| A Dive newsletter by Dive Fish Snow Travel |
Jan 2009 |
Welcome to the New Year and Welcome to summer, the blue water is in around the Northland coast, the scallops and crays are plentiful. This is the time of year to get wet and really enjoy the fantastic diving New Zealand has to offer over summer. It's also the time year to talk over with your dive buddies next winters diving escape, and start planning your next tropical dive adventure. Because planning early has it's rewards. Huge savings so extend your summer, sun and warm water diving with well earned tropical dive holiday this winter.
- Dive among pristine, untouched tropical reefs with outstanding visibility.
- Dive on hundreds of WWII ship, submarine and planes wrecks: history you can see and touch above and below the water.
- Snorkel with humpback whales
- Dive with sharks, manta rays, orcas and BIG fish.
- Dive with hundred of species of fish, soft coral and marine life unique to the South Pacific.
- Experience professional land-based and liveaboard dive operators.
- Small groups of divers leave the dives sites crowded by fish, not people.
- It’s warm and sunny there right now
- It's time to have that mid winter escape
Hello and welcome to “Tropical Dive Times”.
Here in New Zealand we are so lucky to have so many of the world’s best diving locations only a short flight away.
So, which is the Best diving destination ?
This is an often-asked question, and the answer is always: It depends on YOU! Are you into wrecks, big pelagic fish action, wide angle or macro photography, deep walls, pristine hard/soft corals, whales, sharks or mantas? What’s your budget? Do you want a full on diving holiday or are you taking a non-diving partner or the kids with you?
Within these categories we can help you find your “World’s best dive destination”. From our vast experience and in depth personal knowledge, above and below the water, we can give you an unbiased recommendation on all locations and dive resorts.
As the winter cold bites in, what better time is there to head off to the azure blue waters of the tropical South Pacific to find your slice of diving paradise? If the freezing temperatures, ice and snow aren’t enough to send you scurrying off somewhere warm and tropical, then check out our website – the images on there should do it! It is full of great information, interactive maps, virtual tours, videos, and loads of awesome photography above and below the waterline.
Your next Dive Holiday starts here »

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Liveaboard diving:
1 Liveaboard trip will change the way you think about diving forever. |
Why is it that once our clients have dived from a liveaboard dive boat they seldom go back to land based options ?
The avid diver knows the advantages of live-aboard diving - you cruise to remote unspoiled reefs to find superior marine life, big pelagic fish and undamaged reefs. Since the big live-aboards anchor at the dive sites, you can do up to four dives per day, including a night dive.
With air-conditioned cabins, sumptuous chef-prepared meals, hostess in attendance and unparalleled crew generally service (up to one crew member for every three passengers), the live-aboards offer some of the best diving opportunity.
Experience exciting drift and wall dives, superb fish life with BIG schools of pelagic fish, night dives, soft corals, a shark feeding station. On a liveaboard trip you will see more spectacular marine life in the course of one day than you would see on a whole 7 day diving trip elsewhere.
Liveaboard vessels will spoil you for future diving. Huge undercover dive decks, unique entry/exit platforms and large inflatable dive tenders make diving a breeze.
One Liveaboard trip will change the way you think about diving forever.
So what is the experience of a livaboard diving, is it just sleep, eat and dive? Well it is much more than just that, sure you get to eat like a king, sleep in comfortable air conditioned cabins, and you dive easily from the dive decks where someone is ready with your dive gear to strap you in before you plunge into the warm blue abyss. Liveaboard experience is like a mini ship or floating hotel and is obviously highly recommended choice with the most remote and the most spectacular dives sites you will ever dive. One trip will change the way you think about diving forever. Maybe if you are thinking these ultimate live-aboards are just for the 5 a day dive fanatics with thousands of dives recorded, highly experienced divers, well it is Not true. Most Liveaboards cater for all kind of divers, with such an experienced crew around you, ensures you are diving within your limits and safety.
Still not convinced? Let's try to address some of the concerns first time liveaboard divers have.
Some Liveaboard Myths
- Liveaboard will make me sea sick.
No, Liveaboards are very comfortable big boats, and most liveaboards are cruising in calm sheltered sea.
- Too many dives, I probably will get too tired or wouldn't cope.
It is actually easier doing 4 dives a day from a comfortable liveaboard with heaps of crew catering to your every needs than it is doing 2 land base boat dives.
- You need to be an expert diver with at least 100s of dives under your belt
You don't need to be Gun ho diver to get the most out of a liveaboard experience, to the contrary liveaboard diving is a fantastic way to gain and increase you experience, confidence with doing lots of dives over few days.
- Diving on liveaboard is very expensive
If you consider cost per dive it is actually cheaper on a liveaboard plus the prices includes all meals, diving, accommodation, shore trips, fishing etc.
Have more concerns about a liveaboard, talk to our Dive Travel Consultant for your liveaboard dive holiday, as we know once you go on a liveaboard dive holiday. It will set a whole new level of exciting diving for you. |
Set departures
All liveaboards have set schedules, mostly 7, 10 or 14 days, although some offer 3 or 4 days in Queensland.
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Special Charter: MV Telita, PNG. 14 Night Special Charter. June 2009.
Opportunities like this are very few and far between: The chance to dive at one of the remotest dive sites in the world.

Virgin reef diving, no crowds (apart from the abundant fish), just 9 divers and you.
Ron and Christine Blake who are keen adventurers, underwater video photographers and Directors of Dive Fish Snow Travel have experienced diving at PNG and throughout the world. Join them on their holiday and their slice of heaven this june.
It’s been their dream for many years to dive the remote northern most reefs and islands of PNG, which are a long long way from civilization. Here you will find virgin dive sites, impressive marine life, turtles, mantras, whale sharks, (if luck is on your side), gropers, a real predators playground, surrounded by a dazzling variety of reef critters and a kaleidoscope of magnificent corals.
Special 14 night charter during the best weather window of the year
Kavieng, Tingwon, Manus, Hermit, Heina and Ninigo Reefs, Wewak : Only accessible once or twice a year, if at all.
The logistics of diving such remote areas requires a live aboard but not just any live aboard dive boat. One that can run an extended 14-night charter.
After researching the various boat's crews and most importantly the skipper, Ron and Christine have booked MV Telita, for this 14-night dive adventure this winter.
MV Telita has a proud history of diving throughout PNG from her previous owners Bob and Dinah Halstead, who are authors of many books on diving PNG, to Paul Baker the current owner skipper who has been operating MV Telita for many years carrying on the quest for the best diving PNG has to offer.
Special Discount
NZ$ 250pp if deposited by 31st Jan 2009 |
More information on 14 Night Charter on Telita »
An outline on MV Telita
With a crew of eight and a maximum of ten guests, MV Telita offers a high level of personalized service. The boat offers five luxurious cabins all with ensuite bathrooms, indoor and outdoor dining facilities, a brand new Nitrox membrane system, free laundry service and a DVD and reading library. Our stabilizers and state of the art navigation systems ensure safe and comfortable cruising.
MV Telita offers up to five dives per day. Our dive deck offers a camera table, hot showers and a spacious diving platform. We also have two inflatable tenders. During your trip, our staff handles your gear. From the initial set-up to washing it at the end of the week, we do it for you.
Unlike many of the larger boats with fixed itineraries, we take you where you want to go. Our crew make every effort to show you what you would like to see – big stuff, little critters, land excursions. MV Telita is ready to make your trip to Papua New Guinea a memorable experience – both above and below the water.
More information on Telita » |
| Featured Liveaboard Boats |

SS Thorfinn, Truk Lagoon.
The Ultimate Wreck diving location
The SS Thorfinn is a 58 metre steam powered vessel with 11 air-conditioned state rooms. The diving programme offers up to 4-5 dives per day with as many as 37 wrecks to choose from, so you could get up to 28-30 dives during 7 full days of diving. Thorfinn has weekly departures. Dive Fish Snow travel has 2 group departures, one in August and another in November 2009
More information on SS Thorfinn, Liveaboard »

Mike Ball, Great Barrier Reef
Cruise the Ribbon Reefs with pristine coral gardens up to the world famous Cod Hole where you will dive with a family of giant potato or venture out to the amazing coral sea reefs where 60 meter visibility, and expect the unexpected is the norm.
More information on Mike Ball, Livaboard »

MV Bilikiki, Solomon Islands
Bilikiki Cruises Ltd is the premier dive operator in the Solomon Islands. Operating two live-aboard ships, MV Bilikiki and MV Spirit of Solomons. Wrecks, big fish action, pristine Reefs, meet the local village people. Bilikiki have regular 7, 10 & 14 day departures. Dive Fish Snow Travel has 1 group departure in August 2009.
More information on MV Bilikiki, Livaboard »
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| Tonga: Snorkel with Whales |
Imagine yourself snorkelling in the cobalt blue tropical Tongan waters this winter 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. But to make sure you get your spot on the boat in the best time, you need to act now as whale watch boats and best accommodation sell out fast. During Whale season mid July to early October.
Visit our Webpages on Tonga Diving »
Dive Fish Snow Travel highly recommend these dive operators while in Vavau
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| Matava Resort, Kadavu, Fiji: Home to one of the Manta Ray Dives |
The Great Astrolabe Reef lies off Kadavu Island in Fiji and offers a huge variety of fish life including Eagle rays and mantas, plus an equally diverse range of colourful hard and soft corals.
Astrolabe is the third largest reef in the world, yet possibly the most unexplored. ‘Virgin Diving’ is a term often flaunted but is the best way to describe the diving from Matava. There are whole segments of the Astrolabe reef no one has ever dived or even seen; it is all just waiting to be explored. Astrolabe is renowned for the prolific amount of large fish and great pelagics are a common sight on these reefs. The main attraction here are the giant manta rays; it’s the only dive site in Fiji where sightings of mantas are virtually guaranteed. Sitting on a bommie watching several mantas with a wing span of 4-5 metres gliding past you is a sight you’ll never forget!
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| Matava Resort : Set amongst coconut trees and jungle covered hills, Matava Resort nestles on the coast of Kadavu facing out towards the blue Pacific. The resort describes itself as a ‘genuine eco-hideaway’ with traditional native Fijian bures nestled in the rainforest. The resort has just completed major renovations, the Main Bure has lovely al fresco dining area. |
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Dive Fish Snow Travel has some good specials on offer for Early Bird Bookings for this winter.
More Information on this amazing Resort »
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| Dive Holiday Tips on How to stretch your dollar further. |
“Earlybird Specials” are called just that as they need to be booked EARLY. By March when you are thinking about needing a winter holiday soon, the specials are all gone.
- Cheap seats on planes always sell out first, and fast. There is only a limited number of cheap seats on any flight, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
- Domestic flights to remote dive locations are often on small planes and they can fill up quickly, especially if a dive group is heading there when you want to.
- Dive operators in the best dive locations are often small operations who can only accommodate a small number of guests. They are often booked out months in advance, especially with dive groups.
- Accommodation and Resort specials are only valid while the Resorts have plenty of availability. Once rooms start filling up for those prime winter diving months, the specials are no longer available.
- The best diving times often result from predictable phenomena such as moon phases, tides and wind patterns, coral spawning and plankton blooming that attracts the manta’s and whale sharks, and that’s when all those “on to it “divers book themselves in early.

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Consider the benefits of getting your reservations in place now:
- You’ll get the Earlybird Specials
- You’ll get the cheapest flights
- You’ll get the best domestic flight connections
- In a lot of cases you’ll get last year’s prices if booked early.
- You’ll be there at the best time to dive
- You’ll have time to budget and save for your holiday
- You get to book in your annual leave before everyone else does.
- Best of all, you’ll get to dive in an exotic location next Winter, and have time to look forward to it, and save for it.
Plan for a holiday in 2009
Don’t be left out in the cold next winter. Try one of these hot holidays:
- Swim with humpback whales in Tonga or Niue
- Dive with manta rays in PNG, Indonesia, Solomon Islands or Micronesia
- WWII wrecks in the Solomons, PNG, Philippines, Vanuatu or Truk Lagoon
- Soft corals and sharkfeeds in Fiji
- Big fish action on remote offshore reefs like Sipadan, Layang Layang
- A liveaboard adventure that dives the best
Be first to get Early Bird Specials with best options and availability for Airfares and Accommodations, Diving.
Register your interest; obligation free.
Booking Early has it's rewards
It's never too early to start planning your next dive holiday. There is a good reason for this - Huge Savings! In general, the savings are likely to include:
- The Special airfare incentives, cheap seats always sell first.
- Buy 4-5 day diving; receive 1 – 2 extra days diving FREE.
- Buy 6-8 nights accommodation; receive 1 – 2 extra nights for FREE
- Extra discounts, Booking now for next winter, and some resorts will give this year prices which will be cheaper than next season prices.
- Domestic flights / Best connections to remote dive resorts - These small aircraft often only fly 2-3 times a week and are always sold out early when connecting with international flights.
- By getting organised early you get what you want and when you want it, and at the Best Prices plus you can relax and look forward to your next dive adventure.
- You get time to save for your holiday.
Planning Early has its Rewards and Benefits

A journey of a thousand dives begins with a single click
Visit our Comprehensive Diving Website or simply call our specialist Dive Travel Agents Steve, Mike, Markus or Christine for a friendly obligation free chat about getting your next Winter's dive holiday under way.
Call us on 09-479 2210 or Toll Free NZ: 0508 -348 334
Customised itineraries:To help you with some long term planning of your own “journey of a thousand dives”, we are happy to help you to plan an itinerary for you, including best dive destination, best flight connections, best dive operator and best accommodation to suit your requirements and your budget.
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| You are automatically in to win the ultimate Dive Holiday |
WIN THE ULTIMATE DIVE HOLIDAY
Aboard the liveaboard dive vessel
“M.V. BILIKIKI’, SOLOMON ISLANDS

Many thanks to our sponsors for again offering this awesome prize for our valued clients.
The Solomons offer a fantastic array of diving and the ultimate way to see it all is on-board the liveaboard dive vessels “M.V Bilikiki” and “Spirit of Solomons”, operating 1 week and 10-14 days cruises from Honiara. Bilikiki Cruises is the Solomons most prestigious dive operation and her vessels are the most comfortable and luxurious way to do your diving.
What’s better than booking on one of these fantastic dive cruises?
WINNING IT!
Because you are already receiving and reading our “Divetimes” newsletter, you are already in the draw to win this fantastic holiday.
But you can
DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES:
By getting your dive buddies to subscribe to “Divetimes”, they then go into the draw, and you get 2 entries in the draw. And who knows – if you buddy wins the prize, perhaps he’ll take you!
It’s that simple. Just click here to sign them up »
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You are receiving this newsletter because either you or someone
on your behalf has signed up at divefishsnow.co.nz. To Unsubscribe just 'Reply' to
this email and type 'unsubscribe' in the Subject.
To be in the Draw and win a trip to Solomon Island you need to be in our subscribers
list at the time of the draw.
Regards
- "THE DIVE TEAM" - Dive Fish Snow Travel
Auckland
PHONE: (09) 479 2210 -
TOLL FREE: 0508 348 334
EMAIL: divetravel@divefishsnow.co.nz
©Dive Fish Snow Travel 2009 www.divefishsnow.co.nz - all rights reserved
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