Crawlways through Niggle Cave

 Cave diving, Queensland  1 Response »
Oct 012012
 
Crawlways through Niggle Cave

About the site Niggle Cave is located near the Camooweal township, about 25kms from Great Nowranie. While I jumped straight into telling you about the diving in Great Nowranie first, here I figured I’d better explain the “getting to the water” part first. Niggle Cave would have to be one of the more difficult cave accesses I’ve negotiated, and this is coming from someone who trudged 1.3kms through the bush with twin 12L steel tanks. From the surface, the doline is deceptively small. After you squat down in this shoulder-width hole, you clip into the rope and attempt to manoeuvre through a tight restriction. It’s much easier to get through with your arms above your head, but of course you need at [read more…]

Dive Trip Planning

 Ocean diving, Other, Reef diving  No Responses »
Sep 242012
 
Dive Trip Planning

Sometimes I think that the planning and anticipation of future dive trips is the best part of the whole process. Then I remember that the diving is pretty good too, which leads to more anticipation. As such, I’m very excited to be diving from The Arenui in the seas of Indonesia, from August 6th to 19th, 2014 with Liquid Diving Adventures. The Arenui provides a luxurious setting for divers keen to experience the remote and pristine waters of Indonesia. On this 14 day trip I’m hoping to encounter big pelagic life, and hopefully get up close and personal with a manta ray or three. As with all wildlife diving, there are no guarantees, but I know if it’s not mantas we [read more…]

Climbing through Great Nowranie Cave

 Cave diving, Queensland  1 Response »
Sep 172012
 
Climbing through Great Nowranie Cave

About the area Last week I started showing off my pictures from the Camooweal trip with the images of the ultimate goal – laying line past the end of the known underwater tunnel. Starting with success is compelling, but it’s not even close to the whole story of the trip. These two photos help illustrate why there’s been so little diving done up at Camooweal, compared to the easily accessible Mt Gambier caves, or even the well-known Nullarbor and neighbouring Roe Plains areas. The surface layer of black clay in the Camooweal area prevents the rain that falls during the annual wet season from filtering into the ground. Instead the water runs across the surface until it finds a weak [read more…]

Exploring Great Nowranie Cave, Camooweal

 Cave diving, Queensland  2 Responses »
Sep 102012
 
Exploring Great Nowranie Cave, Camooweal

About the cave Great Nowranie Cave sits within Camooweal Caves National Park in far north Queensland. Only a short distance from the Northern Territory border, the dirt is red, the flies are plentiful and it’s stinking hot. At this time of year the desert surroundings remind me of the flat Nullarbor plains, but dry creek beds across the landscape are a reminder of the huge rainfall this area sees every wet season. The limestone is much older and harder than down south, forcing the rain to run across the landscape until it can find a fissure. Concentrated force sees fissures open up and widen, funnelling the water underground and creating the caves below. About the dive This was our first [read more…]

Backlighting Divers in Tank Cave

 Cave diving, Mt Gambier  No Responses »
Sep 032012
 
Backlighting Divers in Tank Cave

About the site I realise I may be beginning to repeat myself in talking about Tank Cave again, but there are a few good reasons for it. Primary among them is that it’s winter in this part of the world, and the ocean gets particularly lumpy and hard to get along with. Mt Gambier is a great option for weather-independent diving, and Tank Cave is a fantastic playground for a fun weekend. I think one of the great attractions for me is the shallow depths through most of the tunnels. Narcosis makes me the best photographer in the world, right up until the moment I return to the surface and begin to review my shots. The high price of helium [read more…]

Rebreathers and Restrictions in Tank Cave

 Cave diving, Mt Gambier  No Responses »
Aug 272012
 
Rebreathers and Restrictions in Tank Cave

About the site As I mentioned two weeks ago, when Dive Rite announced their annual photo competition, a weekend in Tank Cave seemed like the obvious place to take some shots of Dive Rite gear in action. I was lucky enough to win third prize against some very nice shots. Some of my other submitted shots from that weekend didn’t make the final, and luckily I’m the only judge on my own site. I love this pair of shots, and the first one definitely deserves a little explanation. About the dive Having brow beaten my buddies into wearing all their Dive Rite gear and none of the rest, we had a lovely series of dives over the weekend while also doing [read more…]

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