Snorkel Safari Launch

That’s what we call a PARTY! Anyone who was at our launch would agree that we all had a lot of fun! There were lot of prizes given away, laughs were shared, the food was great (especially the calamari) and Snorkel Safari Brisbane was officially launched. We had a late start to the day, but it was well worth the wait.

Frank Van Der Linde, the owner and operator of Worldwide Dive & Sail hit the stage to present to us his line of luxury liveaboards operating around the Asia-Pacific region in areas such as Palau, Philippines, and Indonesia to name a few. During his presentation everyone was grinning from ear to ear and afterwards we had to mop the drool off the floor. Not only was Frank’s presentation fun and entertaining, but it got us all dreaming of our next travel destination. Jerry from Dive Adventures also came along to support us and also helped us give away our major prize of a trip to Hideaway Island, Vanuatu. Congratulations to the lucky winner Angela Murphy, a well deserving and very active diver! Our other major prize winner was Georgia Budd who went home with a brand NEW air integrated Suunto D4i scuba and freedive computer for simply “Like”-ing our newly launched Snorkel Safari Brisbane Facebook page. Congratulations to both of you. And congratulations to all of our many lucky prize wheel winners. Over the course of the afternoon we gave away well over $3000 worth of prizes! You can find more photos on our facebook page and they will more than illustrate how much fun we had. Thank you all for coming and making our launch celebration such a huge success! 

Hope to see you all in the water over the summer! Happy diving!

East Timor Trip Report -- September 2011

by Miguel Garrido

UN-DIVED! I’m not sure if it’s an actual word but it perfectly describes Timor-Leste. When I set off late September with nine other divers from Snorkel Safari Brisbane, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. They came far and wide from all walks of life and we couldn’t have had a more diverse group and so many different personalities. What shocked me the most is that it worked! Everyone had an amazing time both in and out of the water and I was amazed at how well and how easily everyone got along.

Over the week we experienced some of the most pristine reefs I had ever seen. The corals were so colourful and vibrant; it was stunning.  No broken coral from where a diver had swam too close and kicked over plate coral, no patches of dead or bleached stag horn coral from where open water divers have knelt to complete skills, no paths of destruction from dragging anchor chains, just the colours of the reef and it’s marine life; and plenty of both. 

Dive sites were distinct and diverse and the best part was that they were within 20m of the shoreline. It was easy diving! Simply kit up on the beach, walk down into the water and your there. Instant dive site!

We dived twice a day and were usually back at the resort with the majority of the afternoon free to laze by the pool, get massages, or explore the town.  It was everything that we needed from a holiday and more.  We even had plenty of spare time to go exploring and walk up one of the mountains to see the Jesus statue, take in the local markets, visit the president’s house and an old jail (not at the same time), and (for a few) check out some local cock-fighting.

It was an amazing week and I want to thank all the guys that came with me and made the trip what it was.  It was truly unique and I wont forget Timor anytime soon. I would happily dive with any and all of you again in a heartbeat, even either of the two doctors, on the condition they promise to refrain from pushing any red shiny buttons, despite how enticing they may appear.