2012 ITINERARY - Space available to join OCT 2012 14 Day Far Northern Charter with Snorkel Safari Brisbane.
FAR NORTHERN GREAT BARRIER REEF EXPEDITION - 2013 EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Spirit of Freedom is now taking expressions of interest to join a 10 to 14-day expedition, visiting remote areas of the Far North Northern Great Barrier Reef, in late 2013. This follows the success of the inaugural expedition, conducted earlier this year.
The first expedition, held from 23 January – 6 February, sold out. During the 14-day trip, Spirit of Freedom traversed the coastline, travelling more than 1,400km visiting rarely accessed areas and sites on the Great Barrier Reef, from Cairns to Ashmore Reef.
Divers from around the country and world enjoyed pristine dive sites, many of which had never been visited before. One happy diver, Robert Becker said it was the trip of a lifetime.
"That was without a doubt one of the greatest dive expeditions I have ever done. Stunning, breathtaking, beautiful, wild, and wonderful. A real serious lifetime experience. … None of it could have at all happened without what was arguably the most professional team of dive and support staff I have ever had the privilege to dive with. Even down to the fabulous hostess Danny and chef Drew, every one of you are an absolute credit to the Spirit of Freedom, to the beautiful creatures that call those magical reefs home, and I know that so many of us are so very deeply grateful to all of you for such a fabled and fantastic experience.” – Robert Becker
These remote reefs are home to pristine marine life and inquisitive critters and offer a great chance of encounters with megafauna, with Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays and Whale Sharks all regular visitors to this region, as well as even the occasional Marlin.
Divers can expect a lot of shark action with Silvertip, Grey Reef and Whitetip Reef Sharks commonly coming in close. The region abounds with masses of pelagic and reef fish and an incredible variety of colourful corals and invertebrates.
The expedition includes a visit to the waters around Raine Island, the largest and most important green sea turtle nesting area in the world. While the island is totally protected from access, the diving in the deep oceanic waters surrounding the island is superb and November is nesting season, so you can expect to see many turtles. Divers should keep an eye out for tiger sharks, as they also frequent the area to feed on the turtles.
On this trip some of the dives will be 'exploratory' in style, while we look at reefs that are new to us, or may never have been dived before. We will also be diving the best of the best, fantastic sites known to us, at reefs such as Great Detached Reef, Ashmore Reef, Pandora’s Entrance, Wishbone Reef, and Tijou Reef. The more well visited Ribbon Reefs will also be included in the itinerary, with a couple of days at iconic sites such as the Cod Hole and Steve’s Bommie. This tour to the remote Far North of Australia offers you a unique opportunity to dive little visited reefs amongst marine life that is just as curious to see us, as we are them.
SAMPLE ITINERARY OVERVIEW
DAY 1: 3.00 PM BOARDING. NO DIVING THIS DAY
Overnight steam to the Cod Hole.
DAY 2: DIVING THE COD HOLE & VARIOUS SITES ON NUMBER 10 RIBBON REEF
Overnight steam
DAY 2: DIVING TIJOU REEF REGION
Overnight steam
DAY 3 – 5: DIVING GREAT DETACHED & RAINE ISLAND VICINITY
Overnight steam Day 5
DAY 6 – 8: DIVING ASHMORE REEF REGION
Overnight steam Day 8
DAY 9: DIVING PANDORA’S ENTRANCE REGION
Short Overnight steam
DAY 10 – 11: DIVING YULE AND WISHBONE REEF VICINITY
Overnight steam
DAY 12: DIVING TIJOU AND BLACK ROCK REGION
Overnight steam
DAY 13: DIVING NUMBER 9 AND 10 RIBBON REEFS
Short Overnight steam
DAY 14: DIVING NUMBER 5 RIBBON REEF INCLUDING STEVE’S BOMMIE.
Overnight steam
DAY 15: ARRIVE BACK IN CAIRNS 6 – 6.30AM LIGHT BREAKFAST & HOTEL TRANSFER AT 07.30AM
Itinerary notes: This itinerary is travelling to some of Australia’s most remote reefs and will cover a distance of approximately 1000 miles (500 miles each way). Be aware that the boat will be travelling many nights of the 14 days, with some stretches that may be as long as 15 or 16 hours. The above itinerary plan is purely a rough guide with exact reef locations and timings to be fully flexible, and determined by the Captain on the day. The itinerary is also weather dependent and may be changed to allow for the conditions at the time. Changes to the itinerary, including delayed departure or early return, may be required in the event of a cyclone in the region.
REMOTE LOCATION ADVICE
Please note that you will be travelling to remote locations where emergency medical assistance is not immediately available. At times Spirit of Freedom will be out of helicopter range and in an emergency we are limited to the speed of the vessel to reach the nearest accessible location. Satellite phone communication should normally be available however internet and web services will not be available.
MEDICAL & TRAVEL INSURANCE
All passengers MUST purchase a comprehensive Travel Insurance policy that includes
- Trip Cancellation insurance, and
- Lost/damaged personal belongings or equipment
- Evacuation & Medical cover for remote area Scuba Diving
To register your Expression of Interest in this trip:
Web:www.spiritoffreedom.com.au/expedition
Email:trina@spiritoffreedom.com.au
