Here is a guide that will help you with your planning. Please use this as a guide only. Our specialist dive consultants, Christine, Steve, Amy and Mike will be only too happy to give you a firm quote.

Overseas domestic air NZ$150 - NZ$400 (US$ 95 - US$ 260)
(as most good dive locations are remote, you will need to add a domestic airfare within all countries except Niue and to Hideaway Island, Tulagi and Cairns)

Airport transfers (return) NZ$20 - NZ$100

Accommodation, per night, per person, share twin:

Dive Fish Snow Special:
At most resorts we can offer 1 or 2 nights FREE accommodation when you pay for 5 or 6 nights.

Diving: including tanks, weight belts, airfills and dive guide
6 dives NZ$350 - NZ$390 (US$230-US$260)
10 dives NZ$500 - NZ$900(US$330-US$600)
12 dives NZ$550 - NZ$1000(US$360-US$670)

Liveaboard boats: includes all meals 4-5 dives daily, night diving, cabins cleaned daily, airport transfers, and fantastic service and the best dive sites.
4 share cabin NZ$275 - NZ$375 (US$180-US$245) per person per day
2 share cabin NZ$325 - NZ$425 (US$205-US$280) per person per day
2 share deluxe cabin NZ$375 - NZ$475 (US$245-US$310) per person per day

Most liveaboard trips are approximately 1 week long. In Cairns they are 3-7 days long, Solomons and PNG 7-10 days and Truk Lagoon/Palau 7 days

Sorry to burst your summer bubble, but if you want a dive holiday this winter, you need to think about it NOW! The good resorts at the good dive destinations are already starting to fill up over their prime diving time, and some are already full. We are not just saying this to get you to book: we're saying it now so you don't miss out!

Tonga and Niue : during the humpback whale season July – Sept

Fiji : Taveuni in Aug/Sept

Solomon Islands: Premier Wreck location. Often dive operation are small and don't cater for large numbers. Often groups book early go to the Solomon's. This often means locations are booked out early, and putting detailed itineraries to 2 or 3 dive locations within the Solomons can be difficult, so you don't back track.

Vanuatu : Cheap Virgin Blue flights are flying from Australia to Vanuatu. This will mean Santo is likely to be a sell out during the peak of winter.

Liveaboard : Most of the popular Liveaboards in the premier location fill well in advance, particularly the 7 day trips.

Flights: We always  want the cheapest seats, so it will be no surprise to you that those divers who get themselves organized and book early save hundreds of dollars and get the best value seats on planes.

Tonga, Niue, Great Barrier Reef: If you’re into whales, you need to book early. Last year from July - September, during the humpback whale season in Tonga and Niue and the Minke whale season in Queensland, the dive and whale watch operators  were full to capacity, and many divers missed out on having an incredible whale experience.

Ron Blake, Director of Dive Fish Snow Travel has had many diving highlights in his 30 yeas of diving, but says having a humpback whale and calf only meters in front of your camera lens is truly an unforgettable experience.

So if you want a WHALE OF A TIME, Book NOW.

NB. Already there are weeks in Niue, Vava’u Tonga and liveaboard minke whale trips on Great Barrier Reef that are sold out.

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 in South Pacific.

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 trip elsewhere.

Liveaboard vessels will spoil you for future diving. Huge undercover dive decks, unique entry/exit platforms and large inflatable dive enders make diving a breeze.

Set departures

All liveaboards have set schedules, mostly 7 or 14 days, although some offer 3 or 4 days in Queensland.

Extreme Far North Great Barrier Reef
14 - 25 November 2007

• Tens of thousands of turtles laying eggs on Raine Island Nature Reserve.
• Hundreds of Tiger Sharks hunting the turtles laying eggs on Raine Island!
• 20 divers pumping adrenalin, diving with Tiger Sharks, big turtles, big fish and loads of action in the Far North.
• Help “Tag a Tiger by the Tail”
• A chance to see Millions of corals spawning (a once a year event. This year it’s happening 24 – 28 November so we might just miss it).

To coin a phrase this expedition “will boldly go where no one has gone before”. Well, that’s not quite true, but no charter boat goes to the extreme far north of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, due to distance and the logistics of food and fuel.

That didn’t deter our Directors, Ron and Christine Blake, from running a trip there. Its just another challenge to overcome the logistics in order to get to the pristine, undived, untouched reefs that have been protected by Marine Park authorities for decades.

The Low Down:
Firstly, you have to understand just how big Far North Queensland is. From Cairns to the tip of Cape York is approximately 800kms. All the dive charters operate within 200-300kms north of Cairns: we are starting this special charter 550kms north of Cairns!

We are able to do this charter with the co-operation of the “MV Undersea Explorer”, who have changed their normal schedule to run a special trip for us further north and for a longer period than usual. They also changed 2 other charters, before and after ours, to enable the “Undersea Explorer” to cover the distance required to get us to the remote and pristine waters.

Basically, we will fly 550kms north of Cairns to a remote aboriginal village, where we will meet the vessel.

For the next 11 days (10 nights) we will travel north to the remote Mantis Reef and Raine Island. Here you will find hundreds of thousands of green turtles laying eggs, plus hundreds of Tiger Sharks hunting those turtles!  We will have a Tiger Shark research expert on board to share information on sharks, and to “Tag a Tiger” with a satellite tag for further research purposes.

Once a year, millions of coral spawn in this area, which is an unforgettable sight. The timing depends on moon and weather conditions, and while we will probably just miss the “main event”, which should happen around 24 – 28 November, we might be lucky to see some spawning happening.

There is plenty of time for exploration diving around the equally remote and pristine Olinda, Ashmore and Boot Reefs as we slowly make our back to Lockhart River before flying back to Cairns.

This trip of a lifetime departs Auckland Wednesday 14 November, and returns Sunday 25 November.

The cost is NZD$6985, ex Cairns.

Sound like you?
Want to join Dive Fish Snow Travel’s intrepid divers and explore somewhere new and exciting?

There are only 8 spaces still available on this trip, so contact us fast

Click here for more detailed information and enquire »

Hurry only 4 Places Left
3-12 July 2007

The Solomons’ Russell Islands  offer virtually unlimited diving possibilities with a wide variety of sites.The walls, reefs, pinnacles and coral gardens support an amazing variety and quantity of sea creatures.

Join this special charter to discover the joys of liveaboard diving and the fantastic diving it offers you.

Cost: $5250 ex Wellington

Includes :

• 7 nights on board “Spirit of Solomons” with 6 ½ days of unlimited fantastic diving
• 2 nights in Honiara at King Solomon Hotel
• Sumptuous meals  whilst on board, including snacks and h’ors d’oevres
• Return economy class airfares ex Auckland, flying Solomon Airlines
• Return airport transfers in Honiara
• Island BBQ
• Village and shore trips
• Comprehensive travel insurance, including divers evacuation cover.

Optional Additional cost:

• 2 nights at Tulagi (instead of Honiara) for more incredible wreck diving, staying at Vanita’s Lodge plus 4 dives, NZ$490.
• Packages also available ex-Auckland & ex-Christchurch.

Visit our Spirit of Solomon's Page »

Espiritu Santo, just a short flight from Port Vila, is home to the "SS President Coolidge" - one of the World's largest diveable shipwrecks. The luxury liner was converted to a troopship during WWII and sank just off the coast, making easy access available from the shore or a boat. To explore the "Coolidge" in its entirety would take more than 20 different dives to the ballrooms, cargo holds, decks and superstructure, with an amazing collection of jeeps, trucks, cases of rifles and other articles of war to be seen.

But Espiritu Santo has a lot more to offer than just the "Coolidge": colourful reef diving, sport fishing, kayaking, snorkelling, tours to local Kustom villages, the picturesque Blue Holes, magnificent beaches, conservation areas and caves to explore.

AQUAMARINE

The most qualified dive shop in Vanuatu, Aquamarine is a registered PADI Resort, SSI Instructor Training Facility, SDI Instructor Development Facility and TDI Instructor Trainer Facility. Diving the Coolidge promises to be the most adventurous wreck diving you may ever do and to ensure your safety and fun, Aquamarine has the most highly trained guides on the Coolidge. They have logged over 30,000 combined dives on the wreck and are fully qualified to cater to novice, advanced and technical divers. Aquamarine services include boat and shore dives to all of Santo's wreck and reef sites including Million Dollar Point and the SS Tucker, as well as gear hire, Nitrox, and Trimix. Guides may also be hired for personal tours - ideal for photographers and qualified tech divers.

CORAL QUAYS RESORT

Experience the traditional charm of a lovely estate villa, combined with the soothing effect of sparkling blue waters that lap the beachfront.

Coral Quays is an oceanfront resort featuring superior individual private ensuite bungalows blending into 6 acres of lush tropical gardens. The resort is located in San Michel Bay, just a breath away from the town, with easy access to all the activities, tours and dive locations of Espiritu Santo. Snorkel off the jetty, try your hand at sport-fishing, relax by the swimming pool or enjoy a traditional Melanesian massage before a romantic waterside dinner in one of Vanuatu's finest restaurants.

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

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