Club night dive, 7 attending. Very flat seas and incoming tide, but water very dirty. Went in off the point and headed west. Followed the reef which goes to north and then back east to the old slipway. Visibility was good in shallows here. Two dwarf firefish, one small. One large flathead, lots of small octopus, a few other fish. Not a great dive. Visibility very poor.

Saturday 5 March 2011 - Shiprock
Had to cancel club deep wreck dive due to bad weather (6+m seas). Ten of us dived here. Lots of other divers here, more than I though there would be. Did normal dive, could not find the sea horse that Ron found last dive but Gary found it. Also saw a tiny dwarf firefish. Found a nice 1934 beer bottle. Pineapplefish as normal, a large spotted eel on N wall, nice dive. Visibility fair.

Wednesday 9 March 2011 - Middle Ground
Club boat dive. Only a very slight swell from NE and almost windless. Saw two blue devilfish and some seapike. A lot of sweep and yellowtail in spots. A nice easy dive. Very good visibility.

Saturday 12 March 2011 - HMNZS Canterbury (Bay of Islands - NZ)
Went in stern mooring and then to prop shafts and rudders. Then up to deck and then down to deck 2. Forward along corridor and out side under bridge. Then forward to gun turret. Then to under bridge and bridge and up. Visibility good.

Saturday 12 March 2011 - HMNZS Canterbury (Bay of Islands - NZ)
Night dive. Went in on middle mooring. Went to bow and then back along sb side to middle area. Crossed wreck through doors and then back into hanger. Out back of hanger. Then forward to bridge and then up. 3 conger eels, 2 small crayfish. Visibility very good.

Sunday 13 March 2011 - Rainbow Warrior (Bay of Islands - NZ)
Located N of islands. Mooring NW of wreck, about 10 m off stern. Went to prop shaft, then along sb side. Went in hold in front of bridge and then out and forward. In hold behind forecastle. Then to bow. Back over forecastle and to bridge. Went in hold on port side and found a weight pocket. Put it up next level. Then went into the bridge area and carried the pocket to engine room. Phil took from there. From engine room (empty) to stern deck. Then along port side to bow area and back. Visibility good.

Sunday 13 March 2011 - True Love Reef (Bay of Islands - NZ)
Reef located on the outside of islands. A bommie with two large pinnacles E of it. Anchored on easternmost one, 12 m on top. Went Counterclockwise and across to the middle one. Then W to the bommie. Continued CCW and found a cave that went back about 20 m. Went in. Bottom about 35 m. Went right around bommie and back to starting point. Lots of blue maomao and two spot demoiselles. A few kingfish and some conger, spotted eels. Visibilty good.

Monday 14 March 2011 - Cathedral Cave (Bay of Islands - NZ)
Located at Pierces Island, off Cape  Brett. Next to Hole in the Rock. A huge cave that you can fit a large boat inside. Anchored outside and followed the SW wall inside. At least 100 m into end of cave. Bottom is 20+ even at the end. Crossed over the the other wall and came out that side. Went out and to E for a bit before coming back. Great cave. Visi bility excellent.

Monday 14 March 2011 - Big Eye Lair (Bay of Islands - NZ)
West of Cape Brett in small bay. Dropped to the bottom and headed E along a split which leads to a tunnel. This goes right thru the point and out the other side (35 m long). Huge boulders over this side, covered in kelp. Went around some and back thru the tunnel. Then to SW corner of the bay where there is Sonic Boom Cave. This is a very long narrow cave, with pressure waves from air pocket being compressed. Back to anchor. Visibility excellent.

Tuesday 15 March 2011 - Landing Bay Pinnacle (Poor Knights - NZ)
Located about 40 m N of Taravana Cave, this is a pinnacle about 40 m off the wall. Dropped down to it and went to the N and W. Lots of ridges running out N, NW, W and SW. Jumped from one to the other. Then back aloing S side which is a shear wall. Then E aloing another shallower ridge that ends at 16 m and about 25 m from the wall (40 m to bottom). Than circled around as we ascended to the top at 5 m. Covered in kelp, lots of snapper, kingfish, two spot demoiselles and eels. Visibility very good. 

Tuesday 15 March 2011 - Jans Tunnel (Poor Knights - NZ)
Dropped E over to wall and then followed S to to small islet. Went around it and then back. Saw 2 bronze whaler sharks here. Went over the gap and then E to smaller bay. Up over some boulders into Jans Tunnel. Large open hole, 25 m long. Opens up into a large amphitheatre in which you can see open sky. Went left thru small tunnel to a smaller opening where sun streamed down, very spectacular, beams of light bouncing all over. Surfaced for three mins (took some photos). Then back out. From here to E wall N around a ridge then wall to N of boat. Lots of snapper, kingfish. Great dive. Visibility excellent

Wednesday 16 March 2011 - Middle Arch (Poor Knights - NZ)
Went N to wall and then W towards the arch. Then went around the southern support. Kelly spotted a bronze whaler shark which we saw for 3-4 mins. Bottom 35 m or more. We went about 3/4 of the way around and then headed back. Shear walls. Came back to Bernies Cave at 16 m. Sandy bottom with two bubble caves. Also a conrete frog inside. Then thru arch, about 10 to 12 m. Back along the N wall of bay to boat. Huge numbers of small pink jellyfish that stang (got me once). Blue maomao and another fish attacking them. Excellent dive. Visibility excellent.

Wednesday 16 March 2011 - Crystal Cave (Poor Knights - NZ)
Headed to the cave first, drops from 12 m to 22 m. Wide at first, then a slot, then low. Full of kelp so did not go to the end. Then went NW to Oculina Point. Saw a medium ray here. Lots of kelp and vertical walls. Went S around point for a bit and then headed back shallower. Bottom about 35 m here. Went into the other cave at 8 m on way back to the corner and then headed NE along wall and around some deep bommies. Lots of fish here, two spot demoiselles and koheru which were being chased by 15 medium sized kingfish. Visibility excellent.

Thursday 17 March 2011 - Northern Arch (Poor Knights - NZ)
Anchored SE of arch. Over to wall and then down gradually to 30 m. Thru arch at 32 m (bottom well over 40 m), brilliant scene, lots of pink maomao, snapper and two spot demoiselles as well as bullrays. Slight current from N so only went a little way. Back and to W. Mike and Phil saw 2 bronzies here (after we turned around). Shear wall to 50 m. Back to arch and into it a bit and across to the other side. Then to slits that go to 5 m andthen to cave at 16 m. This has two arms, the right one L shaped and going back a bit. Freshwater on the top. Out and spent rest of dive on the wall. Visibility very excellent. 

Thursday 17 March 2011 - Riko Riko Cave (Poor Knights - NZ)
Anchored SE of arch. Over to wall and then down gradually to 30 m. Thru arch at 32 m (bottom well over 40 m), brilliant scene, lots of pink maomao, snapper and two spot demoiselles as well as bullrays. Slight current from N so only went a little way. Back and to W. Mike and Phil saw 2 bronzies here (after we turned around). Shear wall to 50 m. Back to arch and into it a bit and across to the other side. Then to slits that go to 5 m andthen to cave at 16 m. This has two arms, the right one L shaped and going back a bit. Freshwater on the top. Out and spent rest of dive on the wall. Visibility very excellent. 

Friday 18 March 2011 - HMNZS Tui (Poor Knights - NZ)
Located N of Tutukaka. Broken into 5 pieces, bow, middle, stern, funnel and superstructure. Moored on bow, went to stern which is totally upsidedown. Large rudder but no prop. Then to funnel etc which is about 15 m to W of wreck. Lots of other  bits here. Then to main section, into hull and found toilet and basin. Then to  bow. These bits are on port side. Then back and up. Visibility fair.

Friday 18 March 2011 - HMNZS Waikato (Poor Knights - NZ)
Located S of Tutukaka. Faces E, with 30 degree list to port. Moored near stern. Went to sb prop and rudder (only one there) and then into deck 2. Past laundry (ironing press) and thru galley and dining areas. Then to comms room, lots of wires hanging down. Very surgy inside in spots. Out of hull here as too much wires. Then to where hull is broken in front of bridge. Across to the bow which is on port side and about 15 m from main part. Looked at the twin 4.5 inch guns and turret. Back to stern area via the sb side deck. Then into helicopter hangar and out above this deck. Then to bridge area but too surgy to enter. Back to stern and up. Visibility poor.

Saturday 19 March 2011 - Annas Reef and Northern Arch (Poor Knights - NZ)
Also known as NA Reef, located to N of Northern Arch. Swam over to Northern Arch and thru. Lots of huge snapper here, plus pink maomao. Went back to Annas Reef, all covered in kelp. Went around it and ended up at 5 m. Visibility very good.

Saturday 19 March 2011 - Trevors Rock (Poor Knights - NZ)
Located to NE of Riko Riko Cave. A series of bommies that run out W from the wall. They are surrounded by kelp covered rocky bottom, some sand only in spots. Finally found the small arch which is in the end  bommie, poor dive briefing! Back along bommies on N side to near boat and then S to S side. Then into the arch which is very shallow, 3 m. A cave at the SE corner. Then out to the N side and out NW for a bit and back to Trevors Rock. Goes to surface.  Dozens of bullrays. Visibility good.

Thursday 31 March 2011 - Shiprock
Club night dive. Low tide but lots of divers here. Went in early but tide was already running in. Was not too hard to swim back from the end. I found a small ghost pipefish on the second bommie. However, when I went back near the end of the dive to show Mike S, it was gone. Also saw two dwarf firefish, dozens of octopus and cuttlefish, some large squid, a couple of moray eels and a wobbegong. A surprisingly good dive considering rain and low tide. Visibility fair.

Sunday 3 April 2011 - SS Tuggerah
Club deep dive. A bit of swell running but not too bad. Ran down under full power. Took three goes to anchor as wind (slight) kept changing direction. Warm and clean on top but cool 18C and a lot dirtier on the bottom. The swell yesterday must have stirred it up. Went to boiler, prop then back via engine to bow and back to anchor. Lots of fishlife. Visibility fair.

Saturday 9 April 2011 - Barrens Hut/The Split
Flat seas and bluish water. Tried to dive The Balcony but fishers anchored right on the best spots. Went back to Barrens. Quite a reasonable current running, even was there on the bottom. Went N and saw 2 Moorish idols, then along Split. The updsidedown pipefish were still in same spot as they have been for the past 11 months. Also a tiny yellow boxfish. Then to cave, found a butterflyfish on the way. Back to anchor. Lots of seapike, yellowtail and bastard trumpeters. Visibility good.

Wednesday 13 April 2011 - Marley Point

Thursday 14 April 2011 - Bare Island Isolated Reefs
Club night dive, 10 attending. A bit rough off W so went thru pool. Went around IRs. Found a tiny dwarf firefish (10mm) and a few more. Lots of squid and flathead. Saw the Whites seahorse near Seahorse Corner. Some saw a RIF and sea dragon (first one for 8 months or so). Visibility varied, but poor overall.

Saturday 16 April 2011 - Chowder Bay
Had to cancel boat dive due to huge seas. Went from Plunge Diving to chain, then followed it to buoy and then the arms. Found a seahorse out here and juvenile sweetlips. Went SW and then S to the two wrecks. The yacht has an aluminium scuba tank in it (failed test). Then headed a bit north of E and hit the refuelling wharf. Another seahorse here. Then back shallower, found a lot more junk, including another open boat. Then to wharf, chain and back to wharf. Visibility good.

Sunday 17 April 2011 - Bradleys Head/TSS Currajong
Used scooters to try and find the Currajong. Water was a lot dirtier than yesterday, even though it was right at high tide. Got very dark and dirty near 18 m. Could not find the wreck, despite searching for a while. Ended up diving the shore line E and NE of Bradleys Point. Lots of luderick and small rays. The new fast Manly ferries are very noisy as they pass over top! Visibility poor.

For more details about these dives and other dives this year, click here