8-day Far Northern Great Barrier Reef
"Ocean Outback" Expedition
Explorer Ventures |
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This trip is aboard Nimrod Explorer, a 72 foot Catamaran with a maximum of 18 divers. It is for 8 days, 10 nights, and allows 22 dives, plus 5 night dives.
Departure Information
Departure is from Explorer Ventures offices, 206 Draper St., Cairns at 7:00 AM, return time 4:00 PM.
Trips depart 10/25/2008, 11/1/2008, 11/8/2008 and 11/15/2008.
The Dive
This 8-day trip is the longest and most adventurous dive trip operating out of Cairns. The boat departs from Lockhart River, and a flight each way to this remote airfield from Cairns will save you some serious boat time, and get you into this "oean outback" quickly.
This expedition offesr an unparalleled opportunity to explore one of the most remote and pristine diving areas in the world, and is only offerred a very few times each year, timed to give the best diving possible.
This trip is a great opportunity for adventurous divers seeking diving in remote areas, and who wish to make up to 4 or 5 dives per day.
 All told divers will make up to 27 dives on this trip.
For a detailed trip itinerary, click here.
The Boat
The Nimrod Explorer is a large stable twin-hulled boat, built in 1984, and just coming out of a major refitting and refurbishing. It's length and beam provide plenty of space for the 18 divers it carries. The air-conditioned cabins are spacious and well-furnished, each having it's own private bath and shower. When we visited we couldn't help but notice how nice and comfortable the boat's cabins were. The dining and lounge areas are equally spacious and comfortable, and come equipped with a music and movie library.
Diving takes place off the rear deck, which has just been greatly expanded to provide even more dive deck area. The deck comes complete with all a diver needs. Gear bins, a camera table, charging station, camera and gear rinse tanks, and freshwater showers are all available right on the dive deck. The Nimrod also carries a dive tender, allowing for drift dives and more distant dives from the anchorage.
If the boat has a weak point, it is that it's top speed is only 9 knots. On some of the trips you may be moving at night to the next days' dive sites. However, by including flights in each itinerary Explorer Ventures has minimized the distance you will travel on board the boat.
Trip Prices
Included
 All dive gear (inc. computer) (with Dive price only)
Tanks, weights (with Dive price only)
Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
All linen
Non-alcoholic beverages
All meals
Transfers to/from Cairns lodging
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All prices are in
US Dollars. |
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8 Mar 08 -
onwards
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| Certified Diver, quad-share cabin |
$2,545 |
| Certified Diver, double, private bath |
$3,445 |
| Extras: | |
| DAN Insurance per trip |
$16 | | Environmental management charge (pay on board) per trip |
$22 | | PADI advanced course |
$110 | | Refresher course |
$110 | | Fuel levy (pay on board) per trip |
$120 | | Round trip airfare, Cairns to Lockhart River |
$640 |
About Explorer Ventures
Explorer Ventures has been operating in Cairns since 2004, but they have 16 years in the dive business, and are well known in the Caribbean for operating the Caribbean Explorer. Their Cairns boat, the Nimrod Explorer, has been a fixture on the Cairns liveaboard dive scene for 10 years. This American company operates an office and other support facilities in Cairns, staffed with locals from the industry. With a recent major refurbishing of this boat, the company has made a commitment to provide a luxury liveaboard dive experience, emphasizing great diving and small group sizes of just 18 people.
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