When best to travel to Aus + Nz for diving Winter 2006?

My wife and I will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand this
winter 2006. We originally planned to leave February 19 but are now
wondering if this is the best time. I guess because it is winter here
in Winnipeg, Canada, we would really want to go between November and
March.

One question is, when would it be best to go to the Whitsundays for
diving at the Great Barrier Reef? When would the water be at its
clearest?

I also wanted to catch an Aussie Rules Football Match but I guess this
is the off season?

Thanks

"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
My wife and I will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand this
winter 2006. We originally planned to leave February 19 but are now
wondering if this is the best time. I guess because it is winter here
in Winnipeg, Canada, we would really want to go between November and
March.

One question is, when would it be best to go to the Whitsundays for
diving at the Great Barrier Reef? When would the water be at its
clearest?

I also wanted to catch an Aussie Rules Football Match but I guess this
is the off season?

Thanks



I go around December time so can be there for new year.


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"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
My wife and I will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand this
winter 2006. We originally planned to leave February 19 but are now
wondering if this is the best time. I guess because it is winter here
in Winnipeg, Canada, we would really want to go between November and
March.

One question is, when would it be best to go to the Whitsundays for
diving at the Great Barrier Reef? When would the water be at its
clearest?

I wouldn't come any earlier than mid Feb unless you like extreme humidity
and lots of rain, with the odd cyclone thrown in to wreak havoc. Oh, and
fighting your way through hoards of holidaying families. The Whitsundays is
a very popular destination over the Christmas holidays.

If you can leave your trip until the end of Feb, you'll miss school holidays
and the wet season. The weather will still be very warm, water visibility
should be high (Feb/Mar has always been a good time for diving in my
experience), accommodation will be much cheaper.

I also wanted to catch an Aussie Rules Football Match but I guess this
is the off season?

The national competition starts late Feb/early Mar. But trial matches
commence approx six weeks earlier. If you want to experience a match in an
amazing atmosphere, you simply can't miss Melbourne, the "home" of
Australian Rules.

Mel
P.S. Do some research into Queensland diving sites. Australia is a big
country and the Whitsunday region is a long way to go when time is limited
(I'm assuming you won't be spending all your holiday in Qld). If your only
interest in that area is diving, I suggest you consider further south on the
GBR. Heron Island and Lady Musgrave Island offer excellent dive spots.

Excellent Advice Mel, thanks for the wonderful post. It was a little
better than the "come in December to be here for New Year" post.

We will go to NZ for 10 days and arrive in Aus. in early march. My wife
thought a 2 0r 3 day package in the Whitsundays for romance and diving
would be nice. And then we will end the trip with friend in the Sydney
area.

Excellent ARF advice as well, although I don't know if we will be in
Melbourne.

Thanks again. Any other tips are appreciated.

Brett


Mel wrote:
"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
My wife and I will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand this
winter 2006. We originally planned to leave February 19 but are now
wondering if this is the best time. I guess because it is winter here
in Winnipeg, Canada, we would really want to go between November and
March.

One question is, when would it be best to go to the Whitsundays for
diving at the Great Barrier Reef? When would the water be at its
clearest?

I wouldn't come any earlier than mid Feb unless you like extreme humidity
and lots of rain, with the odd cyclone thrown in to wreak havoc. Oh, and
fighting your way through hoards of holidaying families. The Whitsundays is
a very popular destination over the Christmas holidays.

If you can leave your trip until the end of Feb, you'll miss school holidays
and the wet season. The weather will still be very warm, water visibility
should be high (Feb/Mar has always been a good time for diving in my
experience), accommodation will be much cheaper.

I also wanted to catch an Aussie Rules Football Match but I guess this
is the off season?

The national competition starts late Feb/early Mar. But trial matches
commence approx six weeks earlier. If you want to experience a match in an
amazing atmosphere, you simply can't miss Melbourne, the "home" of
Australian Rules.

Mel
P.S. Do some research into Queensland diving sites. Australia is a big
country and the Whitsunday region is a long way to go when time is limited
(I'm assuming you won't be spending all your holiday in Qld). If your only
interest in that area is diving, I suggest you consider further south on the
GBR. Heron Island and Lady Musgrave Island offer excellent dive spots.

Oh yeah Mel, one more question:

Kangaroos or Demons?

Brett

Mel wrote:
"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
My wife and I will be travelling to Australia and New Zealand this
winter 2006. We originally planned to leave February 19 but are now
wondering if this is the best time. I guess because it is winter here
in Winnipeg, Canada, we would really want to go between November and
March.

One question is, when would it be best to go to the Whitsundays for
diving at the Great Barrier Reef? When would the water be at its
clearest?

I wouldn't come any earlier than mid Feb unless you like extreme humidity
and lots of rain, with the odd cyclone thrown in to wreak havoc. Oh, and
fighting your way through hoards of holidaying families. The Whitsundays is
a very popular destination over the Christmas holidays.

If you can leave your trip until the end of Feb, you'll miss school holidays
and the wet season. The weather will still be very warm, water visibility
should be high (Feb/Mar has always been a good time for diving in my
experience), accommodation will be much cheaper.

I also wanted to catch an Aussie Rules Football Match but I guess this
is the off season?

The national competition starts late Feb/early Mar. But trial matches
commence approx six weeks earlier. If you want to experience a match in an
amazing atmosphere, you simply can't miss Melbourne, the "home" of
Australian Rules.

Mel
P.S. Do some research into Queensland diving sites. Australia is a big
country and the Whitsunday region is a long way to go when time is limited
(I'm assuming you won't be spending all your holiday in Qld). If your only
interest in that area is diving, I suggest you consider further south on the
GBR. Heron Island and Lady Musgrave Island offer excellent dive spots.

On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 07:04:18 -0700, Lifeguard wrote:

One question is, when would it be best to go to the Whitsundays for diving
at the Great Barrier Reef? When would the water be at its clearest?

Why the Whitsundays? Last time I was in Airlie, there were 3 dive boats
going out to the GBR. All of them focused on the backpacker market doing
their OW courses. So if you're a little bit more experienced, you would
be best looking somewhere else. The biggest choice is from Cairns. The
best diving is further out in the Coral Sea too. The coral around Cairns
is looking a bit sad these days.

I've got trip reports on my website of the dive trips I've done from
several places including Cairns and Airlie.

Jason

--
See http://www.scuba-addict.co.uk/ for UK diving reports and the UK
Underwater Visibility Database. View the database or add your own report

"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
Oh yeah Mel, one more question:

Kangaroos or Demons?

Brett

Neither, I'm a Qlder. Go the Lions. :-)

Depending on how long you're in Sydney, you should be able to catch a home
game of the Sydney Swans.

"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
Excellent Advice Mel, thanks for the wonderful post. It was a little
better than the "come in December to be here for New Year" post.

We will go to NZ for 10 days and arrive in Aus. in early march. My wife
thought a 2 0r 3 day package in the Whitsundays for romance and diving
would be nice. And then we will end the trip with friend in the Sydney
area.

Excellent ARF advice as well, although I don't know if we will be in
Melbourne.

Thanks again. Any other tips are appreciated.

Brett, how long will you have in Aus and how will you be travelling? What
type of accommodation?

Mel

"Mel" wrote in message
...

"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
Excellent Advice Mel, thanks for the wonderful post. It was a little
better than the "come in December to be here for New Year" post.

We will go to NZ for 10 days and arrive in Aus. in early march. My wife
thought a 2 0r 3 day package in the Whitsundays for romance and diving
would be nice. And then we will end the trip with friend in the Sydney
area.

Excellent ARF advice as well, although I don't know if we will be in
Melbourne.

Thanks again. Any other tips are appreciated.

Brett, how long will you have in Aus and how will you be travelling? What
type of accommodation?

Mel

Also, do you have your open water certificates or will you be novice divers?

We both have our PADI open water certification.
Tina has dives in the GBR and the Red Sea and I have dives in DR,
Canada, and Cancun.

We both have dives in Puerto Vallarta and Cozumel.



Mel wrote:
"Mel" wrote in message
...

"Lifeguard" wrote in message
ups.com...
Excellent Advice Mel, thanks for the wonderful post. It was a little
better than the "come in December to be here for New Year" post.

We will go to NZ for 10 days and arrive in Aus. in early march. My wife
thought a 2 0r 3 day package in the Whitsundays for romance and diving
would be nice. And then we will end the trip with friend in the Sydney
area.

Excellent ARF advice as well, although I don't know if we will be in
Melbourne.

Thanks again. Any other tips are appreciated.

Brett, how long will you have in Aus and how will you be travelling? What
type of accommodation?

Mel

Also, do you have your open water certificates or will you be novice divers?