Night Diving on the Great Barrier Reef

Diving at night opens up an entire new perspective on the Great Barrier Reef highlighting different formations and wildlife that are not normally seen during the day. Different fish behaviour and activities are often displayed at night much different to the daylight hours.

Here an inquisitive turtle has followed our divers on their dive. Swimming alongside them for several minutes exploring the reef with them. Thanks to Malcolm one of our guests for this great photo.

Discount Airfares to Cairns from the USA

Qantas has just released some great pricing to Cairns from New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. There is more special pricing from other cities in the US as well. More details can be found on their website.

Places Filling Up Quickly for the End of Year

Come and have some of the great fun and educational experiences our other guests have enjoyed. Limited availability can still be found on our trips from September through to the end of the year. Come and see the reef in a completely different way with only a maximum of 10 guests on-board your snorkelling and diving experience will be unlike any other found on the Great Barrier Reef. Intimate settings and personal touches that make these trips our guests call the highlight of their Australian vacation. Reward yourself and book your escape now.

Guests Join Eye on the Reef Monitoring Program

Guests and keen scuba divers Richard and Laurens from the Netherlands return from a dive as part of the Eye on the Reef monitoring program on-board Coral Sea Dreaming. New Horizon Sail and Dive Adventures has incorporated this successful program run by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority into its' regular educational and tourism program. By actively including travellers from all over the globe New Horizon hopes to raise the awareness and protection of the Great Barrier Reef's fragile ecosystem.

Cleaning Up The Reef

Cheryl our devoted dive instructor is seen here with her budding young diver from France, Arnaud, installing in him the virtues of taking every opportunity to clean up the environment. On this dive finding some fishing line and some bottles. Project Aware is sponsoring the Splash for Trash on the 20th September, with New Horizon being a keen participant organisation. For more details on opportunities to participate please contact us.

Whale Migration and Turtles Mating - What a Great Day To Be Sailing on The Great Barrier Reef

Today our guests were treated to two great events in the marine calendar on the great barrier reef, the whale migration and two turtles mating. The latter event happened just metres from the boat and was a great educational experience for all.

Aussie Dollar Falling

With the Australian Dollar continuing to fall against most major currencies Australian travel is again becoming affordable. Dramatic falls against the US Dollar, Great Britain's Pound and the Euro over the last few weeks have brought the dollar back to levels of almost a year ago. Take advantage of the drop now.

Whales Surprising Divers

Our divers where shocked as they prepared to descend down the mooring line and two humpback whales surfaced about 20 metres from them. This time I have "borrowed" Cheryl's camera while she was in the water to take these shots as the whales swam merrily past on their annual migration north.

Beautiful Islands Around Cairns

When the winds and seas pick up as they sometimes do, we have the chance to appreciate some of the reefs and beaches that surrounds the islands off Cairns. Our guests today enjoying a private charter made our yacht their own and enjoyed the beauty of the tropical north at their own pace.

Some More Great Guest Photos

Our guests often send us photos of the scenic reef and fish life that they have captured on their adventure. Avid divers Jo and Mike from Tri State Safaris were recent guests on our trips and here are some of the photos that they took on the trip.

The Learning Experience on the Reef

With perfect conditions on the Great Barrier Reef it was a great day to be introduced to the sport of diving. These pictures show our divers returning to the boat in about 10 metres of water. This time Cheryl our novice photographer is on her day job and taking an introductory diver for his first dive. Fantastic visibility and 24 degree water temperatures make these conditions unbeatable.

Great Barrier Reef Exposed

With the low tides we are seeing at the moment, the reef is being seen in a completely different light. These photos show the great expanse of the reef this one stretching about 3 kilometres at its widest point. With this just one reef of 2900 reefs that stretch 2300 kilometers down the Queensland coastline, you can just imagine the enormity of this world wonder. Without getting your feet wet your can appreciate the beauty of the reef. Again our budding photographer and dive instructor has taken these great pictures.

Whale Season in Full Swing

Humpback whales are everywhere again as the the migration is in full swing. Large pods of whales have been seen lots of breaching, waving as well as other antics. Guests and crew alike are always amazed at these creatures athletic ability and grace they show. This is truly is an amazing sight that has to be seen to be appreciated.

Awesome Water Spout

One of our guests Jose took this great photo of the water spout with Santa Maria sitting in the foreground.

Our dive instructor Cheryl took this photo of an awesome water spout this weekend. A great natural effect seen with a passing storm.

Great Times on the Great Barrier Reef

Another fantastic few days on the Great Barrier Reef, sailing, diving and snorkelling. There is nothing like diving on the reef with just a few people and having a dive site to yourself. Today we were graced with beautiful weather and as usual the fantastic colours of the fish and reef under the tropical sun. We finished the trip with a wonderful sail home with Coral Sea Dreaming maintaining a consistent 8 knots under sail. No engines just the sound of the waves and wind filling the sails.

Coral Sea Dreaming Returns to Sea

Coral Sea Dreaming is back in the water after her annual planned maintenance including several weeks of painting and refurbishment. She is looking good for the work and ready for another fun season of sailing and diving. Be sure to book now and not miss out on the great times and the exclusive setting aboard this great yacht.

Air New Zealand Announces New Flights to Cairns

Air New Zealand is increasing the number of direct flights to Cairns. This is great news reducing the number of lay overs that you have to take to get to Cairns. The increase will be from New Zealand, USA, Canada as well as Asia. The full report is located at the Cairns Post.

Don't Miss The Boat

Over the last few weeks we have had quite a few people miss out on the trip they wanted because they delayed in booking. This being the start of the peak season this starts to happen more and more often. Trips and availability change rapidly at this time of the year so a quick call or email to secure your spot may save you hours of grief as you need to rearrange dates or miss out completely. You may even have to settle for a trip that may not be your first choice. This is your vacation so we want you to relax and have a stress free time. So Book early and we hope to see you in the coming months.

One Month to Go in the Photo Competition

Only one month to go with the Reefcheck photo competition so get your entries in quickly. With the judges nixing my idea of a special category for algae in this years competition, I am all out of ideas for something different. So get your creative juices flowing and send in your entries. Algae the grass of the sea, very underrated and very much an integral part of the ecosystem. Keep the pressure up for an algae category in 2009!

Supporting Research on the Great Barrier Reef

New Horizon, like many good operators on the Great Barrier Reef work hand in hand with the academic community, federal and state governments, charities, as well standards bodies to ensure that the Great Barrier Reef will be there for generations to come. The more we learn about the reef the more we are able to minimize the human impact. Before you book your trip make sure you are doing your bit and supporting operators that support the ecosystem they are part of. I have listed several of them below for quick reference.
There are several government programs that encourage and develop a working partnership between tourism, researchers and government bodies that continually gather information and monitor the health of one of the world's most precious resources. The highest profile program is the "Eye on the Reef" (eyeonthereef.com.au) program which incorporates several different facets of reef monitoring. This program is run and sponsored by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) from Townsville and incorporates many tourism operators throughout the Barrier Reef.
Reef Check (http://www.reefcheckaustralia.org/)performs regular inspections and colony counts to track and monitor the growth of existing reef as well as new. This active research is designed to understand the recovery and growth that reef undertakes given the impacts that they suffer including human and natural. Donations to support the research are always welcome and can made online here. They are also looking for supporters to donate time and resources to help cover as much as the Great Barrier Reef as possible.
The Australian Marine Conversation Society organizes campaigns to create protected marine areas and species throughout Australia. Their current focus evolves around climate change, marine parks and overfishing.

Great Weather in Cairns

Traditionally the tourist season slows down after Easter and picks up again in July. This seems such a shame as many people miss the best time of the year. We have had great conditions both in town and out on the reef. The wind continues to behave itself giving us fantastic conditions again this week. If you want to enjoy Cairns in the slower time of the year I suggest you head on down in the off season and get to experience North Queensland in the quieter times.

The Real Shark Experience

Many of our guests get to experience swimming with a shark up close and immediately they see the myths around sharks are exactly that, myths. These encounters are often the highlight of the trip for people that only a few days before were terrified to share the water with a shark.
Shark Water is about to be released in Australia on May 15th. It is a great documentary and well worth a trip to the theatre. If you are interested is showing your support there are many shark support organizations listed the movies' website.
The timing of the release of the movie is perfect considering that there is a current push to legitimize the fishing and finning of sharks on the Great Barrier Reef. You can voice your objection via AMCS at their website .

Dolphins Everywhere

This has been a great year for dolphins with almost every trip encountering dolphins on multiple occasions. Whether they are playing riding the bow or circling the boat and launching themselves across the waves they are a treat to watch and a sight we never tire of.

Reef Check Photography Contest

The Annual Reef Check photography competition is now open for entries. This being the International Year of the Reef I expect this to be a very hotly contested event. More information can be found at http://www.reefcheckaustralia.org/photo-gallery/photography-competition-2008
So good luck!

Santa Maria Sails Again

Santa Maria has just finished an extensive several month refit and is looking absolutely great. Coupled together with the great weather we are getting this year it just doesn't get any better then this on the anywhere in the world. We are privileged to enjoy this on the Great Barrier Reef.

The Most Personal Dive Experience on The Reef

Dive the Great Barrier Reef without the crowds. New Horizon has been operating live-aboard sailing and scuba diving adventures from Cairns, Australia since 1995. Our fleet of sailing boats includes the gaff rigged schooner Santa Maria, which does 3 day/2 night trips, the luxury ketch Coral Sea Dreaming, which offers an alternative for those wanting a shorter tour of 2 days/1 night.

All our charter yachts take a maximum of just 10 passengers with an attentive crew of 3 on each boat you’ll receive personalised attention not possible on the larger tour vessels.

The scuba diving and snorkel sites we sail to are not frequented by the masses & are chosen for their unique coral formations & abundant marine life. We want you to have the vacation you have been looking forward to. So it’s up to you how you want to spend your live-aboard vacation. You can enjoy water-based activities including snorkelling, introductory & certified scuba diving. If you’re looking for a little more relaxing trip, simply come aboard with a great book and enjoy the serenity and the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef with a small group of people you will call your friends. If you wish you can join in and help sail the boat or just ‘supervise’ from the deck. Our objective is to allow you to experience the reef at your own pace. Our experienced and friendly crew will pay every attention to your comfort and well being…to ensure that you return from your Great Barrier Reef Sail and Dive Adventure with fantastic memories to last a lifetime.

Private charters are available on all our sailing yachts for dive clubs, managerial off-sites, team building events, or intimate affairs such as family vacations, engagements, commitment ceremonies, weddings, reunions, and other special occasions.