The DIVER Travel Planner

AUSTRALIA/PACIFIC
Australia
Marine life: Hard and soft corals and reef marine life, large pelagics, migrating whale sharks and humpback whales, many shark species including great white, turtles.
Type of diving: Beginners to advanced. Reef, wreck and wall diving on the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland, with day-trip dive boats from Cairns, Townsville, Port Douglas and the Whitsundays. Also live-aboards to the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Western Australia has coral reefs and gardens plus whale shark diving at Ningaloo Reef. Coral reef and mangrove diving in Northern Territory. Wreck and cavern diving off New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, which also has inland sinkholes.
Major diving areas: Great Barrier Reef, especially the Yongala wreck and Cod Hole near Lizard Island; Exmouth, 750 miles north of Perth for whale shark diving from March to May/June; Ningaloo Reef - the world's largest fringing coral reef - and Rowley Shoals for its pristine coral; Perth and Esperance in Western Australia; Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island, South Australia; and Jervis Bay, New South Wales.
Cost: Moderate to expensive.
Seasons/climate: Queensland's main diving areas - and those of Northern Territory and north Western Australia - are tropical, reaching 30ĄC in summer (December-February). Summer is also the wet season, and cyclones can occur. The temperate regions of southern Australia have four seasons, with cool winters and hot summers. Diving is year-round in Queensland and off Western Australia, with March-July the whale shark season at Ningaloo.
What to wear: Out of the water - shorts and T-shirts or lightweight cottons and linens year-round in the north and in summer in southern Australia. Warmer clothes for southern winters. Take raingear for rogue downpours. In the water - lightweight wetsuit or Lycra suit to protect against coral in tropical seas, thicker wetsuit for southern waters.
Hazards: Box jellyfish, otherwise known as sea wasps, occur off northern Queensland and Northern Territory from November to March and can inflict severe, even fatal, stings. Venomous sea snakes abound in northern waters but, though inquisitive, are rarely a danger. Crocodiles, however, are extremely dangerous. Also beware poisonous coral reef-dwellers. Sharks are common around Australia, including great whites off South Australia.
Currency: Australian dollar. Ł1=A$2.50 approx.
Electricity supply: 240/250V.
Inoculations: None necessary.
Visa required: Yes.
Getting there: London-Sydney nearly 22 hours. London-Cairns nearly 26 hours.
Tipping: As in Britain.
Information: Australian Tourist Commission (0906 8070707*). Website - www.australia.com.
Tour operators include: Travelmood, Sport Abroad, Sure Dive, Explorers Tours, Crusader Travel, explor Dive the World, Travel 2, Jetset.

Truk, Yap and Palau
Marine life: Palau is rich in marine life, boasting more than 1500 species of fish, over 700 species of coral and anemones, plus manta rays, turtles, nautilus, sharks and rare species such as giant tridacna clam and dugongs. Truk, or Chuuk as it is now known, has outstanding soft and hard corals and abundant marine life besides its more famous WWII wreck attractions. Yap is famed for its large concentration of manta rays.
Type of diving: For the intermediate to advanced diver. Palau is regarded as one of the world's top diving areas for its pristine reefs, coral gardens, caverns, drop-offs, drift and wall-dive sites as well as wrecks. Truk's fame is the sunken armada of more than 60 ships and planes of the Japanese navy's fourth fleet, which have become artificial reefs. But it also has a barrier reef and drop-offs. Yap is relatively undived and offers a variety of diving experiences for all levels.
Major diving areas: Palau's top dive sites include blue holes, the 1000-foot Ngmelis drop-off, Blue Hole and Shark City. Among Truk's dive sites are the aircraft carrier Fujikawa, with four Zero fighters in its hold, and the Sankisan Maru - containing a cargo of trucks and machine guns. Yap's Miil Channel has a resident manta population offering guaranteed sightings, while concentrations of sharks can be seen at Shark City and Gilman Tip.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: Micronesia has a tropical climate, with relatively constant, warm temperatures throughout the year averaging 27ĄC. August to November is the rainy season. October to May is best for diving. May and June can bring plankton blooms, but Yap's mantas can be seen all year round.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing is the norm year-round in Micronesia. Attire is very casual. In the water - water temperatures of 28ĄC mean only lightweight one-piece suits are needed as protection against coral and wrecks.
Hazards: Saltwater crocodiles and venomous sea snakes apart from the normal reef hazards. Biggest danger - the volatile cargoes on wartime wrecks.
Currency: US dollar. Ł1=$1.60 approx. Giant stone money remains in use on Yap, but not for normal transactions.
Electricity supply: 110V.
Inoculations: None necessary.
Visa required: No.
Getting there: Flights take two days, with an overnight in Manila.
Tipping: Visitors are considered guests and hospitality is an honour in local culture. Tips are neither expected nor encouraged.
Information: Palau Visitors Authority (00 691 320 2646). Website - www.visit-palau.com. Truk: Federated States of Micronesia (00 680 488 2793). Website - www.visit-fsm.org/chuuk.html.
Tour operators include: Hayes and Jarvis, Explorers Tours, Sure Dive, Scuba Safaris, Sport Abroad, Divequest, Harlequin, Travel 2, Jetset.

Solomon Islands
Marine life: Pristine reefs, coral gardens and walls are covered with brilliant soft corals, huge sea fans and hard corals. Turtles, manta rays and hammerhead sharks are often encountered.
Type of diving: Suits all standards. Wreck, reef and wall diving. Live-aboards. Technical diving with nitrox and trimix available at Guadalcanal.
Major diving areas: The islands saw some of the fiercest fighting of WWII. Numerous wrecks are strewn on the seabed in Guadalcanal, which has become known as Iron Bottom Sound. Gizo also has many wrecks including an almost intact Japanese transport ship. Mary Island has huge schools of barracudas and jacks.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: Tropical, hot and humid year-round. The wet season, from November to April, can bring severe storms but diving is year-round. Best time to go is April-October.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing and rainwear. Avoid beachwear in villages and towns. In the water - lightweight wetsuits or Lycra suits to protect against coral and wrecks.
Hazards: Other than normal reef hazards, the biggest dangers are the volatile cargoes on the wartime wrecks and the distance from recompression facilities, the nearest being Cairns, Australia.
Currency: Solomon Islands dollar. Ł1=SI$7.50 approx.
Electricity supply: 250V.
Inoculations: Typhoid, polio and hepatitis A recommended. Malaria endemic.
Visa required: No.
Getting there: Flights are via Los Angeles and Fiji and take 30 hours-plus.
Tipping: There is no tipping in the Solomon Islands and visitors are asked to honour the local custom.
Information: Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (00 677 22 442). Website - www.solomons-island.com.
Tour operators include: Explorers Tours, Regal Diving, Divequest.

Fiji
Marine life: Soft corals are Fiji's trademark, plus huge sea fans, large manta rays, hammerhead sharks and big pelagics.
Type of diving: For novice to expert. Shallow and deep reefs, coral ledges, lagoons, wrecks and wall diving on underwater volcanic peaks. Live-aboards visit more distant sites.
Major diving areas: Taveuni's star attractions include soft coral havens the Great White Wall, Yellow Wall, Purple Wall and Red Wall as well as Rainbow Reef and the Pinnacle. Beqa has a reef-filled lagoon and its outer reefs have drop-offs that plunge a mile down and attract sharks and pelagics. Other top sites are off Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: Fiji's climate is tropical. Expect daytime temperatures ranging from 28-32ĄC in the cooler season from May to November, and hot, humid weather from December to April. The warmer weather also brings more rainfall, usually in passing tropical showers. Plankton blooms in February and March can dent the tremendous visibility, but diving is year-round.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing. In the water - Fiji's waters are warm, although lightweight wetsuits or Lycra suits help protect against cuts and stings.
Hazards: Normal reef hazards.
Currency: Fiji dollar. Ł1=FJ$3.2 approx.
Electricity supply: 240V.
Inoculations: Typhoid, polio and hepatitis A recommended.
Visa required: No.
Getting there: Flights are via Los Angeles and take 27 hours.
Tipping: Only necessary for very special service, and then only small.
Information: Fiji Visitors Bureau (00 679 302 433). Website - www.bulafiji.com.
Tour operators include: Sport Abroad, Divequest.

Papua New Guinea<br> Marine life: Hard and soft corals abound in the little-dived reefs, islands and lagoons around PNG. Besides prolific reef life, divers often encounter whales, dolphins, giant clams and turtles.
Type of diving: Something for everyone, from novice to experienced. Delicate, shallow coral gardens, deep reefs, walls and rock formations, plus numerous WWII wrecks.
Major diving areas: Madang for its coral and many shallow wartime wrecks at Hansa Bay, Port Moresby and offshore Loloata Island for reefs and wrecks, Tufi for the fjords of Cape Nelson, and Walindi for some of PNG's most spectacular pinnacle and reef diving, and setting for the Walindi Plantation Resort - voted the world's best reef diving resort. Live-aboards visit PNG's many coral atolls and islands.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: Hot, tropical equatorial climate. Most rain falls between December and April. Diving is year-round.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing. In the water - PNG's waters are warm, but wear lightweight wetsuits or Lycra suits as protection.
Hazards: Normal reef and wreck hazards, and few recompression facilities.
Currency: Kina. Ł1=Ka3.74 approx.
Electricity supply: 240V.
Inoculations: Typhoid, polio and hepatitis A recommended. Malaria endemic.
Visa required: No.
Getting there: Flights are via Singapore. Total flying time is 30 hours, but journeys take two days.
Tipping: Not customary, discouraged.
Information: Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority (00 675 3200 211). Website - www.niugini.com.
Tour operators include: Scuba Safaris, Sure Dive, Divequest.
New Zealand
Marine life: New Zealand's sub-tropical North Island has rock cliffs and formations covered with sponges, gorgonia and anemones with huge schools of tropical and coldwater fish. South Island's Fiordland has red and black coral at shallow depths because a layer of murky, fresh water blocks the sun. The far south has huge kelp forests.
Type of diving: Scenic in the north, challenging but rewarding in the south. Live-aboards also operate.
Major diving areas: North Island has the Three Kings islands off the northern tip, the Poor Knights off Paihia with their rock sculptures rich in marine life, and the anemone-encrusted Rainbow Warrior wreck at the Cavalli Islands. South Island has Fiordland in the south-west, the gin-clear inland Waikoropupu Springs, and the mighty wreck of the Russian cruise ship Mikhail Lermontov - one of the largest and most accessible shipwrecks in the world, which sank in 1986 while attempting a shortcut off Port Gore in the Marlborough Sound.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: Sub-tropical in North Island, temperate in South Island with winters quite cool. Water temperatures can be as warm as 20ĄC in summer in the north, but just 5ĄC in winter in the south.
What to wear: Out of the water - light clothing for summer, but take a brolly and warm clothes as the weather can be as unpredictable as in the UK. Dress warmly for southern winters. In the water - light to mediumweight wetsuits in the north in summer, otherwise thick wetsuits or even drysuits.
Hazards: Strong currents and rough weather can make some New Zealand sites very demanding. The Mikhail Lermontov has claimed the lives of several unwary divers who got trapped in its labyrinth of corridors.
Currency: New Zealand dollar. Ł1=NZ$3.06 approx.
Electricity supply: 230V.
Inoculations: None necessary.
Visa required: No.
Getting there: Flights take 28 hours to Auckland and 30 hours to Wellington.
Tipping: Service charges are not added to hotel or restaurant bills. Tips are not expected but appreciated.
Information: New Zealand Tourist Board (0839 300 900*). Website - www.nztb. govt.nz.
Tour operators include: Kuoni and Jetset for general packages. Book dive trips with local operators, including Knightline (00 64 9 434 3733), Paihia Dive Hire and Charters (00 64 9 402 7551) and Big Blue, in Nelson, (00 64 3 546 7411).

Galapagos Islands
Marine life: Nutrient-rich warm and cold waters mix to make the Galapagos an underwater heaven, with vast shoals of hammerhead sharks; other species include whitetip and Galapagos sharks, cruising whale sharks, manta rays, playful sea-lions, turtles, abundant wall and reef-fish life and many large pelagics.
Type of diving: Only for the experienced. Live-aboard diving in strong currents on island reefs and walls.
Major diving areas: Each island in the Galapagos is different, but Wolf and Darwin islands are best for hammerhead sharks. Roca Rotunda is the place for Galapagos sharks, and Darwin Arch for whale sharks.
Cost: Expensive.
Seasons/climate: Hot, tropical equatorial but dry climate. Diving is year-round although April and May are best for visibility and November-December for marine life.
What to wear: Out of the water - light tropical clothing. In the water - 7mm semi-drysuits or membrane drysuits to protect against the cold waters.
Hazards: Strong currents can sweep the unwary diver off dive sites and out into the vast Pacific. No search and rescue facilities and nearest recompression facilities are 2-3 days away.
Currency: Galapagos is part of Ecuador and the local currency is the sucre. Ł1=ECS15,900 approx. Best to take US dollar travellers' cheques and cash.
Electricity supply: 110V.
Inoculations: Typhoid, polio, hepatitis A and yellow fever recommended for Ecuador. Malaria risk.
Visa required: No.
Getting there: Flights are via Miami and Quito including an overnight stop. Total journey time is two and a half days.
Tipping: A 10 per cent service charge is usually added to restaurant bills. Taxi drivers do not expect tips.
Information: Ecuadorian Tourism Board (00 593 2 567651). Website - www. cetur.org.
Tour operators include: Hayes and Jarvis, Sure Dive, Scuba Safaris, Divequest, Maldives Scuba Tours Worldwide, explor Dive the World, Harlequin Worldwide.

Appeared in DIVER - June 1999