This little guy is a Yellow spotted Box Fish and he seems as interested in our diver as we are in him!

Ben:You are really an [...]]]> 2 weeks ago I joined the great and amazing sailing trip on your boat to the Whitsundays and the outer reef…. Today I want to say “thank you so much” for making these days so enjoyable and unforgettable, I have had really a great time and I always take these memories alive.

Ben:You are really an excellent diving instructor – I have never had a bad feeling and I felt confident all the time. Thanks for doing a great introducing to this marvelous sport and for showing us such a great underwater world (even more the German turtle .

Pete : Thanks for making these brilliant pictures under water – it is such a great “memory” on a really nice adventure. I loved your meals especially the dessert . Enjoy your stay in Australia and on this boat – I think it is something really special and you can count yourself lucky to be a part of the kiana crew

Brent :Thank you so much for driving (or cruising – I don’t know the correct english word ) the boat so comfortable and easy. I enjoyed the stay all the time; it was really an amazing experience and a great adventure. Thanks for telling us all the secrets about the stars, the moon and the season … (and sorry for jumping onto the roof while you are driving the boat .

Sarah :Wherever you go and whatever you do – enjoy your life, be happy and take always care about you.  

Owner of kiana :You can be really proud to have such a brilliant, experienced and lovely crew on your boat and to be the owner of the beautiful kiana.

 Last week I was on a second dive trip in Port Douglas … with 80 people on board … it was horrible (I am a bloody stupid German – I understood …” There are 18 people on board” instead of 80 …. L  so I know where the differences are … People make the differences …

It was really a great pleasure for me to take part on this tour and it was so nice to meet you all.
Take always care about you!

Many greetings
Tania (the German turtle J)

On the first day of sailing, we anchored near Whitehaven beach to explore the island. Although the weather was a little dreary, the group was enthusiastic about our guided walk in the rainforest including a brief history of the place. [...]]]> Rob and I had a fantastic trip and celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary aboard the Kiana.

On the first day of sailing, we anchored near Whitehaven beach to explore the island. Although the weather was a little dreary, the group was enthusiastic about our guided walk in the rainforest including a brief history of the place. I could not get over the number of baby rays that were scattered throughout the water and the sand was whiter than anything that I’ve ever seen before.

Back on the boat, we were treated to a brilliant sunset and enjoyed a champagne toast. And – what could be better after a huge day of being in and on the water, than being rocked to sleep in our berth on the boat? Heaven!

Pete, our resident cook, provided us with delicious and generous meals to keep us fueled for our water activities.

Relaxing on Kiana

Diving and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef was awesome. It was thriving, vivid and healthy and we saw all kinds of colorful fish, vibrant coral and turtles. We were even up early enough to catch a dazzling sunrise, which doesn’t happen very often in our busy lives.

The crew aboard Kiana were professional, fun to be with and always courteous. They shared local knowledge and stories and made all of the guests feel at home and welcome. Many thanks to Dave, Pete & Ben for helping to make this an anniversary that we will never forget!

Over the years, Islandive’s Company Directors Keith Roberts and Mike Keyte have avidly supported and been pro-active within local committees in the prevention of [...]]]> Since Skipper Ian Thompson (Thommo) joined Whitsundays Sailing Adventures Islandive, he has always valued the company policy in helping protect and preserve our Great Barrier Reef Park and the marine life within. 

Over the years, Islandive’s Company Directors Keith Roberts and Mike Keyte have avidly supported and been pro-active within local committees in the prevention of waste infiltrating our ocean.  Islandive and its staff continually works in conjunction with the Queensland Marine Park and its environmental program.  

Ian is a participator in Islandive’s Eye on the Reef Program and is well informed and knowledgable on the natural heritage, conservation and the colossal eco-system of the Great Barrier Reef and its environmental threats.

We are proud he is actively going out on his own in April 2010 in his quest to sail around Australia to raise awareness of plastic bags polluting our ocean,  and the devastating effect this has on our marine environment. Ian has Islandive’s full support and we are pleased to be able to contribute to his campaign.

Plastic bags are a true menace to our marine ecosystem.  Non- recyclable, the Australian Government is working with the industry and the community to reduce the environmental impact of plastic bags.  Everyone shares some responsibility for this problem as nearly half a million plastic bags are collected on clean up Australia Day each year.  It takes only four grocery shopping trips for an average Australian family to accumulate 60 plastic bags.  Many people are starting to use reusable bags such as the ‘green bags” you buy at supermarkets.

Plastic bags which are made from natural gas or oil, are especially dangerous to turtles who mistake them for jellyfish, their main food source. 86% of all known species of turtles have had reported problems of entanglement or ingestion of marine debris. ,

Our marine creatures are dying and they need our help.  We ask you to support Ian in his determination to break the record of the fastest person to  sail solo around Australia, and to be the voice of our endangered marine creatures.

Islandive  has put on every vessel  a tin can in the hope that passengers touring on an Islandive vessel will donate a gold coin to contribute towards Ian’s food bill over the 50 days he is at sea.   This donation will go directly towards his expenses and his voyage around Australia to save our wonderful marine creatures. 

Anyone wishing to support his campaign should visit the campaigns website at www.sosoceanracing.com  

Thank you very much for all of your help booking the Kiana for my family and me for the sailing on December 25th. We had an absolutely amazing time. It was actually the highlight of our 3 1/2 week trip for me. I was sad to not be able to meet [...]]]> Dear Lisette,

Thank you very much for all of your help booking the Kiana for my family and me for the sailing on December 25th. We had an absolutely amazing time. It was actually the highlight of our 3 1/2 week trip for me. I was sad to not be able to meet you in person when we checked in for the sailing or when we returned so that I could properly thank you in person for all of your help, but I hope you also had a wonderful vacation over Christmas.

My family and I very much enjoyed the Kiana. The ship was perfect for us, as were our sleeping arrangements. The crew (Brent, Paul, and Paul) was absolutely phenomenal. I can’t say enough about how wonderful they were making us feel welcome with their outgoing personalities. The food that Paul cooked was excellent. The other Paul did a great job with teaching my family how to scuba dive and snorkel and Brent always greeted us with a cheery smile and was more than willing to teach us something new. I doubt if Brent ever has a bad day, he is such a positive and uplifting person.

Anyway, thank you very much for all of your help deciding upon and booking Kiana. I greatly appreciate it and will definitely share this excellent experience with all of my clients travelling to Australia and encourage them to include the Kiana in their vacation as well. Thank you again for all of your help!

Sincerely,
Christina Plesha
STA Travel

The above was received by Lisette in the WSA Reservations Office after Christina’s recent trip on Kiana.

But as our diving experience matures we start to notice that the small creatures are much more extensive, diverse and interesting.

One of the most [...]]]> When most of us first start scuba diving it’s the “awesome” stuff that strikes us and dominates our diving stories.  Sharks, Manta-rays, Sea Turtles, Maori Wrasse are the centres of our conversations.

But as our diving experience matures we start to notice that the small creatures are much more extensive, diverse and interesting.

One of the most interesting, cute, and often overlooked is the humble Goby.  Gobies are the largest group of marine fishes, fresh and salt combined, and the dominant element in small-fish bottom fauna on tropical reefs.

Goby at Bait Reef

This little guy was photographed by the dive instructor from Kiana at Bait Reef.  He has made himself a home in the coral and curiously watches as the photographer approaches.

Needless to say our expectations were high but got blown out of [...]]]> Hamish and Adam embark on the ultimate Aussie road trip as they motored around Queensland with Van-Tactic Adventures.

We have chatted to quite a few backpackers so far on our adventures. The common consensus was that the Whitsundays is one of their highlights in Queensland.

Needless to say our expectations were high but got blown out of the water when we went out on a 3 day 2 night excursion around the Whitsunday Islands with ISLANDIVE.

The hub for accessing the Whitsundays is a place called Airlie Beach.

Many people have being known to lose their clothes after a big night out in Airlie Beach so proceed with caution.

A typical night out in Airlie will go something like this: BEACHES > PADDY’S > MAMA AFRICAS’S > KEBAB SHOP > SLEEP

We ventured out of the port in the morning onboard a spacious, comfy catamaran called POWERPLAY. David AKA – ‘Cookie’ our captain was behind the wheel leading the charge. Cookie was a legendary fellow New Zealander who kept us entertained with laughs the whole trip. Chur bro chur.

One of the best things about going on Power play is that you do not have to be certified to go diving because all the trips are guided. We got to do 4 dives and you would not believe what we saw out there.

Apart from the zillions of colorful fish we were lucky enough to see turtles, sharks, stingrays, whales, a mcmassive manta ray and Swedish backpackers.

We suggest when you book with these guys try and get on one of the two boats that have a hot tub. There is something about coming in from a dive, cracking a cold beer, relaxing in the hottie tubbie and watching the sexy sunsets.

The jewel of the Whitsundays is called Whitehaven Beach. This place boasts some of the whitest sand in the world and has to be seen to be believed. It was a perfect location for our inaugural Sports Illustrated cover shoot. Check out our pics.

At the end of each day everyone sits around a projector and gets to see the pics that the photo savvy crew girls have taken of you. This creates a laugh and a half. You will also have the chance to learn about all the sea creatures to give you a better understanding of what you are seeing on your dives.

Big thanks to all the team for a spot on 3 days. Ka Pai. (Maori for chur bro)