THE CORAL SEA & GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA

Year:2003

Take a dive Downunder

Season: Year-round diving (January-March is the wet season, April-September is mostly fine but can have strong winds, October-December usually has fine, calm weather)

Visibility: 10-30 metres

Water temperature:27-29°C from November-April , 23-26°C at other times

Australia: land of the aborigine, Crocodile Dundee, Ayers Rock, Sydney Opera House, Dreamtime, didgeridoos, kangaroos, Koala Bears, Rolf Harris and the Great Barrier Reef. Not only does Australia possess a fascinating mixture of ancient and modern on land but also an underwater paradise of immense size and natural beauty. The 'island continent' has superb diving in some of the most remote and unexplored areas of the world.

To find the best of Australian diving it is necessary to look beyond the easily accessible parts of the Great Barrier Reef, which have often disappointed visiting divers from Europe and North America, to the remote areas of the Coral Sea, the Ribbon Reefs and the Remote Far Northern Reefs where the truly great dives of tropical Australia are to be found. The rewards here are great and the cost, relative to liveaboard diving in some parts of the Pacific, may be a pleasant surprise!

We have carefully selected Undersea Explorer as our chosen liveaboard vessel in Northeast Australia. Undersea Explorer is pioneering an innovative concept combining adventure diving with support for reef research and ecological education. Their aim is to offer exciting and stimulating adventure diving expeditions while at the same time supporting quality research projects, promoting field work opportunities for university students and offering high quality coral reef education. Each cruise has an onboard marine biologist and visiting researchers. A digital video camera and microscope are linked to television and computer to help open up the wonders of the marine world to the divers on board. The Undersea Explorer scientists collect and have responsibility for the research data, but passengers are invited to become involved if they wish.

All expeditions are conducted at a time that best suits the marine highlights which are the focus of the current research. In general, January-March is the wet season with amazing feeding and marine life action following the breeding season. April-September is the Australian winter when great visibility and beautiful weather can be accompanied by strong winds, but this time of year is great for shark research opportunities and the season for Minke Whale migration to the area. October-December often has wonderful weather and there is a lot happening under the water as most coral reef species breed during this period.

THE RIBBON REEFS

The Ribbon Reefs comprise a 130 kilometre stretch of reefs and passageways that guard the Great Barrier Reef's northern edge. Within the Ribbon Reefs are some of the dive sites that have made Australia famous: Cod Hole, Pixie Pinnacle and Steve's Bommie.

Years ago Cod Hole, named after the huge and friendly Potato Cod that live here, was a fishermen's haven from wind and waves. Whilst cleaning their catch, the fishermen would throw the debris from their fish-cleaning over the sides of their boats. Large groupers fed on these fishermen's off-cuts and became accustomed to being fed. The profusion of food attracted more and more groupers, along with Green Moray Eels and Napoleon Wrasse. Cod Hole is a reef area less than 200 metres long with ledges and patch reefs at depths of 10-35 metres. A channel passes between the reefs and it is here that you will come face to face with enormous fish. No one would pretend that this would be an exceptional dive site if it was not for the incredible congregation of big fish, but this 'marine zoo' has become one of those dive sites, like Belize's Blue Hole and Grand Cayman's Stingray City, that should definitely be high on every diver's wish list.

South of Cod Hole lies Pixie Pinnacle, a coral bommie which rises vertically from 30 metres. Although a diver might circumnavigate the pinnacle in a few minutes, if he does, he's missed the point! Pixie is one of those dives where the closer you look the more you see. The constant abundance of plankton here can lead to low visibility, but also leads to a rare richness in marine life. Corals, crinoids, nudibranchs, anemones and their anemonefish companions cover the pinnacle. Groupers, lionfish and huge schools of basslets and fusiliers swarm in the water. The water around the pinnacle can be so full of fish that divers have described this as one of the most profuse dive sites in the world.

Other dive sites in the Ribbon Reefs (and many have no official name) are selected by the crew of Undersea Explorer depending on local conditions. The wide variety of plate, branching and massive corals, giant clams and fish life are, at certain times of the year, the breeding grounds of the Minke Whale.

On special Minke Whale trips some scheduled dives are replaced by whale watching and snorkeling with the Minke Whales. Depending on the number of whales and the quality of the interactions, diving on these cruises can be reduced from the usual 4 dives per day to 2 or 3 dives per day, with snorkeling with the whales replacing the diving by popular demand! It is an overwhelming experience to snorkel with these beautifully-patterned whales that are the smallest of the baleen whales, and yet are still around 8 metres in length. Research experiences on Minke Whale expeditions include documentation of whale encounters (often with multiple whales for many hours!), recording whale vocalizations, creating and updating photo and video identification, and researching whale and human interactions.

THE CORAL SEA

Bounded to the west and south by the mainland of Australia and to the north by the island of New Guinea, the Coral Sea is a seriously remote area. An overnight cruise is required to reach Osprey Reef. While the open ocean ride can be rough or bumpy, the very remoteness which necessitates the long journey protects the reef from over-diving and over-fishing. The visibility here is usually about 30 metres, but can be even more. For underwater photographers in particular this means sensational colour and vibrance can be captured on film. Osprey Reef is a ten-mile atoll with dive sites along its western side. Shallow hard coral gardens are home to sweetlips, Moorish Idols and a variety of anemonefish , but it is the sheer walls (some with a 1,000 metre drop!) which are the main attraction. Grey Reef Sharks, White-tip Reef Sharks, Silvertip Sharks and, in season, Scalloped Hammerheads make this the most reliable shark diving in Australia. Many Dog Tooth Tuna, cod (groupers), and barracuda also occur here. If it is larger creatures you want to see then keep a constant lookout! Sperm Whales, Manta Rays, turtles and other large pelagics all pass by from time to time in the shadowy depths.

Two large bodies of water, those moving along the eastern and the western rims of the atoll, meet at North Horn. Schools of barracudas hang silently, and tuna, Manta Rays and even Whale Sharks have been seen at this sharply pointed structure at a depth of 20-30 metres.

All Undersea Explorer's Coral Sea trips include shark research cruises (shark tagging and population studies) as well as nautilus studies. Cephalopod research is aimed at studying the deep sea nautilus, cuttlefish and octopus. Almost 400 nautilus have been trapped, tagged and released, with a remarkable 6% recapture rate!

Special trips focus even more on shark research, while other trips study the camouflage and unique lifestyles of the amazing cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish, squid and nautilus). Search for new species, discover octopus lairs and witness cuttlefish mating and egg laying! Guests are encouraged to participate in these studies if they wish, but you are always welcome to do your own thing.

THE REMOTE FAR NORTHERN REEFS

Simply by virtue of its remoteness, the reef system bordering the long Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Straits is rarely dived. For those that venture to the Remote Far Northern Reefs, situated 400 nautical miles north of Port Douglas, the effort is well-rewarded: these reefs are the richest and most diverse of all the Australian reefs. These warm and rarely-fished waters harbour a wonderful variety of both hard and soft corals, giant anemones, gorgonians and sea whips as well as pelagic species such as tuna, mackerel, jobfish, turrum, barracuda and trevally, but it is probably the sharks that provide the most amazing aspect of diving in these waters. Wobbegongs, those weirdly-tasselled bottom-dwellers, Leopard, Grey Reef, White-tip Reef, Silvertip and Tiger Sharks, Great Hammerheads and Whale Sharks all occur in these waters, although some species are only occasionally encountered.

Dominated by drift dives, the Remote Far Northern Reefs expeditions yield superb diving and marine wildlife encounters. On visits to the protected national park of Raine Island large numbers of nesting Green Turtles (up to 1,000 egg-laying turtles have been recorded in one night) and seabirds can be seen. Tiger Sharks feed on the weaker turtles and even patrol the shoreline to snatch turtles re-entering the water after their egg laying.

Due to the constant sweeping of currents at Bligh Reef the walls are covered in an amazing collection of soft corals and, in the deeper waters, sea whips coil invitingly. Both reef fish and pelagics are found here in great numbers and divers might expect to see Maori Wrasse, batfish, surgeonfish, hawkfish, trevally and barracudas.

Northeast of the Great Detached Reef, lies Shark City. The area has good soft coral and gorgonian populations, along with a wide variety of reef fish, but it is the shark population that is the greatest spectacle here. White-tip Reef, Silvertip and Grey Reef Sharks patrol the area and pass close to divers ­ a great photographic opportunity!

As you spend some time exploring these wilderness reefs you may experience the thrill of encounters with Bryde's Whales, Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. Take time to enjoy the company of massive populations of breeding reef animals that congregate here and form the food chain that attracts the larger pelagics to the area.

These 8 night cruises either depart from Port Douglas and end at Lockhart River, a small community within an 'Aboriginal Land' designated area, or vice versa. The one-way air ticket between Lockhart River and Cairns is included in the trip cost and is a trip highlight in its own right! Flights to Lockhart River depart from Cairns at 1400 and arrive at Lockhart River for boarding Undersea Explorer at 1600. For cruises returning to Lockhart River, flights depart Lockhart River at 1645 arriving in Cairns at 1845. The small 6-seater planes usually carry only 4 or 5 passengers on the very scenic flights.

Kindly note that, for those cruises that end at Lockhart River, divers can enjoy snorkeling on the last day of the cruise, but due to the afternoon flight, no diving is arranged that day.

UNDERSEA EXPLORER

Undersea Explorer is a comfortable liveaboard boat offering space for up to 19 guests in 11 cabins. Five queen cabins have a queen-sized lower and single upper bed, while the six twin cabins have two twin beds, one above the other. All cabins have ducted air-conditioning and plenty of storage space. One of the queen cabins and two of the twin berth cabins are situated on the upper deck and four queen cabins and four twin cabins are on the lower deck. Toilets and showers are on the upper deck, as are the galley and saloon area. The top deck is partially shaded, allowing for relaxation between dives, either in or out of the sun. There are video (both PAL and NTSC) and television facilities. A lecture room, fully equipped with a microscope linked to a television and a marine library with computer CD Rom connections, is available for passengers' use. The boat has two rigid hull inflatable boats. The captains of Undersea Explorer all have 20 years experience and its dedicated crew include a marine biologist, a qualified chef, a divemaster and an instructor.

Divers who have not dived during the last 6 months before the expedition, or inexperienced divers, are recommended to undertake a refresher course. Refresher courses are available onboard Undersea Explorer (currently at a charge of AUS $50.00 per person). All divers are expected to dive on computer. Computers are available for hire on board.

Undersea Explorer offers a range of cruises to different destinations through out the year, most of which depart from and return to Princes Wharf in Port Douglas (about one hour by road from Cairns). Guests join the boat at 1700 on the first day of the cruise and leave the boat in the afternoon (usually about 1630) on the last day. Diving is scheduled for the last morning of the cruise, so this must be taken into consideration when planning flight itineraries.

Remote Far Northern Reefs cruises include a one way charter flight either to or from Lockhart River. Those Remote Far Northern Reefs cruises that end at Lockhart River schedule snorkeling on the last morning so that participants are safe to fly in the afternoon. The flights, by GAM, operate out of the Old Sky West Terminal at the Great Aviation Airport, Cairns. The normal baggage limit is 20 Kgs per person. Anyone contemplating taking significantly more than this (i.e. over 25 Kgs) should notify us before booking so that we can check with Undersea Explorer.

2003 Cruise Schedule

Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole & Coral Sea (with 3 days at Osprey Reef, weather permitting)

Cruise dates: 4-10 January, 11-17 January, 18-24 January, 1-7 March, 8-14 March, 15-21 March, 29 March-4 April, 5-11 April, 12-18 April, 19-25 April, 3-9 May, 10-16 May, 17-23 May, 31 May-6 June, 19-25 July, 2-8 August, 9-15 August, 16-22 August, 23-29 August, 30 August-5 September, 6-12 September, 20-26 September, 27 September-3 October, 4-10 October, 11-17 October, 18-24 October, 25-31 October, 1-7 November, 11-17 November, 6-12 December, 13-19 December, 27 December-2 January.

Research topics: sharks, reef ecology, nautilus and coral spawning.

Ribbon Reefs & Cod Hole

Cruise dates: 7-13 June, 14-20 June, 21-27 June, 28 June-4 July, 5-11 July, 12-18 July.

Research topics: Dwarf Minke Whales.

Remote Far Northern Reefs (Port Douglas to Lockhart River or vice versa)

Cruise dates: 18-26 November, 26 November-4 December.

Research topics: wilderness survey for Whale Sharks, Manta Rays and Bryde's Whales.

Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole & Coral Sea cruises (6 nights)

£907 (non-divers: £862)

Ribbon Reefs & Cod Hole cruises (6 nights)

£907 (non-divers: £862)

Remote Far Northern Reefs cruises (8 nights)

£1324 (non-divers: £1264).

Includes:

· 6 or 8 nights cruise on Undersea Explorer on a twin/share basis with full board including soft drinks (excluding dinner on first night in Port Douglas).

· 5 or 7 days diving (usually 3 or 4 dives per day, but only 2 on the last day, and only snorkeling on the last day for Remote Far Northern Reef cruises ending at Lockhart River), cylinders and weights. Minke Whale expeditions have 14 dives plus whale snorkeling.

· One way charter flight between Cairns and Lockhart River or vice versa for Remote Far Northern Reefs cruises.

Please note: Transfers between Cairns and Port Douglas are not included. A coach service (operated by Coral Coaches) from Cairns Airport to Port Douglas costs approximately AUS $25 per person one-way and can be pre-booked, alternatively a taxi costs about AUS $120 one-way. An Australian Marine Park Fee, currently AUS $12 per person, is payable on board Undersea Explorer.

Additional Cruise: A 10% discount applies.

Single Occupancy Supplement: If you are travelling alone and are willing to share a twin cabin with a fellow passenger of the same sex you can avoid paying any supplement. If you prefer to have a cabin to yourself an 80% supplement applies.

Deposit: £200 (6 nights cruise); £300 (8 nights cruise).

DIVERSITY

Diversity is a new (launched in January 2002) and very comfortable 18-metre catamaran with a cruising speed of 18 knots (currently the fastest liveaboard operating in this area). She carries a maximum of 12 guests in six air-conditioned cabins. There are two Premium Cabins, each with a private bathroom, located on the upper deck. There are a further four Standard Cabins on the main deck, which share two bathrooms, but also have their own wash basins. The Premium Cabins and two of the Standard Cabins can be configured to double or twin beds. Two Standard Cabins have single bed configurations. All the cabins and bathrooms have large picture windows, so there are ocean views from every room.

The boat is very modern and spacious. Blue and white decorations, along with wide windows create a very light and airy atmosphere. The kitchen is constructed in stainless steel, thus continuing the modern effect through to the dining area. There is air-conditioning throughout the boat. A DVD player, television and sound system provide entertainment for the evenings.

Diversity offers a two separate cruise itineraries throughout out the year, both of which depart and return to Marina Mirage in Port Douglas (about one hour by road from Cairns). Cod Hole cruises (2 nights with 7 dives) commence on Wednesday mornings at 0815 and include three dives on the first day at Agincourt Reef and the Southern Ribbon Reefs. Thursday's diving schedule includes four dives at Pixie Pinnacles, Cod Hole and Challenger Bay. The boat returns to Marina Mirage at 0930 on Fridays. Coral Sea trips (4 nights with 14 dives) commence on Friday evenings at 1800. The boat travels overnight to Osprey Reef and four dives (including a night dive) are offered there on the Saturday with another four dives offered on Sundays. Some of these dives may be done at North Horn and include a shark dive. On Monday the boat steams to Pixie Pinnacles, Cod Hole and Challenger Bay for four dives. An early start on Tuesdays allows a further two dives at Agincourt before returning to Port Douglas at noon.

Cod Hole cruises (2 nights, January-June)

£344 (non-divers: £310) for a Standard Cabin

£389 (non-divers: £350) for a Premium Cabin

Cod Hole cruises (2 nights, July-December)

£355 (non-divers: £320) for a Standard Cabin

£402 (non-divers: £362) for a Premium Cabin

Coral Sea and Cod Hole cruises (4 nights, January-June)

£648 (non-divers: £583) for a Standard Cabin

£703 (non-divers: £633) for a Premium Cabin

Coral Sea and Cod Hole cruises (4 nights, July-December)

£670 (non-divers: £603) for a Standard Cabin

£727 (non-divers: £654) for a Premium Cabin

Includes:

· 2 or 4 nights cruise on Diversity on a twin/share basis with full board including tea and coffee, commencing with breakfast on Wednesdays and ending before lunch on Fridays for Cod Hole trips and commencing after supper on Fridays and ending before lunch on Tuesdays for Coral Sea trips.

· 7 dives (including 2 at night where possible) on Cod Hole trips and 14 dives (including 1 at night where possible) on Coral Sea trips.

Please note: Transfers between Cairns and Port Douglas are not included. A coach service (operated by Coral Coaches) from Cairns Airport to Port Douglas costs approximately AUS $25 per person one-way and can be pre-booked; alternatively a taxi costs about AUS $120 one-way. An Australian Marine Park Fee, currently AUS $4 per person per day, is payable on board Diversity.

Single Occupancy Supplement: If you are travelling alone and are willing to share a twin cabin with a fellow passenger of the same sex you can avoid paying any supplement. If you prefer to have a cabin to yourself a 60% supplement applies.

Deposit: £150 (Cod Hole cruise), £250 (Coral Sea cruise).

FLIGHTS

The airfares shown are the least expensive fare category available at the time of going to press. We will quote you the airfare applicable, based on current fare levels and booking class availability, at the time of booking. The usual airfare deposit is £100.

QANTAS

Daily morning departures from London (Heathrow) bound for Singapore, arriving the following evening and connecting with an onward flight to Cairns, arriving the next morning. Daily afternoon return flights to Singapore arriving in the evening and connecting with an onward flight to London (Heathrow), arriving the following morning.

£830 for departures 1 May-30 June.

£995 for departures 15 January-30 April, 15 August-10 September, 1 November-9 December, 24-31 December.

£1155 for departures 1-14 January, 1 July-14 August, 11 September-31 October.

£1355 for departures 10-23 December.

Includes:

· Scheduled flights London (Heathrow)/Singapore/Cairns/Singapore/London (Heathrow) by Qantas.

Overnights in Cairns: £30 per night room-only at the comfortable Cairns Colonial Club on a twin/share basis. A single occupancy supplement of £30 per night applies. Please note: Airport/hotel transfers are not included: taxis are freely available and not expensive.

Sample Itinerary (including 7 nights in Australia)

Day 1: Depart London (Heathrow) in the evening.

Day 2: Arrive Singapore in the evening and connect with onward flight to Cairns.

Day 3: Arrive Cairns in the morning and take a taxi to Port Douglas. Board Undersea Explorer at 17.00 (dinner ashore, not included). Boat departs at 20.00.

Days 4-8: Five days diving from Undersea Explorer.

Day 9: After 2 dives in the morning, return to Port Douglas. Disembark approximately 16.30. Taxi to Cairns. Overnight at Cairns Colonial Club.

Day 10: Mid-afternoon flight from Cairns bound for Singapore, arriving in the evening and connecting with an onward flight to London.

Day 11: Morning arrival at London (Heathrow).

LINKING AUSTRALIA WITH PAPUA NEW GUINEA, THE SOLOMONS, FIJI OR FRENCH POLYNESIA

It is easy to link some diving in Australia's Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef with the amazing diving found in the islands of the Southwestern Pacific. Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea is served by flights from Cairns as well as other Australian cities, but Honiara in the Solomons, Nadi in Fiji and Tahiti in French Polynesia are only served from Brisbane or Sydney. Contact us for details of flight costs and possible itineraries.