| A Dive newsletter by Dive Fish Snow Travel |
May 2007 |
The warm, Tropical South Pacific Ocean:
The World's largest underwater playground |
 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 »
|
|
|
 |
 The Solomon Islands offers some of the best diving in the World – certainly in our neck of the woods. Dive Fish Snow Travel has had a long, well established relationship with the Solomons, sending divers and anglers there for 20 years.
In the mid – late nineties, the Solomons was our largest dive holiday destination, with the highest ratio of repeat clientele traveling to different locations in the Solomons – often they’d do 3-4 different trips there: such is the quality and variety of dive locations and mystique of these beautiful islands.
What makes the Solomons so popular with divers is it’s diversity. Big wall and drift dives, loads of large pelagic
including the razor gang (sharks), a kaleidoscope of colourful fish,
the soft coral and fans forming some of the most pristine reefs
in the world. Now, if that’s not enough to tempt you, add
in some big wrecks like the 550” (170 mtr) “Toa
Maru” and the USS Destroyer “Aaron
Ward” which sank with all guns blazing. Both wrecks
are fully intact. Plus there is the biggest 4 engined float plane
dive I’ve ever dived, submarines, freighters, submarine tenders….
All these wrecks are now artificial reefs and home
for millions of colourful fish and corals.
Now Add in the natural beauty of high mountainous
islands with picture postcard beaches fringed with cobalt blue lagoons,
a lovely 28-30° heat, loads of blue sky days,
peace and tranquility with no crowds or rush, and it’s a natural
paradise.
Having said that, don’t go to the Solomons if you’re
looking for 4 star accommodation with a bar on the beach, tennis
courts and golf courses, because you wont find any. But if you are
looking for amazing diving and basic, comfortable accommodation
and good service, Solomon Islands is the place for you this
winter.
Solomon Islands Post Tsunami Update - "Business as Usual"
On April 2nd a very strong earthquake, 8.1 on the Richter scale, hit the Solomon Islands. The epicentre was about 40 miles south east from Gizo. A resultant tsunami caused severe damage to property over a wide area, many injuries, & sadly, considerable loss of life.
The central and eastern part of Solomon Islands including the capital Honiara, Guadalcanal and Tulagi, were unaffected by the earthquake and tsunami that hit the Western and Choiseul provinces. Dive operators at Tulagi and in Honiara, including Bilikiki Cruises, report it is “business as usual”.
Marovo Lagoon was unaffected by the tsunami and resorts such as Uepi Resort are operating as normal. Marovo did not receive any waves, only minor tidal fluctuations. Since the earthquake, guests at Uepi Resort have dived the area which was the closest adjacent area to the earthquakes and report that the corals and wrecks are totally unaffected.
Gizo was the worst affected area and sustained considerable damage to villages, the airport and the local infrastructure. Dive equipment was damaged, but there appears to be little damage to dive sites. By now, equipment has been replaced, the infrastructure is mostly operational and Gizo is ready to welcome guests again. And we have a dive group diving Gizo in a few weeks time. |
Tulagi
 A 1 hour boat ride from the capital city of Honiara,
right where all the WWII action was. Now it’s the best wreck
diving around including the “USS Aaron Ward”, planes,
freighters and a massive 180m oil tanker, 3-4 good reef dives, basic
accommodation, great dive operation.
Well worth a 7 night
stay with 10 – 12 dives. Approx $2750pp ex Auckland.
For more info on Tulagi visit Tulagi Diving »
 Uepi Island
2 words – absolutely stunning! I can’t
give this resort enough praise, as it is truly the jewel in
the crown of South Pacific dive resorts. Uepi Island has everything you could want: comfortable bungalows on a white
sand beach, lovely tropical rain forests, beach on one side of the
resort with big drop off diving right in front of the restaurant
and dive hut, great food and service. There are some good wrecks
at Uepi. It’s a full on day trip to dive them,
but worth it.
OK, so that’s more than 2 words. But we
do highly recommend Uepi Island Dive Resort.
It’s worth a 3-7 day visit with a 6 – 10 dive package.
For more info on Uepi Island visit - Uepi Island Diving »
Gizo
 Wreck ‘n Reef paradise. If you’re looking
to combine wreck and reef diving and don’t mind small boat
diving, Gizo could be for you. Some divers say the wreck of the “Toa Maru” is the best wreck dive in
the Solomons. Combine this with the big fish action dives at “Hot
Spot” and “Grand Central Station”, and you’re
in for an amazing 3-4 days diving, or even more.
Gizo and Uepi are easy to combine. But if you want full
on wreck diving, do 3-4 days at both Tulagi and Gizo.
For more info on Gizo visit Gizo Diving »
MV Bilikiki Liveaboard dive cruise
 The ultimate way to dive the Solomons. We have all but filled 2 charter trips this winter and have only 4 spaces
left on our July 3-12 Charter
For many clients booked on these charters, this is the 2nd time they have done this trip. You can't get much better recommendation than this. Such is the great reputation of the diving, the liveaboard experience and the cruise. What more can I say? The amount of repeat clients says it all. Don't miss out.
Details »
Honiara / Guadalcanal
A wreck divers paradise
Where in the world can you drive for 20 minutes from the capital and find a quiet beach lined with palm trees, coral reef, prolific fish life, and a large WWII wreck lying on the slope from 5 metres down to 58 metres ?
Some of the best dive sites around Honiara:
Bonegi One, Bonegi Two, and Ruanui Shipwrecks
Japanese transport ship. These are excellent dive site with a profusion of corals and fish life in the shallows to pelagic fish at depth.
 B-17
The B-17 is an American flying fortress that the plane is missing its tail but the rest of it is basically intact. Features: Two twin 50 cal machine gun turrets can be found, just behind the cockpit.
USS John Penn
The John Penn was a 6500 ton US Troop ship until a Japanese air attack resulted in a torpedo hit to the stern. The wreck is now lying on its starboard side. Huge schools of pelagic fish such as barracuda and Spanish mackerel inhabit the wreck.
I-1 Submarine (1hr drive)
This Japanese Submarine was sunk by two New Zealand Corvettes, the "Kiwi" and the "Moa". At about the 18 metre level you can enter the submarine and penetrate right through the wreck.
Details on Honiara / Guadalcanal »
A personal note from the Director of Dive Fish Snow Travel, Ron Blake:
“I first dived the Solomons Islands in 1987 and have returned many times to enjoy the culture, stunning scenery of the islands and beaches, and, of course, the incredible diving.
Being only a few degrees of the equator, the Solomon’s have some of the best diving in the Pacific – Uepi Island, listed for World Heritage status. The liveaboards “Bilikiki” and “Spirit of Solomons” are equally great and I’ve personally holidayed on them 4 times. Their crew are a great bunch, the scenery is stunning as you cruise by, the boats are very comfortable and the diving surpasses all expectations.
For those who like to put their hard earned cash into the quality of diving rather than creature comforts, it’s hard to go past the wreck and reef diving the solomons have to offer.
I would also like to assure you that it is business and diving as usual in the Solomon Islands."
|
|
| Escorted Dive Tour to Galapagos 2008 |
Galapagos Island
Amazing Wild Life, Hammerheads, Galapagos and Whale Sharks, Manta and Eagle Rays, Sea Lions, Turtles Plus Whales. Expect the Unexpected.
Sept / Oct 2008
 The Galapagos Islands are the ultimate in landbased wildlife aventure combined with big fish action and mammal diving experience. Ron Blake, Director of Dive Fish Snow Travel, says "I'm celebrating 2 milestones in 2008, My 50th Birthday and 35 years of diving. I couldn't think of anywhere better than the Galapagos to combine my passion of Diving and Photography. So join me on my 3rd special NZ charter back to Galapagos next year".
It Just doesn’t get any better than this
We are in the planning stages of a special charter trip. If you would like to be kept up to date with details, simply email christine@divefishsnow.co.nz. It is not a commitment, just an expression of Interest.
Approximate trip details:
Departure: Sept/Oct 2008 (Whale Shark Season)
Length of trip: 6 days sightseeing prior to 10 days liveaboard diving at Galapagos, including 20 land tours. Total of 16 Days not including Air Travel.
Approximate Cost: For airfares and liveaboard trip $9500 per person
For 19 - 20 days including Ecuador land based add on, $11,000 per person
We are still in the planning stages, only 18 spaces available and we have already
tentatively sold 6 places on this trip, 4 of which are repeat travelers to the Galapagos. If you are interested
in joining this trip of a lifetime dive trip, give Ron or Christine a call on (0508) 346 334 (tollfree), (09) 479
2210 or email christine@divefishsnow.co.nz or call DDI 09-918 5520
We’d love to have you
on our Off the beaten track tour to Galapagos Island.
|
Special 1 Off Charter
"Off the Beaten Track" Extreme Far North Gt. Barrier Reef |
 Extreme Far North Great Barrier Reef
14 - 25 November 2007
6 Places Left
- 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.
 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!
Click here for more detailed information and enquire »
|
| MV Spirit of Solomon's Special Charter |
 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.
$5050 ex Auckland
Includes :
 7 nights on board “Spirit of Solomons” with 6 ½ days of unlimited fantastic diving- 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 for more incredible wreck diving, staying at Vanita’s Lodge plus 4 dives, NZ$600.
Visit our Spirit of Solomon's Page »
|
 Are you getting the Best Deal by booking direct over the Internet ?
Often travelers think that booking their accommodation or dives directly via the internet cuts out the middles man (Travel Agents) and will therefore save money.
NOT TRUE!
Dive Fish Snow Travel acts as an agent for dive operators, Resorts, accommodation providers, most airlines and so on. As we send these operators hundreds of clients each year, the operators pay us a commission on all bookings and services we book with them. The commission is paid out of their profit, not added on top, so it is the same cost to you whether you book direct or book through us, but we do add value to your holiday, and our service & unbiased advice is free to you.
Our costs to you are sometimes even less than their true advertised cost. Often we get special deals, such as 1 or 2 nights or dives for free, which are not available over the internet to the Public. These exclusive DFS Special get pased on to you.
It is often difficult to make a true comparison when comparing prices over the internet. Many dive operator's websites show the cheapest price for a package, and often for the low season – which may not be when you want to travel. They often exclude taxes and other fees. Some of this detail is hard to find on a website and you often will not find out about those extra hidden costs until you’ve made a booking and they appear on your credit card at check out time. And then there are exchange rate fluctuations and bank fees added to your credit card, which adds to the confusion.
At Dive Fish Snow Travel, we will give you a cost for the time of year you intend to travel, for the type of room or diving you want, and it will include all applicable taxes. So if you are comparing our customized cost against what you have seen on the internet, it may not look competitive. But I can assure you that we are definitely competitive, and sometimes cheaper.
 We will beat any Online offer or Give you a Free Day’s Diving
If you see a better deal on the internet, please let us know so we can make sure you are comparing “apples with apples”. We know we have the best prices and are prepared to “put our money where our mouth is.
So confident are we, that we offer this guarantee: If you find a better price on the internet for the exact same resort with diving we have quoted on and if we can’t offer you the same or better deal, we will give you 1 day’s diving for free (conditions apply**).
 Booking with Dive Fish Snow Travel will save you time, hassle and money and our service to you is absolutely free.
- Get the benefit of our experience and first hand knowledge of the resorts and locations you are booking. Often resorts look great on the internet but the reality is somewhat different. We know what is good and what isn’t. We've probably been there.
- Our advice is invaluable: we can recommend the best places and months to dive, the best value time of year, type of room, hotel etc to suit your needs.
In the unlikely event of something going wrong while you are overseas, we can help fix the problem. Book direct and you are on your own!
**Conditions of Internet pricing guarantee: (valid at May 2007)
We will give you 1 day free diving (Maximum 2 divers) doing 2 land based dives, subject to the following conditions:
- You must provide us with the cost you have been given, or the website the information came from, in writing, with all detail and conditions attached. Often our experts will spot the subtle differences in costs straight away.
- We must be comparing the exact same product or service.
- We must be comparing the exact same dates – even 1 day on either side can make a difference.
- We are given the opportunity to requote if required.
- The value of the services you are buying from us needs to be over $1000pp to qualify for the free day’s diving.
- The free day's diving must be at a major dive Resort listed on our website.
- The free day's diving is valid till 30 Sept 2007.
- Dive Fish Snow Travel will provide a voucher for the free day.
|
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 2007
www.divefishsnow.co.nz - all rights reserved
|
|
