Date: 22-29 November 2015

Your subjects: Some of the most exciting tropical critters side by side with some great wide angle scenery and action scenarios.

Group size: limited to 8 participants max
(4 minimum)

Cost: AUD 2575.00/person twin share

Season: November is the best month for visibility and accessibility of dive sites in Milne Bay.

The Destination:
Milne Bay is the “cradle” of pioneer tropical underwater photography. Big names like Bob Halstead, Franco Banfi, David Doubilet have captured award winning images here in a time when Portable E6 processing was state of the art. First images in the diving world of many “muck-diving” icons like Rhinopius Arphanes or Flamboyant Cuttle Fish have been taken in Milne Bay.

The Activities:
In November 2015 Stuart Ireland leads a small group of interested underwater photographers in those waters. The aim will be to capture some of those spectacular images and to optimise the shooting results and techniques. The training will encompass theoretical principles of digital underwater photography as well as practical application in this amazing underwater paradise. With the small group size the training will be delivered in a personal way which takes into account the participants prior experience as well as the equipment used. Suitable for SLR and high end compact users.

The Resort:
Tawali Resort is a luxurious resort in the Milne Bay, accessible through Alotau. The resort is ideal land base to explore Milne Bay diving. Some of the very best dive sites are just a few minutes away from the resort. The main building and the bungalows are connected by an undercover boardwalk which runs all the way through to the dive shed and a small beach. The resort also features a swimming pool and poolside bar where guests can relax and unwind after a busy day of diving.
Perched on the edge of the cliff is the big verandah with spectacular views out to the ocean.The restaurant serves a lavish mix of local seafood, vegetables and real tropical fruits.

Your guide and Photopro: Stuart Ireland
Your picture, our passion. Stuart established Calypso Productions in Cairns in 1996 and has become the leader in underwater event photography. During these 18 years he has trained over 100 new photographers, capturing the day of tourists on the Great Barrier Reef. During the past 4 years an underwater and entry level photography course designed specifically for amateur photographers has been extremely popular. He has international awards from Antibes and other highly esteemed competitions.
As a professional filmmaker, photographer and marine biologist, Stuart shares his image making knowledge and passion for the marine world. Having dived extensively around the world in many varied environs, Stuart has particular interest in the marine biodiversity of Papua New Guinea.
INCLUDED: 7 nights deluxe room twin share with oceanview and balcony, all meals at resort, return airport transfers from/to Gurney/Alotau, up to 18 boat dives and unlimited shore diving on the house reef, tanks, weights, boat, dive guide, reef & chamber fees and fuel surcharges, 6 day photo workshop** by Stuart Ireland

Optional extras payable locally:
Nitrox fills (per week) 100.00 AUD
Full set of dive gear rental incl. computer (per day) 70.00 AUD
Full set of dive gear rental without computer (per day) 55.00 AUD
NOTE: All local purchases attract 10% GST!

NOT INCLUDED: airfares, travel insurance, items of personal nature. For bookings and further information please contact DIVERSION DIVE TRAVEL: dirk@diversiondivetravel.com.au

** Photo Workshop outline:
Teaching will take the form of 6 modules ( Show me the Light / It’s all about Composition / Mindset of Photographer / Gear Lust / Up Close and Personal / Developing images in Lightroom ). This will be delivered informally around a computer, scheduled around diving / eating / sleeping.
Practical/ Over the Shoulder. This will be casual one-on one tuition on vessel before/ after dives, and underwater.
Critiquing on Computer. Once again, informal gatherings around computer, looking at daily photos, and suggestions to improve results. A workshop handbook will be issued during trip, which highlights main areas of study.

Inclusions:

14 days/13 nights, Air fills, weights and dive tanks. Nitrox, Beer, juice and soft drinks, 2 x Dive masters, All meals and food, Juice and Soda, Bottled Water, airport transfers, port fees, taxes, Bikini reserve fee.

The Plan:

This trip has been chartered by a group of friends from the USA who want to explore the reefs in this remote part of the Pacific. They are all seasoned and experienced divers, but they are not intending to dive outside recreational diving limits. While the expedition will dive some wrecks, including the deck of the Saratoga at Bikini, they won’t be doing any technical or very deep/planned staged decompression diving — the goal is to visit the reefs of atolls long off-limits due to nuke testing radiation. This is a way for non-tech divers to visit Bikini and dive (the deck of) its most impressive wreck.

The destination:

This private charter offers the very rare opportunity to dive the
reefs of islands closed to visitation and habitation for decades due to fallout from
nuclear testing at Bikini and nearby atolls. T

he Marshall Islands’ diving is
extraordinary, with unusually clear, warm water, vibrant pristine reefs with over
2,000 species of fish, and significant wrecks. Explore the sites that played a part
in a fascinating, unique chapter in world history.

Diving Itinerary: 

Prinz Eugen (WWII German cruiser) in Kwajalein Atoll — Wotho Atoll —Rongelap Atoll — Bikini Atoll (reefs and deck of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga sunk during Operations Crossroads. Potentially the Castle Bravo crater) — Alinganae Atoll — Rongerik Atoll — Roi Namur aircraft dump at Kwajalein Atoll (four B-25s, a TBF Avenger, an F4U, 4 Douglas SBD Dauntlesses, and a C-46)

Please contact DIVERSION DIVE TRAVEL for further information: info@diversiondivetravel.com.au

STOP PRESS!!   2012 Dates are still available – Check online or  FREECALL in Australia 1800 607 913 or email Info@diversiondivetravel.com.au for details

We have berths available on Mike Balls super livebaoard vessel, Spoilsport! This is a rare chance for an adventure of a life time in Australia. June and July each year is the season to encounter the Minke Whales. These excursions are for snorkelers and divers!

There are not many people in the world lucky enough to experience this but now this week you can be one of them!

The species that we will be observing is the Dwarf Minke Whale, which grows to a maximum length of about 8 metres. As soon as the whales get close to the boat, the skipper will disengage the engine and the boat will silently along with the current. Two ropes will be hanging from the back deck and you will be gliding in the water, wearing your mask fins and snorkel and a wetsuit. You just hang on to that rope, wait and see. The scene is set: Showtime!

Click to watch video

The whales  are very curious by nature and will continue to come closer to have a look at you.

For unknown reasons, they are interested in contact with people! They like to show of acrobatics like the belly loop for example, right in front of snorkelers!  If previous people’s whale encounter experience is any indication, there are no words for it. You’re going to be profoundly glad for the experience. Be quick, we have only a few berths to sell!

This is THE ultimate thrill for everyone who admires whales. The success rate of whale encounters is very high. Contact us: info@diversiondivetravel.com.au

FREECALL in Australia 1800 607 913

or email Info@diversiondivetravel.com.au for reservations

Next phase was the upgrade to Hi8, new housing, lights and all. I felt like a pro! Especially when it came to chat to the check in lady and trying to get 40KG of excess luggage checked. Those were the days.

Fast forward to 2011. I see even novice divers with a small camera in a sleek housing, taken pictures and video that sometimes rival my best efforts in the early nineties. Technology is so good these days that your potential results can easily qualify to become viral on Facebook or YouTube. Still it is not all technology – the “auto” settings return great average results. To take better then average pictures underwater you must not only get a feel for the light underwater – its opportunities and limitations, you need to learn a lot about the subjects you want to photograph.

You can do this like me and add experience with every dive – or you speed up the learing process and take advice from a pro. What better then combining your next dive holiday with an intensive coaching session. Many liveaboards have resident photopros on board who are more then willing to oblige. And then there are special courses scheduled, like the series next year at TUFI Dive Resort in Papua New Guinea.

Learn from a pro

 In May 2012 Christopher Bartlett, an experienced photo-journalist who has published his pictures in many dive magazines and brochures, will teach three 5- day Compact Camera Workshops. In those courses he will cover equipment preparation and setup, underwater guidance and subject finding, composition, lighting, no flash photography, digital image processing. Classes will be limited to 6 participants only!

You get five nights twin share deluxe accommodation, all (yummy) meals, eight morning dives on the outer reefs, four afternoon critter dives, one night dive and the course for only AUD 1850.00/person. And you get to experience one of PNGs finest dive location!

Dates: 2-6 May 2012 – 9-13 May 2012 – 16-20 May 2012

 Contact Diversion Dive Travel 1800 607 913 / info@diversiondivetravel.com.au for travel suggestions, flights and more info on Christopher’s’ courses.

Currently under construction in Sulawesi , the SY Palau Siren is set to launch in November 2012 with the first of her 10 night trips. She is being constructed as a the sister ship to the SY Indo and SY Philippine Siren and will be a 40m 7-sailed, gaft-rigged Phinisi, built of ironwood & teak.The SY Palau Siren will host 16 guests in 8 spacious cabins- either double or twin bed; all en-suite and air-conditioned. The lounge will feature the same layout and fittings as the other yachts in our fleet; with comfortable sofas, plasma screen tv, cocktail bar, camera set up stations & individual storage.

The dive deck will be spacious and have individual set up areas & storage drawers, ample space for all your personal diving equipment & every thought for the underwater photographer is taken into account offering large rinse tanks & shelving to keep your cameras secure.

There will be an outside shaded relaxation area and upper level sundeck with loungers. Dining as ever is al fresco, buffet style with Asian and western specialities created by our on board chefs.

As with all the other yachts in the fleet, the SY Palau Siren is being built by divers for divers with your every comfort and need in mind.

Palau Diving

The SY Palau Siren will operate year round in Palau with both 7 or 10 night trips on offer & for charter groups we will be running 8 combination trips in conjunction with the SY Philippine Siren so you may experience two awesome destinations in one 13-night trip.Unlike other operators in the region Worldwide Dive and Sail & Sam’s Tour’s Palau have devised itineraries which ensure the SY Palau Siren will move around the many islands of the archipelago. Diving Palau’s most famed sites – Blue Corner & German Channel – with snorkeling in the unique Jelly Fish Lake, we will also dive as far south as Angaur Island and off the western coast of Babeldaob Island. With numerous marine protected areas, no fishing zones, and no passage zones the Koror State and National Government of Palau have ensured world class fish watching for generations to come. With over 300 limestone islands, 72 salt water lakes, mangrove forest channels, sea grass beds, secluded lagoons, sheltered bays, patch reefs, and vertical drop offs, the number of habitat types approaches absurd. Even after a week long adventure, no two dives will be anything alike.

Manta rays, black tips, grey reef & white tip reef sharks are commonly seen here and lucky divers can also encounter silky, whale, hammerhead and even tiger sharks. Schools of snapper, barracuda, jacks & rainbow runners form in huge numbers, whilst tunas, groupers and other large pelagic species are frequently seen.Beyond Malakal Harbour are several wrecks, many of which were sunk during skirmishes in World War II. Our itineraries include both the Iro Maru and the Teshio Maru- arguably the best wreck dive of the region. Palau is famed for strong currents and many dives can be challenging. Reef hooks are advised for several of the dives where we plan to watch the shark action at the reef’s edge, but there are plenty of gentler options too and the rock islands are wonderful for snorkeling & kayaking. All trips will depart from Koror – the meeting point of which will be Sam’s Tours Dive Centre – at 4pm to meet with current flight schedules.

Over A$ 100 000 worth of prizes to be won!

What: Go diving and take pictures
When: 2-11 Sep 2011
Where: Anywhere in over 20 Australasian countries or at one of the designated “fringe” events

The Underwater Festival 2011 will be the biggest one yet. It will be lots of fun and activities. Many dive operators are offering special “Underwater Festival Fringe Events” anything from photography workshops with Photo & Video Pros to photo shootout competitions, is available!

KunkunganBay Resort, Lembeh & Tasik Ria Resort, Manado, North Sulawesi
A fantastic combo of diving at the reefs of Bunaken National Park and the critters of Lembeh Strait with two of the longest established operators in the area.

Arenui, 11 night Liveaboard Cruise, Komodo, Indonesia
Underwater Photography Workshop with underwater photography legend and Violinist William Tan on a 11-day cruise on The Arenui to the Komodo islands. The Arenui is a magnificent wooden vessel that raised its anchors in June 2008 to explore the majestic underwater world of Indonesian archipelago.

MALDIVES Ark Royal, 10 night Liveaboard Cruise, Maldives Underwater Photography Workshop with underwater photography legend and Underwater Festival judge Michael Aw on a 10-day cruise on the Ark Royal to the Maldives. The Ark Royal is a 115-feet luxury cruiser traversing the crystalline waters of the Maldives.

PALAU Fish’n Fins, Palau Diversity Fiesta at Fish ‘n Fins in Palau. Diversity Fiesta celebrates the unique combination of great diving during the day and gourmet cuisine and wine at night! Located in the western pacific and under Japanese rule for decades, combined with culinary influence from Philippines, USA, Malaysia and Indonesia, Palau’s cuisine is a truly Pacific fusion of sea food, fresh fruits and vegetables and spices.

PHILIPPINES ABWonderdive, Puerto Galera, Philippines

TONGA Vava’u, Tonga Humpback Whale Swim Fringe Event with big animal underwater photography guru Tony Wu in Tonga.

YAP, Micronesia Mantaray Bay Hotel & Yap Diver, Yap Manta Fest with Tim Rock and others in Yap, the premiere dedicated dive resort on the island of Yap in Micronesia, designed by divers and built for divers. Photo & Video Pros • Seminars • Photo Contest • Daily Presentations.  If you want to take part in any of the shootouts please send us an email!

]]> https://blog.diversiondivetravel.com.au/australasian-dive-festival-sep-oct-2011.html/feed 0 https://blog.diversiondivetravel.com.au/the-australasia-challenge-uw-shootout.html https://blog.diversiondivetravel.com.au/the-australasia-challenge-uw-shootout.html#comments Mon, 14 Feb 2011 06:04:48 +0000 http://blog.diversiondivetravel.com.au/?p=441 Join the “Australasia Challenge” – at the 5th Underwater Festival 2011

Over 100.000,00 AUD worth of prizes to be won!

What: Go diving and take pictures
When: 2-11 Sep 2011
Where: Anywhere in over 20 Australasian countries or at one of the designated “fringe” events

The Underwater Festival 2011 will be the biggest one yet. It will be lots of fun and activities. Many dive operators are offering special “Underwater Festival Fringe Events” anything from photography workshops with Photo & Video Pros to photo shootout competitions, is available!

Entrants do not have to participate in Fringe Events, they simply can go diving and shoot with a buddy, the dives can be anywhere in over 20 countries as long as they are diving during the designated shootout days 2 to 11 September 2011. Your favourite backyard dive, a fancy trip to a dive resort you always wanted to go, one of the many Festival Fringe Events that will be offered, the choice is yours. The aim is to make it possible for anybody with any budget to participate.

The organisers want people to feel that they are part of creating a snapshot of the underwater beauty but also the issues of our amazing region have lots of fun. The social aspect of the Underwater Festival has always been an important element of the event and by spreading the shootout part of the festival over a larger region, much of the socializing on the large scale will take place during the associated dive & travel trade show ODEX in Brisbane (7-9 October 2011). Here it is where the whole festival will come together to showcase and celebrate its achievements.

Fringe events are happening all over Australasia as part of the Underwater Festival 2011
To name a few of the Fringe Events which we feature in our program:
Australia: Heron Island, Spoilsport, Cocos Keeling and Christmas Islands.
Fiji: Matava Resort
Indonesia: Gangga Island Resort
Yap: Manta Ray Bay Resort
Palau: Fish’n Fins
Philippines: ABWonderdive
PNG: Tawali Resort

These 25 countries are part of Australasia for this competition:
Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Federated States of Micronesia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam.

For more information, check out:

Over 2 hours of entertainment at the Cairns Civic Theatre, Saturday 7^th of August.

 The Cairns Underwater Film Festival is now in its 4^th year and is growing in popularity.

This year, a new and exciting addition to the successful Festival will be the Cairns Underwater Photo Competition which will be launched this month on the Mike Ball Dive Expeditions website and is being advertised Australia wide.

 There are 4 categories to enter: Macro / Fauna & Flora / Man & the Sea / Young photographer.

In addition there will also be a Jury’s award for Best in Show. A major prize will be awarded to the winner of each category. Prizes include:

• 2 x 7 night Coral Sea Safaris with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions
• 7 night package at Walindi Dive Resort Papua New Guinea, flights donated by Air Niugini
• 7 night package at Loloata Island Resort Papua New Guinea, flights donated by Air Niugini  
• Haba Dive reef and dive package to the Great Barrier Reef
• Camera, housing and equipment donated by Innovations Australia and Tabata/Tusa.

Deadline for Entry is 30th June 2010.