Hi everyone,
My hubby and I will be traveling to Fiji (1 week) and Australia (2 weeks... most time being spent near the Great Barrier Reef). My husband is not a big-time diver... has fewer then 20 dives under his belt... but would like to do a few days of diving. I do not dive, but love to snorkel.
Questions:
(1) We are debating between the following dates in 2009:
- mid-June to 1st week in July
- 1st 3 weeks in August
Which is better for diving? I hear it's windy in August, but I've also read the diving may be slightly better? But minke whales can be seen in June? What about water temps? Hubby prefers to dive where water is fairly warm... likes the Caribbean... won't dive where we live (So. California).
(2) We are considering doing one ~4 day liveaboard or cruise (either Fiji or Australia, but not both) if we can find one that is not over-the-top expensive. Would we be better off doing this in Fiji or in Australia? How do we select a liveaboard / cruise that would be good for a diver and a non-diver? Should we consider a small ship cruise instead? Blue Lagoon Cruises in Fiji (they go to the Yasawa Islands) and Coral Princess Cruises (GBR) each have island activities as well, but I'm not sure how well they are set up for diving (they seem to have a "handful" of divers each trip).
(3) If we do a land vacation in Fiji, we're looking at dive packages at these resorts:
- Garden Island Resort, Taveuni
- Beqa Lagoon Resort, Pacific Harbour
- Wananavu Beach Resort, Rakiraki
Which do you recommend? Others? Remember, we need a place that has things to do for a non-diver.
(4) If we do a land vacation in Australia, we are considering the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas (using points). Do you have recommendations for other places from which we could do day trips, including diving / snorkeling? I can't figure out if it's better to stay in Cairns or Port Douglas. As a side note, we will also stay a few nights in Sydney and possibly a couple of nights further north (someone recommended Coconut Beach Resort at Cape Tribulation), as well.
I will be booking our Frequent Flyer airline tickets this week (we have a June itinerary on hold now) and want to have a basic plan laid in the next few days.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Carole
My hubby and I will be traveling to Fiji (1 week) and Australia (2 weeks... most time being spent near the Great Barrier Reef). My husband is not a big-time diver... has fewer then 20 dives under his belt... but would like to do a few days of diving. I do not dive, but love to snorkel.
Questions:
(1) We are debating between the following dates in 2009:
- mid-June to 1st week in July
- 1st 3 weeks in August
Which is better for diving? I hear it's windy in August, but I've also read the diving may be slightly better? But minke whales can be seen in June? What about water temps? Hubby prefers to dive where water is fairly warm... likes the Caribbean... won't dive where we live (So. California).
(2) We are considering doing one ~4 day liveaboard or cruise (either Fiji or Australia, but not both) if we can find one that is not over-the-top expensive. Would we be better off doing this in Fiji or in Australia? How do we select a liveaboard / cruise that would be good for a diver and a non-diver? Should we consider a small ship cruise instead? Blue Lagoon Cruises in Fiji (they go to the Yasawa Islands) and Coral Princess Cruises (GBR) each have island activities as well, but I'm not sure how well they are set up for diving (they seem to have a "handful" of divers each trip).
(3) If we do a land vacation in Fiji, we're looking at dive packages at these resorts:
- Garden Island Resort, Taveuni
- Beqa Lagoon Resort, Pacific Harbour
- Wananavu Beach Resort, Rakiraki
Which do you recommend? Others? Remember, we need a place that has things to do for a non-diver.
(4) If we do a land vacation in Australia, we are considering the Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas (using points). Do you have recommendations for other places from which we could do day trips, including diving / snorkeling? I can't figure out if it's better to stay in Cairns or Port Douglas. As a side note, we will also stay a few nights in Sydney and possibly a couple of nights further north (someone recommended Coconut Beach Resort at Cape Tribulation), as well.
I will be booking our Frequent Flyer airline tickets this week (we have a June itinerary on hold now) and want to have a basic plan laid in the next few days.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Carole
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