NZ Dolphin Underwater &
Adventure Club
August 2013 Newsletter
Next Club Meeting:
Guest Speaker:
Pot Luck Dinner
Wed. 14th August
7:30pm
Venue: The Club Rooms
Northcote Rd Ext’n,
Lake Pupuke, Takapuna
Club’s Mail Address:
14 Gails Drive
Okura
RD2 Albany
Ph/Fax: 09 473 8069
Mob: 0274 839 839
Email:
marg.howard@xtra.co.nz
www.dolphinunderwater.org
COMMITTEE MEMBERS: 2013/2014
President/Editor
Denis Adams
444 0501
triden@clear.net.nz
Vice-President/Web/PR
Richard Biddle
022 018 6968
richardbiddle@gmail.com
Secretary/Treasurer
Margaret Howard
473 8069 Ph/Fax
marg.howard@xtra.co.nz
Sec/Treasurer backup
Trish Mahon-Adams 444 0501
t.triden@gmail.com
Web Site
John Freeman
478 4958
johnf@witblitz.net
Dive Trips Organisers
Dave Dobbie
479 8334
dobbie@paradise.net.nz
Bruce Nixon
478 7186
bruce.nixon@orcon.net.nz
Perrin Lusby Taylor 0220 873 611
perrin.lusby@gmail.com
Martin Saggers
410 2363
saggersmar1@orcon.net.nz
Kate Ellis
410 2363
kate65nz@orcon.net.nz
Tom Butler
624 3505
trbutler@xtra.co.nz
Past President/NZU Liaison Steve Boundford
476 9286
sbounders@vodafone.co.nz
Clubroom Management
0275 970 922
triden@clear.net.nz
Adventure Trips
Entertainment
Denis Adams
Life & Honorary Members
Barry Barnes – Life
Reg Lawson - Life
Graham Thumah – Honorary
Peter & Margaret Howard – Life
Roberto Tonei – Life
Tony & Jenny Enderby - Honorary
Brian Horton – Life
Dave Quinlan – Life
Eileen Slark – Honorary
Cover Page Photo: Mr & Mrs Blenny of Matheson’s Bay by Denis
Dolphin Underwater and Adventure Club Trips & Social Events Coming Up
14th August - Wednesday - Dive Club Meeting - Club Rooms - Northcote Road Extension - 7.30pm –
A Social Event – Pot Luck Dinner – Angela and Stewart Morgan, past Members now living in Nelson will
be at the Meeting – also bring your favourite photos and view while having dinner.
30th August – 9th Sept – Overseas Club trip to Kingdom of Tonga and onto Vava’u – staying one night
at the Scenic Hotel Tongatapu flying to Vava’u next day and staying 9 nights Mystic Sands Beach
Bungalows (other resorts are available) – Diving package with Beluga Dive www.belugadivingvavau.com further details contact Margaret 09 4738069 (9 confirmed going).
18th August – Sunday – Dive the Hen and Chicks – six divers - $108 pp., two tanks with Oceandiversity
Sea Adventures – great visibility and 17⁰ water temp at the moment. Plenty of photo opportunities, scenic
and cray diving. Also you get to see and hear the native wild life from the boat on the Chicken Islands Land
Reserves. Let Margaret know or book direct with Blair Jones on 09 434 0779 or 021 114 7466 –
email oceandiversity@gmail.com www.oceandiversity.co.nz (four booked so far)
25th August – Sunday – Dive the Hen and Chicks – Blair is running the same trip on the following Sunday
for those that would prefer the 25th(same details as the 18th). Lots of photo opportunities, scenic and cray
diving. Also you get to see and hear the native wild life from the boat on the Chicken Islands land reserves.
Pick up is at Marsden Cove marina, Ruakaka or Reotahi Beach, Whangarei Heads. Call Oceandiversity Sea
Adventures on 021 114 7466 to book you spot.
25th August – Sunday – A talk by Dr Liz Slooten - Associate Professor Department of Zoology,
University of Otago, New Zealand. (time and venue to be advised) Dr Liz Slooten is New Zealand's leading
authority on the use of population modelling to estimate sustainable levels of marine mammal by catch in
fishing operations. Her teaching and research interests include a wide range of scientific approaches to
ensuring that intentional and unintentional impacts on animal populations are sustainable. These include
visual and acoustic census techniques, study of survival and movements of identifiable individuals, study of
pollutant levels in marine mammals and other animals, effects of tourism on marine mammal behaviour,
reproductive biology, population modelling, risk assessment and decision analysis. Dr Slooten represents
New Zealand at the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission.
1st Sept - Recreational scallop season opens for the Auckland Area – through to the 31st March 2014 –
Remember the Rules -The legal bag limit for scallops in this area is twenty per day, and divers are entitled
to take twenty each for two safety people on board a boat — provided they are acting as safety people for
the divers. Legal Size 100 millimetres. Bringing up 60 scallops is a lot, for your own safety use a safety
buoy. Be visible from the surface and the boatman can move to keep you in sight.
Don’t forget the Dive Flag - It is a legal requirement that a dive flag is displayed when divers are in the
water. It must be seen and readily identified from 200m away. The minimum legal flag size is 600mm high
by at least 600mm long. It must be clearly visible even when there is no wind. A watch keeper or boatman
left on the dive boat must be instructed to wave the flag so that it can be seen by any approaching vessel. A
three dimensional rigid mounted flag is necessary if no watch keeper stays on board. The diver’s flag means
a diver is in the water, it informs other boat users to keep well clear and move at a slow speed. All other
boat users must maintain at least 200m distance from the flag and keep your speed down to under 5 knots.
For more safety tips go to http://www.watersafety.org.nz/education/recreation-advice/underwater/
11th September - Wednesday - Dive Club Meeting - Club Rooms - Northcote Road Extension - 7.30pm
– Guest Speaker tbc
14th September – Saturday - Whitianga Scallop Festival – Book your tickets early on line for $40pp plus
booking fee $2 (not sure how long it is at this price) afterwards on line $50 plus $2 booking fee, last year
there were no tickets available at the gate as it was sold out. Denis has already booked into cabins for some
but there isn’t much left now. On the Sunday maybe a dive or hot springs swim and lunch at a pub on the
way back. Contact Denis triden@clear.net.nz to confirm you are going and advice on accommodation.
Early booking go to – Whitianga Scallop Festival www.eventfinda.co.nz
LAST CHANCE TO ENTER
21st September - Russell to Paihia Snorkel Scuba Race – 1.30pm – 9pm – Six Members are needed to
form a team and have a go – it is a fun day and Denis is hoping to organise a team from the Dolphin Club,
ring Denis 09 444 0501. The Bay of Islands Underwater Club has held an annual Russell to Paihia snorkel
scuba race since 1983. They start at Russell and snorkel in relay format, towing a buoy, until they reach a
boat. Then in scuba gear they proceed in formation, towing a buoy (a duck) to the beach at Paihia. On
reaching land, they must race to a table and scull a waiting glass of juice or beer. The time is stopped when
the last empty glass is placed on the table. There are more details of this event on
http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2013/russell-to-paihia-snorkel-scuba-race-2013/russell
2nd November – Saturday – West Wind Theatre – Roast Dinner and Movie night, 177 Riverdale Road,
Avondale – 5.45pm onwards – $20pp includes movie, dinner (7.15pm) and ice cream at interval – BYO
drinks and nibbles – great value and a fun night (Tom will announce the film closer to the date) - contact
Tom Ph 09 624 3505 for more details.
9th November – Sunday – Bike ride around Waiheke Island – Meet at the Devonport Ferry Car park at
10.45am – Ferry leaves at 11.10am and returns from Matiatia Wharf at 4pm return fares $35.50 Adult, Child
$17.80, Family $95.00, Gold Card Holders Free - A great way to explore the island at your leisure and get
close to nature, bring your lunch or stop at one of Waiheke’s famous Café s or Vineyards. Bike hire is
available if you don’t have your own bike (it is free to take your own bike on the
Ferry) www.waihekebikehire.co.nz
17th November – Sunday – 12 noon - Target shooting and pizza afternoon (bring your own ingredients and
make your own) at Garry and Jenny Cozens – Amreins Rd Waitakere , this date will be confirmed as I have
to let them know about this one.
Next Year’s Overseas Trip – Some Members are on the first Galapagos Islands Trip in August 2014 – there
are three more trips that have been added as the destination was so popular - I have received further
information with dates, costs etc. that has been sent to me. If there is anybody that may be interested in
joining this group – please let me know 09 473 8069 Margaret.
Bruce Nixon 09 478 7186 and Dave Dobbie 09 479 8334 will be organising more dive trips - if you would
like to ring them with suggestions they will be more than happy to organise the trip.
Other stuff to be confirmed after September – Another Go Kart session at a different venue (electric
karts). Warkworth - mini-golf, target shooting, golf driving range etc.
Other suggestions please contact your Trip organisers or they won't happen. Contacts are above.
Our Club’s Trip Rules
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F
Bookings allowed on all trips.
A deposit or full payment to be made at time of booking.
Full payment MUST be paid at least two weeks before departure date.
Trips Officer to handle trips & bookings, & Treasurer to handle finances. Cancellations due to
weather will be refunded in full, or transferred to another trip.
Members cancelling for any reason will lose full monies unless they find a replacement for their
position on the trip.
The trips Officer will determine if there are enough people to run a trip & if not will notify
cancellation two weeks prior to departure.
Non-Members & non-financial members will be charged an extra $10 on trips.
Two trips & club membership is a must.
Please pay Club Fees to Margaret Howard at the club meeting
Or Internet bank to 06 0122 0074227 00 & don’t forget your name.
Family Membership $55 – Single $45 – Junior $30 – Social $30
All club members’ subs are due including any from last year now.
When financial you will then receive one of the new CLUB membership cards.
Some Arm Chair Diving for All of Us?
Sunday 11th August 8:30pm Sky Animal Planet – Underwater Okavango in Africa
And a series coming up called “Descending” by Scott Wilson, Andre Dupuis & Ellis Emmett.
Starting on Wednesday 21st August Sky Travel Channel 025 - 8:30PM
21st Aug.
28th Aug.
4th Sept.
11th Sept.
18th Sept.
25th Sept.
2nd Oct.
9th Oct.
16th Oct.
23rd Oct.
E101:
E102:
E103:
E104:
E105:
E106:
E107:
E108:
E109:
E110:
The Rest of the Map
The Poor Knights - NZ
The Sea Less Travelled - Djibouti
The Emerald Sea – Canada (Club night)
The Dive God – Caribbean
The Deep – Caribbean cntd.
The Big Six – South Africa
The Hunt for the Red Devil – Sea of Cortez (Club night)
The Smoking Earth – Iceland
The Ghosts of the Pacific – Solomon Islands
30th Oct.
6th Nov.
13th Nov.
E111: The Great Lakes – Canada
E112: The Four Kings – Indonesia & Papua New Guinea
E113: The Underworld – Indonesia & Vanuatu (Club night)
There’s been some pretty good reviews etc on the internet about this series.
And the Who Has Been Up to What Lately File!
A few birthdays have passed or are coming up soon, some have travelled to distant places (Tahiti) others
have tramped locally.
The Tramp from Te Henga to Raetahinga Point ( Bethells)
On the way to Raetahinga Point
Rest stop at top
The View south
And below the wild Tasman Sea
I don’t like wet shoes
The watch tower (a cat used to sleep in here)
Matheson’s Bay club dive & dive course completions for some
A snoozing Ray
Trish adjusting buoyancy with a rock(shallow water)
Divers heading out, great winter weather
Lunch time BBQ
Orienteering briefing session
Gary not to certain about the navigation
Rusty Tui at Matakana for the after match function, beers & chips were great.
Steve’s big 50th surprise birthday party
Opening his 50 pressies from Sue
Some interesting stuff coming up from the Auckland Museum
FIELD TRIP: LEIGH MARINE LAB
Next month (12 September) you’re invited to join us on a field trip to New Zealand’s
first marine reserve – Goat Island. For $40 (or $30 for members) you’ll be taken by
coach to Leigh Marine Lab, with a morning tea stop at The Pottery Café in
Matakana, and then you’ll be taken on a tour to learn more about the reserve and
the lab. Weather permitting - and for an additional $20 payable on the day – you’ll
have the chance to take a trip on the Glass Bottom Boat to see the reserve itself.
Thursday 12 September. For more information and to register your interest please
email friends.events@aucklandmuseum.com
MUSEUM MARINE APP - NOW WITH 130 MORE
SPECIES!
More than 1200 people have downloaded our new NZ Marine Life App so they’ll
have an easy-to-use guide for New Zealand’s coastal marine life – and now we’ve
added another 130 species including larger marine species such as dolphins,
whales and sharks. The App can now help you identify more than 260 marine
mammals, fish, reptiles, shellfish, invertebrates, seaweeds and plants.
Download the app here
Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service
mark of Apple Inc
SUNFISH SCIENCE EXTRAVAGANZA
This Tuesday 13 August, Auckland Museum's Dr Tom Trnski will join scientists from
Te Papa to examine a sunfish – which washed up on Omaha Beach earlier this year
– to find out whether it’s a boy or a girl, its measurements and what its last meal
was. You can follow it unfolding on our Facebook page or through our Twitter feed.
We first shared this rare marine find with you on our blog
Read more here
These guys support us, let’s support them
Some may be offering discount, you’ll have to ask & show your membership card
It pays to belong & there’s more to come as soon as I can get their cards.