Failed to get on the Lermentov - Again!

[Allan Carr]

Just a few minutes before my internet access runs out here on the campsite in New Zealand so not much time to post a trip report on Fiji and Milford Sound - they will follow soon.

Tried to get a dive on the Mikhail Lermentov , the Russian cruise liner sunk in the Marlborough Sounds in the north of the South Island of New Zealand, having failed to get out on it 8 years ago due to weather conditions. Unfortunately, in the three days available to us, not enough divers were around to make the 50 minute trip out there viable so the dive centre weren't prepared to go.

Looks like my wife and I are never going to get on it!

Well, it's Poor Knights and the Rainbow Warrior next week hopefully.

[triplefin]

Thats a real shame cos its such an amazing dive. Glad you did Milford sound - I assume with Tawaki Dive, are they still the only outfit diving it? My favourite and most memorable dives were is Milford Sound absolutly awesome.

[Allan Carr]

Yes, we dived with Tawaki - an excellent outfit and highly recommended. There are a couple of other outfits doing the Sound but they tow in RIB;s whereas Tawaki have a nice big hard boat. They also respected our experience and dropped us in and let us do our own thing while their DM led the rest of the group around. Very helpful to my wife who is disabled and needs help to get in and out of the water.

Amazing place and well worth doing if you get the chance. We were extremely lucky to get perfect weather - flat clam, warm and sunny. For a place that gets 9 metres of rain a year, that really is an event!

[uwila]

Very sad to hear you missed the Lermentov. I dived there a couple of weeks ago and there were only 3 of us paying for the trip. I used Dive Marlborough in Picton.

I won't bother to mention that it was a fantastic dive...but

[Allan Carr]

We tried with Blenheim Dive Centre who have a tie-up with the Picton operation. It was Picton's group who didn't follow through with the booking. They'll do it with a minimum of 3 but two was too few. Never mind, we've had some great diving elsewhere in NZ. I'll post full trip reports with pictures when I can get some reasonably priced internet access.

Off to Sydney today. Currently sitting in the Air New Zealand lounge at Wellington airport waiting for our flight.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by Allan Carr

We tried with Blenheim Dive Centre who have a tie-up with the Picton operation. It was Picton's group who didn't follow through with the booking. They'll do it with a minimum of 3 but two was too few. Never mind, we've had some great diving elsewhere in NZ. I'll post full trip reports with pictures when I can get some reasonably priced internet access.

Off to Sydney today. Currently sitting in the Air New Zealand lounge at Wellington airport waiting for our flight.

Welcome to Australia.

If you want some decent weather, come down to Tassie - it's done nothing but rain on the SE mainland for about a month now.