Far North Queensland Dive Expedition

The 2007 far north trip was a great success. We got some divers onto some of the most amazing wall, drift and pinnacle dives. Most are rarely or never visited. Our cinematographer Pawel Achtel was able to shoot some sequences for his present project a full length feature film about spectacular Australian marine wildlife. Now he is keen to go back, to get more and will be subsidizing the 2008 trip!

You and your friends have an opportunity to join us on this most exciting trip. The 2008 FAR NORTH EXTRAVAGANZA is planned as the ultimate of all live-aboard dive trips.

The trip will be broken into 3 parts: South to North; Torres Straits; and North to South. While the Torres Straits section will be dedicated to the film crew, Both the S-N & N-S routes will be dedicated to diving. We will limit divers to 12. So anyone interested in joining us on this once in a lifetime trip must express their interest early and put down a deposit to secure their spot.

The 2008 trip itinerary follows:

• Oct 22 - Depart Townsville 1200
• Oct 23 - Depart Cairns 1500; Diving up along Ribbons and Far Northern Reefs, arriving Great Detached / Raine Island locality within 3 days, then spending 7 days in this area including possible exploratory diving North to Pandora’s passage.
• Nov 3 - Thursday Island; Drop off first passenger group.
• Nov 4 thru 10 - Torres Straits (just the video team and my crew)
• Nov 11 - Thursday island; collect some provisions and returning passenger group.
• Nov 12 - 20 Great Detached Reef / Raine Island / Pandora passage locality
• Nov 21 - 25 returning South thru Northern outer reefs
• Nov 26 - Cairns
• Nov 27 - Townsville

Flight times are to be confirmed and return times will be subject to weather and tide conditions.

There are 12 diver berths available for the South to North route and 12 berths available on the North to South route. A berth will cost $3500.

The cost is all inclusive: vessel transfers from Townsville OR Cairns to the Far North and flights from Thursday Island back to Cairns or visa/versa; all accommodations whilst on board (quality food, linen etc.); diving, ie. Tanks & weights (regulators with computers and BCD’s can be hired for the trip), diving will include up to 4 dives per day; reef taxes; island transfers; relaxed and welcoming crew; informative small video team who work easily into the diving program not dictate it! AND the best diving Australia has to offer. All of this aboard the fabulously refitted good ship Kalinda.

The Far Northern section of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is protected by it’s isolation. It is seldom visited let alone dived. On the 2007 trip divers saw loads of sharks on all of their dives. The sharks were very curious as it was obvious they had not had many previous encounters with these strange bubble blowing creatures. Coral cover is fantastic and visibility averaging 40m. This is a must do trip. And yes, I intend again to dive ‘Da Phat’ - the amazing 15m double pinnacle rising out of 200m, like a mini ‘seamount’ just loaded with fish (& sharks again), anemones and rare critters, caves and swimthru’s, which I found last year.

The awesome trip we had in 2007 was immortalized by writer Paul Walden and photographer (and shark researcher) Justin Gilligan. Their work is out now in Asian Geographic’s current (Feb) edition and will soon be featured in the following worldwide medium: Scubadiver Australasia, Canadian Diver, South African Divestyle and UK Diver.

To secure your place you will need to put a $1000 deposit. Places are strictly limited.

Priority will be given to experienced divers or scientists with small minimum impact data collecting plans.

I hope this trip plan makes you smile, with eager anticipation. Please forward this far and wide to allow many like minded people to come together for this greatest of trips.

Book this trip through underwater.com.au and receive a 5% discount (save $175) - For more info call 02-66809410

Boat Description:

see above

Sites Visited:

see above

Facilities:

• Scuba hire
• Diving seven days

• Own Liveaboard(s)