, it’s about to become a reality. If you have the passion, you can join in the dream.

It all started, as many good ideas do, over a beer in the office, between Ron and John Rumney (with 29 years experience in the Northern Great Barrier Reef) skipper of Australia’s premier adventure and research dive charter boat “MV Undersea Explorer”. The dream was shared, the problems discussed– distance, safety, food and fuel logistics and cost, and a solution found. Its taken 18 months of planning to pull it off, but we now have  a truly once-in-a-lifetime dive trip to offer you.

The Solution:

3 separate charters of 10 days duration each.

• 1 charter will spend 10 days travelling north from Port Douglas to a small Aboriginal settlement on the Lockhart River, 650 km north of Cairns, close to where the Great Barrier Reef leaves mainland Australia and heads out into the Coral Sea, between Cape York and PNG.

Undersea Explorer harnessing the tourist dollar to fund conservation and research, has joined forces with the Museum of Tropical Queensland and Australia National Geographic to look for historic shipwrecks known to be in the area. Bingo – that’s the first charter filled!

The “MV Undersea Explorer” will pick up diesel and limited fresh groceries, meat and seafood from a floating pontoon in the Lockhart River to supplement the extra food they’ve stocked on board, and they are ready for the next part of the journey.

• Our Charter The second charter is us. Our trip will begin with a charter flight from Cairns to the Lockhart River to meet the ship, before the plane returns to Cairns with the members of the first group.
  
  We spend 10 days cruising and diving the legendary reefs such as Yule Reef, Great Detached Reef and Raine Island, before heading 150kms further north to the remote coral sea Boot, Portlock and Ashmore Reefs. These reefs were made famous by 2 legends of Australian diving, Ben Crop and Wallie Gibbon, who pioneered diving and filming in these pristine waters.

The “MV Undersea Explorer” is well set up for marine research and they have secured permission from the Great Barrier Reef Park Authority to take a marine research scientist to some places off limits to most.

Enter Richard Fitzpatrick, one of the Great Barrier Reef’s renowned marine biologist. When he heard of this unique opportunity to dive the extreme Far North, he pulled rank and booked himself into the researcher's berth on board.

Which is fantastic news for us, as having Richard on board (at no cost, may I add) allows us to travel to, and dive, pristine areas of the reef off limits to the diving public, such as Raine Island Turtle Sanctuary.

Now, its not just coincidence that puts us at Raine Island in the heart of turtle breeding season, along with millions of nesting sea birds and a few tiger sharks. Luckily, the sharks will be so focused on the turtles and birds as dinner dishes, that they’ll pay no attention to we human intruders. Which should make it easy for Richard to catch a large Tiger Shark by the tail, bring it on board for a health check,  weigh-in and a close but safe encounter with our group, before attaching a satellite tag and setting it free again.

Richard will also offer lectures and presentations on reef ecology, and you are more than welcome to dive with him and help him while he’s doing his research.

Add to the mix virgin reefs, big schools of fish, manta rays, whale sharks (we hope), turtles, reef and oceanic sharks, 400kg Queensland grouper and potato cod and it all adds up to a great time.

Our leg of this special charter ends up back where we started at Lockhart River, for the spectacular flight back to Cairns.

• The 3rd leg brings the “MV Undersea Explorer” back to her home base at Port Douglas.

So come on and join us on leg 2, the best leg, of this awesome dive odyssey to  the extreme Far North Great Barrier Reef. It’s taken 20 years and 18 months of planning for Ron to get back there. For “MV Undersea Explorer”, its her first trip this far north. Undersea Explorer and Mike Ball Dive Expeditions do offer some Far North dive trips for 2-3 months each year, but where those trips end, ours begins. So it truly will be a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.  If you are an adventure diver, don’t stay at home and dream “What If”. Live the dream. Join us.

Click here for more detailed information and pricing »

We have listed our most popular Diving Packages to 9 Countries with 64 different options to suit individual interest and budget.

All Packages Below Include
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Airfares		Transfers		Accommodation		Travel Insurance		Diving

Click here to pick your own Diving Package »

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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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