Best tips for planning a multi-stop dive trip across the South Pacific

[FairyBasset]

Hi Divers!

I have a few months of paid leave and thought I would use it wisely... by trying to dive all the great locations in the South Pacific! So, I'm hoping you guys may have some good ideas on how best to organise this in the most effective and cost efficient way.

I've been looking at some round trip flights. I found the United Island Hopper from Honolulu to Guam, which could cover a fair bit. Also the Air New Zealand round the world trip would allow for a stop in either Fiji, Cook islands or Tahiti. Obviously these both limit your stops and island access, so I would still need to book other local flights.

Ideally the places I would like to visit would be Palau, Truk Lagoon, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tongo, Rarotonga, Fakarava and Rangiroa. However, I'm not sure it will be possible (or easy) to cross over between Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia in one trip.

I'm quite aware of the various dive locations, liveaboards etc in each area, I'm more interested in how it could be possible to best organise the travel to cross the region.

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[Nukakola]

Palau and Truk are both accessible by direct flights from Guam. I'd just go direct from there and avoid the actual Island Hopper (assuming you don't want to visit the other Micronesian islands)

Linking up the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Vanuatu should be pretty easy. There are direct flights to/from the Solomon Islands from both destinations so you could for example go Fiji, Solomon, Vanuatu. You'd likely need to 1st fly into Australia (probably Brisbane) as a jumping off point for these three.

I don't know much about getting to the others you listed.

 

[SpeckledGrouper]

While planing a trip around the South Pacific, don't forget Nauru Airlines...We flew them from Fiji to Kiribati to Majuro, they also fly to Brisbane, Pohnpei and Kosrae.
Crossing over to French Polynesia, you would have to go through Auckland I think.

 

[FindingMenno]

From Rarotonga you have international flights to LA, Sydney, Auckland and Tahiti. Worked there for 6 months and loved the island, classic Pacific green volcano rising out of the blue ocean. (see pic) Diving is good but it more a place to do a dive when you're there then to go specific for diving.

In Tonga I would probably base myself in the Ha'apai group as I felt the diving there was the best. I really loved the Matafonua Lodge, run by an amazing British couple (and sweet kids).

I was in Vanuatua while working on a sailing yacht (as in Tonga) with own tanks etc so can't tell you too much about operators and hotels.

Accommodation, the default place for divers seems the Deco Stop Lodge. Our ship was moored in front of the Beachfront resort which was very nice.
Diving wise the main attractions are Million Dollar Point and the Coolidge. We did Million Dollar Point by ourselves, flag down a pickup truck by the side of the road and negotiate for a few dollars a ride and return. Million Dollar Point is easy to navigate, enter the water from the parking, head out to start at the little freighter, and than take a right to see the dump.

For the Coolidge you need a guide, we went with Allan Power who has been there for ages. Very nice guides. Beware that the Coolidge are proper deep and usually deco dives. You need to be comfortable with that.

When in Vanuatu also worthwhile to spend some time in Port Vila. Very nice little town. In the bay there you can dive the Shorts flying boat wreck and the Star of Russia clipper wreck, both nice (especially the Shorts).
Reef wise I wasn't too impressed by Vanuatu, there is a nice reef off Epi island, and Cooks reef is supposed to be very good but remote and difficult to reach/anchor with the weather.
There was also some decent diving at Aniwa island but unfortunately not enough time to explore...