Paul's Dive Blog

DIVE PLANET RE-BRAND INFO

2011-11-14T01:23:00.001+13:00

Hi Friends as you are all aware we are re branding the Dive Planet website that is a project that started off in 2010. Man this has been a big job trying to get all the valuable content from the old site as well as placing New content in as well. The biggest issues we have had is getting rid of crap that was contained in the old site as it still shows up in some Google results. Some of this has included search terms for certain products that have caused issues to another manufacturer even though the product we had been promoting was lacking in the sales department. But that is another story.

Now that we have a New Director of the company that is overseeing this transition until our new company director comes onboard in the coming week or two, we have a lot of work to finish off.

Additions to Dive And Fish

Some people seem to think that owning a site as big as this one would be a stress free environment saying that we do not have to pay rent or lease on buildings etc. But in actual fact we end up paying quite a lot each month due to massive amounts of phone calls both nationally and Internationally, not forgetting to mention hosting fees, form fees, tax, along with all the unpaid hours that I put into keeping the site running with no return.

But the good parts for myself personally is seeing all the proceeds that the company turns over going back into community events and Cleanup days that we have throughout the year. One such highlight was our recent helping of the oil situation down in Tauranga. Now that was a very rewarding experience giving back to local and unique communities like Motiti Island. You can see the full report and info here by following this RENA DISASTER LINK. Make sure you take a look at all the pages within this section...

Next Dive And Fish Project Day

Our next Project Day will be at Leigh with Goat Island Dive, OGC Charters on Saturday the 19th of November at lunchtime. Everyone is to meet at Goat Island Dive at 142a Pakiri Road. From here we will go down and cleanup Leigh Habour and foreshore.

If you have not registered please contact the team at Goat Island Dive on 09 4226925 as this will be a great day with BBQ and a Hangi afterwards. Many thanks to our sponsors including Ocean Hunter Spearfishing Specialists, UFO Hangi Cookers for donations, Dive New Zealand Magazine, Paul's Fishing Supplies and Butcher Jacks in Glenfield.

We have some really great prizes to give away that includes Sharks' from Antics ltd, Cookers, Wetsuit, Clothing, Spearo vouchers as well as a heap of other really great gifts from Splash!
PROJECT DAY LEIGH 19th NOVEMBER

Changing with the Times Dive And Fish
As we expand the website we have to look carefully at our expenditure trying hard to make savings where we can as well as getting the equipment we need to complete tasks easier and faster. We have recently got Mrs, Mac on board. Mrs Mac is the all new Imac 27 inch computer with the Adobe CS5.5 Master collection that enables us to deliver better quality types of content. Another great addition is the new IPhone 4 as it has worked out cheaper to run this and all outgoing and incoming calls taken care of in our monthly allowance. Keeping on top of this is vital as we strive to deliver a superior service to our valued customers, growing our online family of friends.

Opportunities on Dive And Fish
We are currently seeking a person to donate a few hours to assist us with creating templates using InDesign for our new online publication that will be about all types of adventures in New Zealand. If you know this program well and wish to participate I am sure the team can assist you in other ways for your time spent on the initial project launch. Contact Team at Dive Fish Hunt Travel

Sharks' Sharks' Sharks'

Our good friend Clinton Duffy has been keeping us updated on the adventures of a shark called Grim that was tagged last year. Apparently Grim is hanging out up around the region of Tonga. Lucky Bugger!! More on Grim's movements later, but for now lets get into real shark action with our guided shark tours.

We have trips running at the moment to Stewart Island where you will see good numbers of the sharks' that have been tagged in New Zealand. Trip costs are from $380.00 per person per day.

We also have other Great White shark diving adventures at the Chatham Islands' where you can come face to face with some monsters with our shark diving operator that has been bitten when he was a commercial diver in these waters, Mr Valentine Croon of Chatham Hotel... For info on all operations and up and coming trips checkout Shark Dive on the site

EVOLUTION OF DIVE PLANET NZ

2011-10-11T00:54:00.000+13:00

Hi Friends'

The Dive Planet NZ website has started from very humblebeginnings and this is a story I would like to share with you all. I never useto be a diver; in fact the thought of going deep under the sea was somewhat ofa fear as my true passion from a child was the sea from above. I spent manyyears growing up boating, fishing before I had the fright of my life being anencounter as I look upon it now, with a Great White shark that took an interestin my kayak while fishing in Northland NZ. Information can be found here, Paul Morris Shark attack, Documentaries and Discovery

After going through a never ending nightmare from this eventI featured in a few documentaries including one called Shark Fear. This is where I confronted my fears of sharks with PhilKeoghan. Part of this Doco involved doing a Padi dive course then off to Fijito dive with Tiger, Bull sharks’ as well as Black-tip and White-tip reefsharks. Little did I know at the time that this would change my wholeperspective on the marine ecosystem sending me on a crusade with my son wantingto discover and learn more about the marine life in our oceans?

Our First Website

After diving for a few months we started a small websitecalled Paul’s Dive Planet that was a non profit site where we posted info aboutour explorations. Over the next few years the site expanded with newpartnerships and backing, with myself as the developer as Dive Planet NZ cameto life. The Dive Planet NZ website survived by advertising options with allproceeds going back into the sites running and project days’ cleaning debrisfrom our stunning aquatic beaches.

New Management

Now here we find ourselves with a new change of managementcontinuing to expand, utilizing the Dive Planet NZ page rank as we enter a newphase with new discoveries to share with you all. So what are the big changesthat have happened over the past year?

First off we have a great new looking site designed by ourfriends at Zeald, along with an on-line shopping experience that we aim to makethe best in New Zealand over the years to come. Not only do we provide qualitydiving equipment! As we are branching out into new territories as everyone hasa life outside of their sport. Currently diving and cuisine are the topsections. This is why we promote and sell the best products for these areas,like the Sealife, Intova and now Sony cameras. In fact we can supply you withall Sony products upon request.

On-line Shopping Experience

Our on-line shopping will continue to expand with hundredsof products and lines as the evolution of Dive Planet expands into Hunting,Fishing and Travel.

Continued Support

Dive Planet NZ, will continue to do it’s best to promote ourloyal and featured advertisers that we value as they have been the backboneallowing us to evolve over time. We still offer FREE listings to all Dive Shopswith the options of greater exposure with customized advertising pages.

Dive Charter operators we feature have now expanded over thepast few months with the Seacology team coming onboard along with New Sharkdiving operations and Chatham’ Island Adventures. We also offer amazing Milfordsound adventures cruising and diving this breathtaking part of New Zealand.

Clubs of NZ

We now offer all Dive, Fishing, Hunting, Snow clubs in NewZealand a FREE page to promote their clubs. If you wish to promote your clubcontact paul@diveplanet.co.nz

Conservation Research

We will continue to expand in all areas of our conservationand shark’ research areas as we believe this to be a vital attribute. Educatingothers about what we could lose and how to protect all we have now is close toour hearts. Dive Planet NZ values your articles and letters that you send us.The Project Sharkfin campaign is about to restart and we are currently lookingfor volunteers to provide research and information about the plight of allsharks’ on a global front.

Key areas of Dive And Fish

The Dive Planet NZ website is going through majortransitions over the coming months and we value your support by visiting oursite. Dive Club Global website is about to change under a new domain name aspart of expansion plans for 2012. Shark Diving Chatham’s site is still up andrunning with new developments coming soon!!

More updates and exciting new sections are coming thissummer so make sure you keep checking back to our main site as you will seechanges every day.

Kindest Regards

Paul Morris

Research Development

Team Dive And Fish NZ

2011-09-28T04:17:00.002+13:00

Win an Original UFO Hangi Cooker

SCUBA DIVE HQ, SCALLOP SEASON

2011-09-05T10:44:00.001+12:00

Hi Friend's well it has been a really busy week at Dive Planet Dive And Fish. We have been putting our Scuba Dive HQ section together as well as uploading New products and services. Check it all out here SCUBADIVEHQ

Sealife Cameras

Our sales on on the increase as we are selling cameras and all other Dive Equipment at realistic prices saving you time and money as in most cases we offer free delivery in NZ. Just look at the Sealife DC1200 Elite normally $1144.00 now only $940.00 NZ that is a huge saving. Only one unit left at this price.

SHARK DIVE CHATHAM'S
We are now coming into our shark diving season and you can have a great adventure at the beautiful Chatham Island's where the fish are big and the people are nice. This season is sure to be a ripper running from now till the end of June. Scenic tours or your own customizable packages are available so follow this link to shark dive chatham

When you visit the Chatham Island's I encourage you all to take in the friendly local hospitality at the Chatham Hotel located in the heart of town. The folk of the Chatham Island's will en-thrill you with the stories that they tell of day's gone by as well as stories about the history and life they live in this remote but beautiful piece of southern New Zealand.

Other top sites and places to venture to include Admiral Farm, where your hosts Louise and Val Croon will entertain you on this stunning landscaped farm creating a unique feel and vibrancy of the Chatham's. See the beautiful gardens and Forget-Me-Nots that grow here more than in any other location on the Chatham Islands.

Great White Shark Dive Stewart Island
We have Great white shark diving at Stewart Island this year with the option of live-aboard packages. Prices start from as little as $400.00 per day. We are also offering scenic and dive tours in Milford Sound so make sure you visit these links to see what divers are raving about.

OGC CHARTERS

I was lucky enough to spend the day on Sunday with our living Legend Brian of OGC Charters. Brian and Julie have built up an outstanding reputation for the awesome dive trips that they offer, taking you to remote locations in the outer Gulf. This was to be a great day leaving the bad weather on the coast as we gathered scallops off Little Barrier before heading further afield for a cray dive. You can see all the images on Dive Club Global as well as our article on Dive Planet, Dive And Fish

The Charter vessel Apollo has had a lot of work done on her offering faster smoother trips to offshore destinations as well as some really unique changes that include Scotty. Scotty is a lift system so you no longer need to clamber aboard with all your gear. Simply stand on the platform and be hoisted to deck level. "Well Done Brian" this is a real advantage for older farts like myself that are getting weak in the knees.

DEER HUNTING NZ

We also offer Deer Hunting trips Northwest of Auckland and only a 45 minute to an hours drive from the North Shore. In fact Saturday just gone I was out there with Shane Cameron and the lads look for some deer. This was a great day nailing one Fallow deer and watching how Shane breaks down the beast effortlessly. Well not quite but he showed us all some skills that will be valuable for all that were on the hunting tour. For more information and videos of Hunting with our professional friendly guides follow this link DEER HUNT NZ

NEW MAGAZINE COMING
Here at Dive Planet, Dive And Fish we are about to launch our own magazine covering these key areas of diving, fishing in New Zealand. Submit your photos and stories to DFNZ simply email info@diveplanet.co.nz Our first magazine will be having a gear section, fishing section, diving section,as well as Kiwi Spearos NZ named after a sub section from our old website. We will be giving businesses in NZ a FREE listing with an article that they provide so get cracking as we need your content by the first week of October 2011.

Next Blog we will be having a writeup about the Dive Charter Operators that we recommend as well as ways that you can get discounts on Dive Trips by purchasing gear from our on-line store.

Till then Dive And Fish safely!!
Kindest Regards Paul Morris

FABER CYLYNDERS INC: VALVE Best Prices NZ. Special price September

2011-09-03T12:46:00.000+12:00

Hi Guys, Girls,
We have Faber Steel Tanks for sale at unbeatable prices on Dive Planet. September special promo. You can get dive gear at realistic prices on Dive Planet. Faber Steel 15ltr tank with valve FREE Delivery Auckland only for $430.00 inc gst.

FABER CYLYNDERS INC: VALVE Best Prices NZ. Special price September

Scuba Dive HQ, New Used Dive Gear, Reviews, Sell Online

2011-08-17T16:29:00.000+12:00

Scuba Dive HQ, New Used Dive Gear, Reviews, Sell Online

DIVE PLANET HAS MOVED

2011-08-12T21:23:00.003+12:00

Hi Friends,

Wow it has been a long time since we have sent aNewsletter, so here are the updates of what is going on with Dive Planet NZwebsite. There is so much to talk about but I will keep it as brief as I can;leaving the rest up to you to explore.

As from today we have changed over to our New look site with a new name. The new site will be calledDive Planet, Dive And Fish using the domain www.diveplanet.co.nz however all our links in the search engines are currently down until early next week when our redirects come into effect.

So Why the Change

Basically our service providers were happy to take asubstantial amount from us for an update, then turn around and ask us to moveon to another company as our site was too big for them to handle. They havefailed to do basic repairs of things that have glitches, so we are now goingwith Zeald as this company knows how to treat customers.If you are looking for an internet company that surpasses all others make sure you take a look at Zeald first, tell them Paul sent you!

New Site Continuation

You can look up the site now and re subscribe as wehave a much better layout where you can choose the groups that you want tobelong to. This may be purely Conservation, Spearfishing and Fishing, SUBSCRIBE HERE

We even have a big comedy section with Mike King, MarkScott and Parrots Comedy Club. Here we are putting up a chance for you to win anight at your place with 50 mates and Mike in person; now that’s pretty kool.We will also be putting on food and beverages to cap off the evening all thanksto Parrots Comedy.

New sections on site

There will be a lot of new sections in the new siteincluding, fishing from boats, kites, and kayaks as well as providing info oncharters and competitions. Jet ski fishing will be another big hit with greatvideos and content of how to get the best out of the sport.

Our principal boat of the site is none other than therevolutionary Blackdogcat’s as these boats blow the minds of all that have thechance to demo and buy.

The Chatham’s

The Chatham’s is a section all about what adventuresyou can have at the Chatham Islands. Really great videos and of course we haveour Great White shark diving adventures. So make sure you check it out!!

South NZ

South NZ is a section dedicated to southern NewZealand. Here our adventure holidays include Great White shark diving, MilfordSound adventures to start with along with an amazing amount of info coming overthe next few months.

Dive Planet NZ has now partnered with ECastTV to enableus to get our online channel up and running. This section has a great deal ofbenefits for all advertisers on our network. For more info email sharkdivenz@gmail.com until we get our affairs in order.

Dive Club Global

On online dive club is still going strong attractingvisitors globally as we expand our network. So come and join Dive Club Global,promote your dive, fishing club and relax during surface intervals.

Online Shopping

Online shopping has been an area that we have stayedaway from to date but since the dive shops are not so interested in advertisingto our half a million visits each year, we are now going to be sellingeverything diving, fishing, educational as well as fun things for kids of allages. This section is planned to grow over the coming months just in time forXmas. We will have the Deal of the Week on the Homepage. This may be clothingat cost, or other dive gear at ridiculously low prices.

Everyone that is on our database will be transferred tothe new site under General Topics. We can get your preferences sorted oncechangeover is completed.

On a Final Note

The current and new team members would like to thankyou all for your support over the years of our growth and expansion. We justask you all to be patient while we go through this massive transition to bringyou a better site to keep visiting.

To our loyal advertisers

OceanHunter, Delphinus Charters, OGC Charters, GoatIsland Dive, Northland Dive, The Dive Guys, Ridgeback Charters, along with ournew advertisers we thank you all for your ongoing support to help us grow inthese difficult times. Our team is looking forward to promoting you all biggerand better than before as we continue to expand our global network.

See you all on the other side!!

Kindest Regards

Paul Morris, Peter Morris along with the Dive Planet NZfamily

DIVE AND FISH

2011-07-26T12:39:00.002+12:00

The New Dive And Fish website is now well under construction. You can see our progress here as we bring you new and exciting activities. We will also feature our online shopping experience where we offer FREE DELIVERY anywhere in NZ on all our products. We will have every type of dive gear that you can wish to have over the coming months.

Take a look at our Camera and photography section as here you can get great deals on SEALIFE Cameras and better deals if you subscribe as a member to our Online Newsletters.

New Dive Charter operators that include Seacology based in Whangarei. This team can custom build itineraries to suit the places you want to dive. Check them out under Dive Charters on the new site.

SUBSCRIBE n WIN

Click on the Image above or HERE to subscribe to our New site. Be in to win Great Prizes each month just for being a member

SHARK DIVE STEWART ISLAND
We are currently building a new section for Shark Diving at Stewart Island. Trip costs from as little as $390.00 per person with many options available. You will need to have a basic Scuba understanding so we have a short course that you will do in order to dive on this awesome Southern Adventure holiday. More info coming soon...

MILFORD SOUND EXPLORATION

We are now building the Ultimate Milford Sound tour section on Dive And Fish. We will be taking you on trips through the stunningly beautiful Milford sound. If you are a diver or into snorkel you will love what we have on offer. Scenic above the surface packages are available to capture magical photos and videos of this pristine part of New Zealand. For more info contact paul@diveplanet.co.nz

DIVE CLUB GLOBAL

Make sure you Checkout what is new on Dive Club Global. Photo competitions, New Groups and blogs from global divers. Write a blog, upload your photos and video or enter competitions on your favourite Online Community

Life Changing Facts DVT’s

2011-06-19T16:47:00.003+12:00

The past few months have been interesting living out at the Chatham Island’s painting houses, diving with sharks and seals as well as writing about the unique holidays’ that you can have there. The hardest thing I have found with working at the Chatham Island’s is being away from loved ones, my children and family, so I have made multiple trips back to the mainland to see them and my partner.

On my last trip to the Chatham’s I developed bad pains in my left leg in the second week and I put this down to weather conditions and hard work, but upon my return to the mainland the pain was increasing making it hard to function normally. After going to my doctor it was initially put down as being an infection in the nerves as I have had flare-ups like this before as a result of tissue damage in my back.

This nagging pain and heaviness in my left leg lingered for over a week, with the only relief coming from having it submerged in water. This in itself made me think that it was something else like tendon issues, so it was another trip back to my trusty GP for further investigations. After explaining my full symptoms, my doc checked the pulse in my leg as well as diameter of the calve mussel compared to the other leg to rule out DVT Deep Vein Thrombosis) Wanting to double check he sent me for scans that were to confirm my worst fears as multiple clots were found in my main artery.

Learning about Having DVT’s

Once I was told that I had DVT’s I was then instructed to go back to my GP urgently after telling me that it was life threatening! I was told that if it was left a piece could easily travel up my blood stream to my heart, lungs or brain and kill me. Wow!! Facing the thought of something that you had that could kill you was hard to take!!

Facing up to it at the Hospital

After going to the doctors we talked about the next stages, I went back to see my children before heading to the hospital. Once I arrived at the hospital expecting to be admitted for two or so days I had a doctor tell me that my mate could take me home in about an hour. Totally surprised at this I questioned his train of thought, as I told him what my GP had explained. The doctor just basically said that they would give me hyperdermic needles, show me what to do and send me home with pain relief to slowly recover. Wanting to know more about the treatment options and arguing over the type of drug they wanted to use, I ended up staying overnight.

Medication for DVT’s Treatment Plan

It appears that the normal treatment for DVT is to administer a drug called Warfarin, which is basically watered down rat poison. Looking at the other alternatives I was advised that there are other new drugs on the market, but I would have to pay for them as it was not government funded. Taking all this onboard I started to get rather pig headed after being told more about the Warfarin drug. I told them that If you can give me the new one here and the other when I leave, I would just come to the hospital daily to have the more suitable choice of drug. The doctors then told me that this was not going to happen as they would not administer it to me once I leave as it was too expensive.

I think it is pretty sad that our health system is putting money before what is better for the patients just because of a bloody budget. What type of country are we living in where our health system use to be one of the best, now it is all about the glorious dollar!!

So I was shown how to inject myself with the new drug, before being released from hospital with a 7 day supply. I now have to go back to the doctors to pay for the new supply as well as find out all about what I can and cannot do over the next six month treatment plan.

I would like to say thanks to my dearest friends that are being supportive to me as I go through this difficult time.

My next blog will be about the differences’ between the drug options for DVT’s, as well as how I am finding the recovery process.

References:

Warfarin http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/warfarin-side-effects/HB00101

About DVT http://www.medicinenet.com/deep_vein_thrombosis/article.htm

Digital Age Saving Files Backups

2011-06-13T01:33:00.000+12:00

Hi Friends,

Wow it has been a while since I have posted anything in my blogs and there is so much to talk about. First off let’s look at the age we are living in with all this new and modern technology, like digital cameras, external and internal hard drives to store all our media files. Back in the day when we just had our VHS tape recorders and our rolls of film things were easier in a lot of ways as this old school way of photography had a lot going for it. I still have negatives from 20 years ago that are as good as the day the photo was taken, whereas in the lifestyle that we are accustom to know, I find myself forever buying new HDD’s to store my media. Then we have to get more HDD’s to save the same stuff as backups in case the first ones fail.

Well I have had a pretty bad month losing not only my originals but a whole heap of images and video totalling 2 TB’s. Thinking all was well; I will just get another couple of internal drives and reload from the backup devices “Right?” “Wrong” Doh!! What are the chances of the external HDD crapping out at the same time as the internal drive? Well as luck would have it that is what has happened.

Silver Lining

There is a silver lining however as I do have all my original footage on mini DV tape from my camera system and that I am thankful for!! The only footage I have truly lost is all the great stuff that has been given to me by diver friends like Dave Kenna. By the way Dave I am going to be getting in touch with you to get another couple of backup copies this time, lol

Best Storage options

Buying and paying for online storage sounds great but this too can get rather costly. So at the end of the day, even though it is really easy to take thousands of photos at 8 frames per second, we really need to get a bit tough, keeping only the best of the best.

I am going to leave you with this photo of a beautiful dessert my girls made for me this evening. Eat your hearts out!! “I know I will”

Seal Colony Point Munning

2011-04-24T08:46:00.001+12:00

When you come on an adventure holiday to the Chatham Islands it is hard to surpass taking a trip to the Seal colony Point Munning. Here you will see many NZ Fur seals that have congregated on this rocky point that features a sheltered inlet where the seals are relatively safe, away from the Great White sharks that cruise these hostile shorelines.

Out at the seal colony you will be able to capture great photos and video footage. My advice would be to have a zoom lens like a 85 to 200mm so you can obtain perfect shots. Sometimes if you sit on the foreshore the seals will come to see you as if we are the ones on display. We do not encourage people to invade the space of the seals as this can have a negative impact, pushing them further afield from their home here at Munning Point.

If there is to be any interaction this has to be instigated by the seals, but once again take care and be cautious not to get too close as these are wild animals and not pets. In this following video you will notice that I have got very close to the seals in order to make this clip. This was no easy feat as the seals were rather stand offish initially until I made myself smell as bad as they do by soaking in a pool of the ammonia rich water. This is not an ideal experience but it worked on this particular day.

Other days around the Seal colonies at the Chatham Islands I have had the big bull males showing signs of aggression. Initially it was thought they were being protective of their colony, but after seeing one of these bulls cut up it made me think that the bull was merely sending me a warning about other dangers that may be lurking in the milky depths surrounding this point.

For more information and bookings to visit the Seal Colony Munning Point use the contact below.

Admiral Farm, Admiral Gardens Chatham Islands

2011-04-21T23:58:00.002+12:00

Hi Friends,
When you come on an adventure holiday to the beautiful Chatham Islands you cannot surpass spending a Sunday afternoon at Admiral Farm with your hosts Val and Louis Croon. Val and Louis have dedicated a big part of their lives creating this magical location that features the biggest array of Blue Forget-me-nots that are endemic to the Chatham’s.

Not only we you be enthralled by the stunning gardens and sculptures, you will also enjoy a relaxed bbq as you sit around the open fire sipping wine feasting on the local seafood harvest including Paua, Crayfish at times and fresh Blue Cod as well as Hapuka. These dinner evenings are available on Sunday nights and bookings are essential.

Just look here at the photos and video of Admiral Gardens that are located on the road to Port Hutt, 100 metres past the turnoff to Kaingaroa.

As you can see the warming of stones over the fire add an extra flare of relaxation and enjoyment as these stones will keep you warm. Many people place the stones in their pockets or tops, but sadly many forget to remove the stones upon leaving the farm. So when you come here please remember to give these precious stone back to Lois and Val or simply leave them in the fire area pit.

For more information about Admiral Farm checkout the link here to Admiral Farms Chatham Island’s

Hostile Weather Dressing for the Chatham Islands

2011-04-06T18:19:00.010+12:00

Hi Friends,
This blog is about the weather at the Chatham Islands.

The weather here at the Chatham Islands’ is unpredictable at the best of times. This is my fifth trip back to this wonderful land that is made up of different cultures and viewpoints, which add to the excitement of learning new things and perspectives from a broad range of people. Getting back to the topic at hand being the weather, I have seen it at its best and at its worst when Mother Nature lashes out with force.

The first trip I had here with my friend Julian Snelgrove the director of Dive Planet NZ was to setup the Great White shark diving with Valentine Croon of Chatham Hotel in August of 2010. On this particular trip we had an assortment of weather with great sunny, yet cool days to other days where the wind was gusting to 140kmph with heavy squally rain. The sea temperature during August was around 12 degrees Celsius with an air temperature that would not climb much above that. At night the temperature would drop into single digits and that was a cold like I had never felt before that felt like a thousand needles being blasted through you by the south-westerly winds.

Visitors that venture to the beautiful Chatham Islands’’ should dress accordingly and even if it is in the summer months when the temp can soar to the mid to high 20’s during the day, a jacket should always be close at hand for when the sun sets. The evening and night temps in summer can still get quite brisk.

Four Seasons in One Day

I find it quite strange how the weather can change so quickly, one minute it is fine and hot and you may be dressed only in shorts and then a short time later you may have high winds and drizzle before returning to be a beautiful day again. It can be like having four seasons in one day, no matter what month of the year that you are in. This summer season that is now leaving us has been reported to me by the locals as being uncharacteristic due to the cooler conditions to previous years.

When you are working out here at the Chatham Islands’ as we have recently started to do with a painting and tiling business, creates its own frustrations as you move around the building avoiding the onslaught of bad weather. Even though this is frustrating it is not unworkable like it is with the Great White Shark Diving as out there you get no mercy from the forces imposed by Mother Nature.

Meaning of Rekohu

The Chatham Islands are known by the name of Rekohu meaning misty skies, or misty land. This is very much the case as the mist over the islands can come in thick and fast stopping almost all activities. There have been cases where flights were cancelled in severe conditions, especially between Pitt Island and the main island. This weather pattern also offers some unique opportunities for photographers or videographers, capturing unique images and footage of the surrounded by fog and drizzle.

Gearing up for the Chatham Islands

Here is a list of things that you should include when you take an amazing adventure holiday to this magical and mystical destination.

In summer you really want to include:

• A torch as they will come handy due to no lights at the Chatham’s

• Take extra warm clothing for after dark as it may cool significantly

• Make sure you have at a minimum a drizzle proof wind breaker

• Don’t forget that Bennie as this will be needed on cooler nights

• Make sure you have extra pairs of socks, there isa nothing worse than getting cold wet feet

Winter Conditions

• All of the above for summer

• Bring a really good rain coat and pants as you will appreciate having them here.

• Make sure you have a secondary pair of shoes

• Gumboots are also ideal as they will keep you toasty warm

For more information about the Beautiful Chatham Islands' Contact me Paul Morris

My next Blog will be about the Legendary Admiral Farm!

Take care and Dive Safe Friends!

Issues of Snoring & Relief

2011-04-05T19:58:00.003+12:00

Hi Friends’ well it has been a really nice week up here at the Chatham Islands from the time we have arrived, but there seems to be a problem with my snoring. Many people have commented that I have a snoring problem. I find this hard to believe as I never wake up due to the sound of the noise that I have been told that I make, but I do stir in the night to the slightest sounds that are out of the ordinary.
So is my snoring really that bad?

Well I have to admit after recording and hearing it for myself it is pretty bad!! One of my mates Wayne said to me, if there was a noise competition I would give a V8 with no muffler in a tin shed a good run for its money. Kind of harsh, I thought but it may be plausible?

Another lady I have spoken to extensively on this issue told me that she found snoring comforting as it was a sign that the person was very relaxed and content. I know what you guys are thinking! Where can a guy find such a creature on planet earth? Believe it or not there are quite a few women that find snoring of others nice! Personally the thought of going to bed listening to someone snore to be comforted is somewhat odd and unrealistic.

So what relief can me and others get, in order to awake after having a nice relaxing sleep? I have tried some of the sprays on the market but they seem to only work for a short period of time not really exceeding 6 hours. This was bought to my attention after spending some time away with my partner Jules of Dive Planet on our first trip to the Chatham Islands’

Upon arrival at the Chatham Islands last week with my mate Paul he advised me that he had found the “Ultimate” relief from my snoring. He said the trick was to get to sleep prior to my head hitting the pillow as well as placing earplugs in along with the Secret weapon! Here is a pic below of how he deals with sleeping no more than 6 feet away from me when I am snoring hard out.

When I saw this I just cracked up with laughter as it was the funniest thing I think I have ever seen, but it seems to be doing the trick as he is awaking bright fresh and bushy tailed in the mornings.

So ladies or guys if you are looking for the Ultimate Relief from your snoring buddies or partner you can achieve this for as low as a one off payment of $39.95. This includes top quality earmuffs and earplugs. You may also want to invest in some blinkers to avoid being awoken by any light when the snorer comes to bed.

Finally to all you ladies that find this sound comforting I take my hat off to you as you are a very rare breed that I am sure will be snapped up by any right minded male.

Paul; Morris

Dive And Fish

Evolution of Dive Planet NZ

2011-03-31T02:25:00.002+13:00

Hi Friends,

There is about to be a huge change this year to the Dive Planet NZ network as not only are we really going global, we are also expanding once again. Taking on board all that you have been asking us for we have decided to go all out giving you what you want.

So what will be New?

First off we are going for a more simplistic design that will allow our pages to load a great deal faster, as well as maintaining a positive feel good look. Our navigation structure will be a lot easier as we know it has been a tad hard at times for some of our visitors, but with such a big site that is rich in content, navigation can get a bit tricky to plan out in the design stages.

Online Shopping

We will be able to give you an awesome shopping experience that we are sure you will all love, with a multiple selection of new and interesting products to suit all our loyal visitors. Items will include diving, fishing, hunting, medical and travel packs and goods. Members of the Dive Planet NZ network will have special price offers so make sure that you subscribe here to Dive Planet Newsletters.

Fishing on Dive Planet

You will see that we will have a great deal of products and knowledge in these two new and exciting sections. Trips away with our fishing tours will be available, not forgetting the Great White shark diving that we offer around New Zealand and Australia.

Take a look at a page below that is in construction that we are looking at implementing and tell our team what you think, by E: mailing paul@diveplanet.co.nz Come and join us on Dive Club Global as we expand this site as well.

Canvas Prints Chatham Islands For Sale

2011-02-24T20:23:00.010+13:00

Hi Friends,
Wow it really is hot back here in Auckland as I am gearing up for the reconstruction of the New Dive Planet website. Here are a couple of photos taken in the beautiful Chatham Islands' that I currently have up for sale. The first one here was taken out at the Bassalt Rock Colums on the western coast of the Chatham Islands' These photos will not have watermark on them once printed

This next photo was taken at Port Hutt that use to be the Crayfish Mecca of the 1960's.

Both of these images above are printed on canvas and mounted to a size of A3 NZ$200.00 each. For more info or to purchase contact paul@diveplanet.co.nz

Tairua Dive Company Under Fire

2011-02-24T11:37:00.004+13:00

Over the past few months we have been receiving reports of a Tairua 5 Star Padi dive centre advertising Padi courses through the owner’s liquor outlet. This has come as a bit of a shock to a few folk saying that it is not appropriate to promote diving out of a liquor outlet. Things to take into consideration here is that this liquor outlet is supposedly a gift store as well with brochures about all sorts of activities. How bad is it really to advertise the dive courses and does this has any negative impact on the Padi branding?

These are questions that I have put forward to Ian Cumming of Padi. Ian’s response was that there is no concern as long as this outlet has a brochure stand that advertises other forms of activities both locally and nationally. However Padi would not like to see their logo in any form of signage on the outside or within the store. Even though this particular operator proclaims that this is the case there are quite a few of you that have told the Dive Planet team that the Padi logo is in the window as well as on a sandwich board outside the shop. As well as saying how the Padi logo is in the shop window as well as clearly visible within the premises.

The Dive Planet NZ team is awaiting photos that will highlight the concerns of the writers that have passed comment and judgement about this in their eyes an inappropriate marketing strategy.

Here are a few of the comments and viewpoints that we have received.

I think having a 5 star Padi operation promoted out of a liquor store gives the Padi brand a bad name or look promoting dive courses from a liquor outlet. What is the message we are sending out here?.....

Having a sign out the front of an alcohol store in Tairua with Padi 5 star resort is far from acceptable. Is this not like having the advertisement for a pub at a driving school?....

Hi Paul and Dive Planet, can you please shed some light of why padi dive courses are being promoted out of a booze shop when the operator has a perfectly good store elsewhere in Tairua. If people want to learn to dive they will look up a dive shop not look under wholesalers for booze. I find this quite bizarre and I would like to hear what they think about it…….

I look forward to reading your emails and viewpoints as I myself am a Padi taught diver and I have the utmost respect for the branding and the company’s policies. Padi is world renowned that commits their organisation to a great deal of positive incentives and projects globally.

For the best diving Adventures at the Aldermen Islands' Contact Delphinus Charters, Tairua Dive! Steve and Brenda run a very successful and professional business giving divers a great day out! This team is highly recommended by the Dive Planet NZ Team.

Week Five Chatham Islands’

2011-02-08T17:01:00.002+13:00

Hi Friends’

Well it has been quite a while since my last blog post even though I have been wanting to, I have not been able to get the time nor have had any reasonable amount of access to the internet.

When you are planning your trip to the Chatham Islands’ there are a few basics that you really need to bring, no matter if it is winter or summer. First off you need to have a decent amount of warm clothing as even in summer at the Chatham Islands’ it can get pretty cold, especially after the sun sets. The other most important item you can bring is a torch, along with a lot of batteries for it. There is nothing worse than getting stuck somewhere in cold conditions unable to see anything.

The past weeks have had a lot of up and downs as I have been quite homesick missing my awesome family, especially my beautiful wife and daughters. There have been a lot of good times too, as I get to meet new people that are both tourists as well as locals building new friendships.

One of my new friends is Ben; Ben is a pilot for Chatham Airways and I have been fortunate enough to take a quick trip to Pitt Island with him taking stunning photos of both the Chatham Island and Pitt Island coastlines.

Pitt Island is a lot different to Chatham Island as it is higher in altitude with a great deal more bush areas that offer some unique experiences for bird watchers and hunters alike. The most sorts after trophy animals on Pitt Island is the Merino sheep that can have up to 3 and a half turns in their horns. These prized animals truly are prized to a seasoned trophy hunter. The meat of the Merino sheep is beautiful and simply melts in your mouth if it is prepared and cooked properly.

Local tour guide Andy that works for Hotel Chatham and myself will be spending at least a week on Pitt Island late March, hunting as well as video and still shooting with our cameras so we can show you the stunning scenery along with exceptional hunting opportunities that are on offer at Pitt Island.

For more information about Fishing, Diving and Spearfishing at the Chatham Islands please email me paul@diveplanet.co.nz

I am now going to leave you with a few images of the magical Chatham Islands. Next post will be about scenic activities and things to see on the Chatham Islands'

This image below is that of the main Entrance to the lagoon. The entrances opens and closes naturally every 5 years or so but human intervention is sometimes needed to release the waters that at times burst their banks.

Here we are looking at some of the stunning coastline that surrounds the Chatham Islands. On many trips to Pitt Island sharks can be seen from the air as they cruise the coasts.

Overlooking Mangere Island from the southern viewpoint of Pitt Island. The Island in the foreground is known as the Castle.

From an offshore position we are looking back to the main lagoon mouth on Chatham Island

Below we are looking at the great dive location known as the Flower Pot on Pitt Island. Here you can find Paua beds everywhere and in many cases you may walk over them at low tide.

Here we are flying back over the Southern Chatham coast

Mangere Island is a reserve!

Returning To the Chatham Islands'

2011-01-05T00:02:00.016+13:00

Hi Friends,

Happy New Year to you all and this year is going to be a cracker for the Dive Planet network. First off the big news is that our new website is well under construction by the great team at Zeald. Other big news is that I am heading back to the Chatham Islands' taking on some big projects that include finishing off getting all the Footage that I need for my Chatham Island DVD. This DVD will look at the history of the Chatham Islands as well as giving you an insight into all of the vacation options available from our legendary Shark Diving, Scuba diving and Spearfishing the Chathams', Hiking and photography tours along with many more options that this unique location has to offer.

GREAT WHITE SHARK DIVE
In regards to Great White shark diving Chatham Islands' we are now offering a cracker start to the year with special discounted trips for February and March. For more information contact paul@diveplanet.co.nz Normally NZ$4600.00 now Only NZ$4100.00 per person inclussive of airfares, accommodation, cuisine, shark diving, fishing trip, scenic island tour, freediving for paua and crayfish, not forgetting to mention nightlife at the Chatham hotel. Other Great options include airfares, accomodation and 1 day of shark diving leaving you to custom build the rest of your adventure starting at NZ$2100.00

DIVE CLUB GLOBAL

We now have a few more sponsors for Dive Club Global that is our diving and fishing online club. By sending in your photos and video as a member you will be in to win some great prizes. So come along and join now for free. Latest Photo winners have won their artwork printed on canvas and framed, as well as winning the UFO Muti Kaimoana Smoker. Dive Club Global is a club where you can meet divers and fidho's from across the globe planning trips and dives as we explore the best that we have to offer in our own countries. Start blogs, upload photos and videos and become part of this online family.

DIVE AND FISH

Dive Fish Travel is a big section we are including in our new site. We will be offering trips up to the Pacific for diving, fishing adventure holidays. Catering for everyone looking for a break away to a tropical paradise. Our strating destinations for Dive Fish Travel will include adventures like scuba and shark diving Fiji, scenic whale spotting and snorkel adventures at Tonga's offshore islands, discovering the magic of Vanuatu, Samoa and more. More info upon our launch of the New Sive Planet Website.

NEW YEAR DEALS ON DIVE PLANET

Come and take a look at the great deals we have for you on Dive Planet NZ. Purchase an 11 piece high quality European pot and pan set that is normally valued at over $250.00 now selling for $150.00 includes shipping in NZ.

Maybe you are looking for the "Ultimate" Kaimoana Hangi Cookers? If so you cannot surpass the UFO COOKERS. Select your UFO Cooker that doubles as a UFO BBQ or your UFO Smoker from the range we have below and we can ship it right to your door. Pickups from the North Shore in Auckland are another option. The UFO Cookers are very versatile and here at Dive Planet we highly recommend and stand by the quality of each and every UFO product.

Well that is all I have time for tonight as I still have a lot of work to do. I will be reporting to you next time from the stunning sharky Chatham Islands.
Take care and Dive Safe!!

Ultimate Spearfishing Adventure

2011-01-01T09:29:00.000+13:00

If you are looking for the ultimate Spearfishing adventure, then this is one opportunity that you do not want to miss out on! Come and join the awesome team of OceanHunter diving the scenic and fish prolific Chatham Islands. This Spearfishing package has it all from unique dive locations with the opportunity to face off with a Great White shark from the safety of the purpose built shark cages. Be taken on guided daily trips by Mike and the Chatham Island divers exploring unique and stunning locations. You will travel in style on the Chatham Express powered by two 300hp outboards delivering a staggering 54knots of heart pumping power…

For more info: Contact mike@oceanhunter.co.nz Ph: +64 (9) 3770896

Spend $100.00 at Ocean Hunter, New Zealand's Spearfishing Specioalists and be in to win a Blackdogcat valued at over $22000.00 Go to http://www.oceanhunter.co.nz/

EARTHQUAKE OHOPE, EARTHQUAKE WHAKATANE

2010-12-29T09:13:00.001+13:00

Hi Friends we have just been hit by two good sized earthquake tremors at Ohope Whakatane. Here it goes again!!! Well time for us to go to high ground as sea level is not where i want to be with my girls. More updates later. Earthquake Ohope, shook house really well!! Updates will be on http://www.diveplanet.co.nz/

Thirty mins have passed and all is calm here in Ohope, apart from an eerrie calam and quiet, the sea is flat as!!

No damage apart from my underwater housing that broke when it fell off the shelf!!

Xmas Deals on Dive Planet NZ

2010-12-20T01:14:00.002+13:00

Hi Friends',

Well here at Dive Planet NZ we have been very busy over the past month bringing you the best deals for some unique products at crazy prices to make your Xmas more special. We are offering the UFO Cookers way below the normal retail prices only until the 24th of of December. For more information about the UFO Hangi Cookers that double as a BBQ follow this link UFO HANGI COOKERS. On this page you can also join the UFO Hangi Facebook page where we will bring you all the great deals throughout the year along with information on New Products like the UFO Dry Roaster that will be available soon.

If you are looking for the Ultimate Gift, how can you go past the Liquid Image High Def Video Mask. These masks film in High Def 1280x720p as well as take still images up to 5 mega pixels. Watch actual video footage on the Dive Planet Homepage of this great camera mask in action. You will find links to where you can purchase noew way under normal retail of $NZ 550.00 as we have slashed this to $NZ 350.00 including the side lights.

Maybe you are looking for the Ultimate Hands Free Dive Light? If so you cannot go past the all New Pelican 2680 head mounted rig. I have used this light a lot and I have to say it is perfect for my video and scenic diving. Then again it is a must for any Hunter that goes gathering Crayfish as now you can really light up those cracks and crevices giving you the best lighting as you take on thiose Huge Crayfish. Image here of the 2680 Dive Light. You can BUY NOW at our special price by following the link on the Dive Planet NZ homepage

Luxury Pot and Pan set of European design is also available. This is a massive seller. Elsewhere you will pay over $300.00 but to our friends of Dive Planet you can buy this set for $150.00 Check it out here on the Dive Planet NZ website. Contact paul@diveplanet.co.nz Saty that you saw this blog and I will reduce the price to $120.00 only till Xmas day!!

Dive Planet will be making some massive changes in the New Year so make sure you keep up to date with all the Great action and deals that we will be giving you in 2011. Join our Dive Club at Dive Club Global where you can win Kool prizes in our competitions.

We hope you all have a very merry and safe Xmas and look forwatd to an exciting year that lays ahed in 2011. Take care and lots of love from Paul and Dive Planet NZ team.

Subsonic Frequencies That Attract Sharks

2010-11-30T00:39:00.003+13:00

It is a well known and documented fact that whales as an example put out distress calls when they are in trouble that in turn attracts many others that result in the same ill fate. So what would the subsonic frequencies be to imitate fish in distress or seals underwater that would attract the Carcharodon carcharias in particular to any given location? Could this be reproduced or would recording the sounds of seals at a colony, or flapping fish in distress under water be used as an attractant to lure sharks to any one given location.

If subsonic wavelengths could be used in this fashion it could be used in a manner that would benefit many people. Firstly shark cage diving operators could use this instead of using chum to attract sharks to the dive location. Then this could also be used as a way of attracting sharks away from sections of coastline that are frequented by divers or beachgoers. There are also negatives to this scenario as shark finer could use the same technology to attract them to a slaughter area.

Would using subsonic sounds to attract or scare sharks away from certain areas have a negative impact on their normal migration, or would this be no different than using chum to attract sharks to any given location.

Do Sharks Remember? How Smart are they?

One thing that I have found really interesting is how the Great Whites of South Australia very rarely avoided going for baits that were pulled through the water in comparison to the sharks of the Chatham Islands in NZ. Out at the Chatham Islands’ the white sharks would come up to the cage and the boat but seem to stay away a fair distance initially. Is this just being cautious by nature or is there an Indepth reason for this behaviour?

After the times I have spent in the water watching them and stories that I have been told about incidents especially at the Chatham Islands’ I am tending to think that the population that frequents these waters have learnt a hard lesson. Just before the Great White sharks were protected in NZ waters there were quite a few cases at the Chatham Islands’ where these sharks were fair game. Could this cautiousness be derived from the shark’s memory of other sharks that were slaughtered by man making them more cautious now? If this is the case would this then be looked upon as being similar to the 100th Monkey syndrome or is there a more logical reason for these behaviour patterns.

Do Great White Sharks communicate to each other with sound or is it as many researchers suggest just through body language when they are together. Looking at Whales and Orcas we have noticed direct and indirect communication within a pod to synchronize the capture of prey, which is direct communication. So is it not feasible that sharks do communicate with a very low subsonic frequency, just the same as they pickup on these frequencies or vibrations through the lateral line.

FREE FOOD, GREAT DEALS, Paul’s Fishing Kites

2010-11-25T17:47:00.001+13:00

Hi Friends,

This Saturday the 27th of November we are having a UFO Cooker Hangi demo day at Paul’s Fishing Kites 39A Neilson Street Onehunga. Come on down for some FREE Hangi food and see this Cooker in action. We will be having a special promo price on the day with Free delivery Auckland wide. So don’t miss out on all the action, great prices and festive times with the Onehunga Santa parade as well.

We will have some Aliens that we will be giving away as available to purchase for $8.00, these really are a big hit with the children of all ages.

Paul’s fishing Kites has a huge selection of fishing equipment that is also on sale at ridiculously low prices, as well as being the manufacturers and suppliers of the best Kite fishing gear. This company proudly exports all their kite rigs globally so come in and checkout the Paul’s Fishing Kites website here.

Coming back into this shop brought back a lot of great memories for myself of the days that I was right into my Kite Fishing that led on to Kayak long-line fishing, so I am really looking forward to catching up with the team, when we head out to the wild west coast for some Kite Fishing action. We will be filming a day of Kite Fishing followed by cooking a feed of fresh seafood on the UFO Cooker hangi at Muriwai beach soon!!

Kite Fishing is the most enjoyable way a family can have quality time together fishing, as you setup your kite rig sending it out up to 1500 metres offshore to catch loads of fish. Another great idea is to number your traces and give each member of the family a number to see who catches the biggest fish.

Kayak Long-line fishing is another top way of catching those big snapper. Paul Barnes of Paul’s Fishing Kites modified his standard boat long-line so kayakers can utilize space when fishing. This method of kayak fishing was really set in motion by myself and a few mates as we discovered a lot of techniques, that produced excellent results. Try using Paul’s Floating bead trace system as this really works well especially over foul ground, fishing a multiple of depths.

So why is Paul’s fishing rigs so effective and so good for conservation? The reason is Paul’s specially designed Target Hooks that you can see in store on our demo Hangi Cooker day. Basically these hooks have a unique wire appendage on them that minimizes the number of undersized fish that get hooked. With the smaller fish that do get hooked they can be released unharmed to live another day as they cannot swallow the hook with this amazing unique design.

Pauls Fishing Kites

UFO Cooker Hangi Demo Festive Day

39A Neilson Street Onehunga

Auckland

Ph: 6345005

http://www.fishingkites.co.nz/

Gone Fishin, Graeme talks UFO Cookers,

2010-11-19T08:00:00.001+13:00

To all our fishing friends’ out there in New Zealand make sure you watch the Gone Fishin show this Sarurday hosted by Graeme Sinclair. This week’s show will be looking at Snapper fishing on the Kaipara as well as looking at and talking about hunting and cooking your feed in the all new UFO Hangi Cooker. The UFO Cookers really are the best product on the New Zealand market as these UFO Cookers are suitable for a multi range of kai from venison and meats to cooking all your seafood with a traditional Hangi flavour.

On the Dive Planet NZ website we have the best prices for the UFO Hangi Cookers so make sure you follow this link for more info so you can make the best decision and purchase the UFO Cooker from Dive Planet.

The UFO Cooker is a BBQ with a hotplate and grill, it is also a Hangi Cooker that I use for all my seafood and other dishes. You can even bake cakes to perfection using the UFO Cooker. Baking, Steaming, Smoking, BBQ are the main methods of cookery and with our recipe book, DVD and instruction manual we will have you Hangi cooking like a professional in no time at all.

Gone Fishin
This Saturday TV3
Graeme Sinclair
Gone Fishin Website

UFO Cooker Hangi BBQ Smokers
Best buys on Dive Planet NZ

Missing Diver Ti Point

2010-11-09T23:49:00.002+13:00

A couple of clowns went up and asked fishermen if they had seen bubbles or a diver at 7pm last night after dropping the diver off from a boat 4.30pm. One of the Spearos that was out fishing was the one that was asked this question. Then these guys’ mates came back after 10 minutes and one of the guys asked if they had called his house because 2.5 hrs in the water must have been bloody freezing.

Reply (Nah didnt want to spook the parents). They rang his home and he wasn’t there. Then they made the call to coastguard. The Westpac helicopter turned up and then coastguard turned up then another helicopter and two surf rescue inflatables. After a while the call came through on the vhf. Stand down he is safe on land. Jeez lucky buggers. It didn’t look like the guys in the tinny had lifejackets, but they did have the dive flag????? As reported from one of the spearos out fishing. Wonder how much that cost the tax payer?

Time to Get Real
What mistakes were made here and how all of this could have been avoided!!
· One Never Dive alone, for god’s sake divers should be diving with buddies
· If you dive from a boat make sure the boat stays where you are diving
· Never drop someone in the water then bugger off
· Think about the consequences should the diver or divers get in trouble
· Why did these guys drop the diver off then go away? That in itself is highly irresponsible
· What cost did this have to the tax payers and to volunteers that spent time looking for him
· If you cannot find a scuba diver after 2.5 hours logically one would assume that he is in really big trouble or dead

Some people just don’t have a clue and it is high time people start to take more responsibility for their actions. If you are going to go for a dive, go with a buddy for one. If you are diving from a boat never have your mates bugger off and leave you.
There is no point having a dive flag on a boat if you are not around the location of the diver. Then saying you do not want to worry anyone after 2.5 hours is pathetic. This guy could have been in serious trouble and they were worried what the parents may think or say? If my child was unaccounted for I most definitely would want to know asap

Fledging Fishing Magazine Shows True Colours

2010-11-03T16:05:00.000+13:00

Hi friends, as most of you know I use to write for a fishing magazine that has now shown its true colours by publishing a cheap shot article referring to my shark encounter in Northland. Even though I have found this article that was written by a, would be if he could be, rather disturbing, it just goes to show how desperate they must be for subscribers. Some editors I am now convinced really are a few screws loose. Publishing content that takes the piss out of a real life experience is a real low blow, especially for a self proclaimed up and coming fishers magazine, at the same time being careful not to be defamatory.

Personally speaking I think this writer that knocks fishing with fresh bait needs to get some balls taking on the elements how real kayak fishermen participate in the sport. This writer states that he is not scared of sharks! Then states that he has never had to avoid them, or deal with sharks of any calibre. This is one guy I would love to place in the water with myself along with a couple of Great Whites, just to watch the shit trickle out of his wetsuit would be worth it. With a bit of luck Mr White will give him the taste test.

People that write articles should really do some basic homework of the facts before putting pen to paper and the magazines that publish these trashy articles should think twice about how they may affect any individuals.

Many of you have emailed me telling me your thoughts of this one particular article and I thank you for your support on the issue. You have also stated that you have either binned the mag or used it for what it is best suited for in the toilet!! But for 6 bucks that is an expensive 86 pages of bog paper. But in light of your thoughts, if you want more bog paper I have a few copies left.

If you are looking for real magazines that portray people in the light that they deserve my all time favourites are Coast to Coast, Fishing News and Fishing NZ as here they publish stories of a high calibre unlike that other one.

FIREWORKS SALE AUCKLAND & DIVE PLANET FUNDRAISER

2010-10-26T17:09:00.003+13:00

Buy all your Fireworks from here 211 Wairau Road Takapuna and say DIVE PLANET sent you to get more BANG for your buck. We will also be selling UFO Cookers, UFO Smokers, UFO ALLIENS, at very special prices!! Toys for the children include Helicopters that are remote control along with a load of other great products to raise monies for ongoing Coastal Projects.

More info Email Paul: paul@diveplanet.co.nz Ph: 0210485633

You can buy all your UFO COOKERS on Dive Planet NOW at really Great Prices just follow here UFO COOKERS

Diving, Adventure, Tourism, New Zealand Report

2010-10-20T20:26:00.001+13:00

Hi from the Team

Comedian Mark Scott Discover NZ

Wow has this year gone fast or what? Can you believe it that it is almost time to play the part of Santa Claus again. Looking outside with this rather chilly weather one would think that we were heading for another Ice Age. But this is not the case as this summer is suppose to be a real corker so get out that gear get it serviced and go get those big fat Scallops and Crayfish. Then again maybe you should just leave it be? So I can have the easy pickings of those big reds and succulent scallops all for myself. Hmmmm…..

First off here at Dive Planet NZ many thanks to our new subscribers’ for our newsletters as well as to all of you that have joined Dive Club Global. On Dive Club Global we have a new competition so make sure you go to Groups and checkout the photo competition for November and December.

Project Aware be part of the action

Come and support our Project Aware day on the 31st of October with Dive Planet and the Dive Centre. Last year we had 45 divers and this year we are hoping to double that so come along, get wet, remove some rubbish and enjoy the Free BBQ. Bring your friends and family as ewe give a little back caring for our Ocean. We have a few aliens to give away to the children as well as a UFO smoker kindly donated for this important occasion. Other giveaways include vouchers, dive trips along with dive gear.

See our sharks from our cages

There has been a rumour circulating that Dive Planet is now going into Great white shark diving, so we would just like to let you know that we are. Awesome adventure trips are awaiting you all. Be the first to see the sun each morning as you awake to the scent of fresh Paua steaks sizzling on the BBQ before heading out on your adventure. Our last trip we had 3 really good sized sharks come and check us out. For all info please use this domain as our shark diving website will be live late November, until then this links to a section on our main website. http://www.greatwhitesharkdivenz.com/

Fresh Crayfish Now

Our Charter operators have had a fairly quiet winter so make sure you come out in force now, book your dive trips and go and experience all that our beautiful sea has to offer. Goat Island Dive in Leigh has some great diving on offer over this coming weekend to the Mokohinau Islands, Broken Islands along with other great sites. Water visibility is really good at the moment and yes I know what you are going to say!” That it is still cold” It may be a little chilly but operators like Goat Island Dive have a hot shower for all of us softies. Skipper Brian is awesome, likes his coffee half a mug, 2 sugars, taking him a treat like a Moro bar may get you and extra sausage on the day….

Sadly we have been informed that Poor Knights divers are no longer running trips, but we have another operator coming to Dive Planet soon to fill this great void.

Moving on to Bream Bay make sure you go and see Gordy of Ridgeback charters. Gordon runs small group tours for fishing and diving putting you in the right location at the right time!! No taking them to my spot though Gordon!! Ridgeback charters in Mangawhai offers a very good service with a smile so you can be assured of a great day out diving and fishing. You can get your last minute dive gear and bottles filled at the local dive shop in town, here they have everything that you will need for a successful fishing trip as well.

Brenda of Delphinus charters offers an exceptional service taking you to the outer limits of the beautiful Aldermen Islands. Some say this location is just as good as the Poor Knights islands. Well I hate to say it but they are wrong, as the Aldermen Islands is by far the best location. Here you can take a feed as well as see the stunning aquatic life. So to all of my friends up north, get out of that cave you are hiding in or visiting for a dive and come and explore the magic of the Aldermen islands with Brenda of Delphinus Charters….

Down here will also find Tony of Tairua Dive n Fishing that takes fishing trips as well as dive trips to the Mercury and other outer islands. Tony has some great locations for nailing those big Kingies out the back of the Aldies. Spearos frequent these locations with him reaping the rewards. Dive trips fishing combo trips are also on offer so checkout the locations on Dive Planet Dive Sites for more info…

Thinking about exploring the waters of Wellington? If so make sure you go and see the Dive Guys. You will not find any catch-bags or nooses as this is the most eco-friendly dive company in New Zealand. However if you want the best gear at the best prices they are the ones to see. This great team can help you out with your travel plans, accommodation.

Win a Blackdogcat. For all your Spearfishing and Freediving needs or wants go to OceanHunter and buy your products there. With every $100.00 you spend gives you a chance of winning this awesome boat. The Blackdogcat is valued at $22,000.00 and going to a good home soon. OceanHunter have the best prices I have seen on the net for Spearfishing packages no matter if you are an expert spearo, or a beginner you will find everything in this superstore or online. Once you make your purchase send a copy of the receipt to info@diveplanet.co.nz and we will put you in the draw to win a UFO Cooker. Imagine blasting out to the dive site with a 50hp Yamaha on the back then returning to cook your kai on the beach…..

Well that is about all from the Dive Planet Team for now so keep sending in your reports to win some great spot prizes….

Spearfishing Packages Great Deals

2010-10-19T13:41:00.000+13:00

Hi Friends,
If you go looking around on the internet for spearfishing gear and packages you will find the wettie brand along with others, like picasso, omer, etc, so what is the best brand and where can you get the best deals. Well here at Dive Planet our Spearfishing Specialists Ocean Hunter have come out with some amazing prices on gear this year. I just wish I had waited a little longer myself to get equipment this good at such a great price. SPEARFISHING PACKAGES, SPEARO PACKAGES, SPEARFISHING NZ

Not only is OceanHunter giving you the best packages for spearfishing they are also giving you the chance to win a Blackdogcat valued at over $22,000 with every hundred dollars that you spend.

Here at Dive Planet we have decided to give you the opportunity to win a UFO Smoker just by sending in a copy of your reciept from OceanHunter as proof of purchase to be in to win this great gift. This UFO Smoker will be drawn in Feb of 2011. To purchase a new UFO Cooker and not wait to see if you win one follow this link UFO COOKERS

Remember to send in your spaerfishing photos to paul@diveplanet.co.nz

Diving New Zealand

2010-10-16T09:23:00.001+13:00

Summer is slowly heating uo with good reports coming in from around the country. First up we have excellent vidibility out in the Outer gulf diving with the team of Goat Island Dive. Scallops are abundant, fat and juicy. We have also had reports in from Coromandel from Delphinus Charters and Tairua Dive of good sized Crayfish that are now coming out of berry.

Diving the Aldermen AIslands is awesome as there is so much to see as well as being a location that you take take a feed of fresh Kaimoana. They key here is only taking what you need, not what you are allowed to take so we can all play our part in maintaining good stock levels.

The team of the Dive Guys at Wellington are also shaping up to having a great summer. For all your diving needs in Wellington, make sure you checkout the Dive Guys.

Shark diving with Boyd of Surfit Charters this past season with the Great White sharks was non productive due to Orca's staying around the reef system that they normally frequent. When Orca's are about the Whites will run as these killer whales will make lunch out of the Great Whites. Hopefully next season will be more productive for the team of Surfit Charters.

Here is a Video of the Adventures that you can have with us while diving with the Great White sharks at the Chatham Islands' The Chatham Great White shark Adventure Tours new website will be fully online mid to late November with special offers. Checkout the new site late November, but you can still follow this URL to see the packages available, Great White Shark Dive NZ

Shark Dive Video: Cage Diving Chathams

2010-09-27T05:43:00.002+13:00

Hi Friends,
Here is a link to a video clip by one of our first Great White Shark divers at the Chatham Islands. More videos and photos will be placed online upon my return to New Zealand. The Chatham Islands' have so much to offer as I have had the pleassure of exploring a few top places with our new arrival Mark Scott, legendary comedian that took the island by storm. Here is a link to that video as well as an image of Comedian Mark below, while exploring the coastal land of the Moriori people.

Great White Sightings - Protecting Divers

2010-09-24T09:01:00.000+12:00

Hi Friends, Well a few months back I reported to you about a diver that had an encounter with a Great White shark in Ocean bay at the Chatham Islands! We have now been notified of how this same diver has encountered another Great White shark on the other side of the Island off Owenga. The shark was reported to be 12 foot long and seemed to show little aggression.

There is a concern amongst a few divers up here of how they can avoid Mr White, but really speaking the only way is to stay out of the water. This is not an option if the business that you are in involves diving for Kina or Paua.

New Zealand is the only country globally that allows our divers to dive for Paua, Abalone without being able to take safety measures. In Australia for an example the divers are allowed to use UBA as well as have a specialized cage that they can protect themselves with.

Taking Action, placing pressure on the NZ government is the only realistic way we can get our divers the protection that they so deserve as it is practiced in other parts of the world. Allowing divers to work in the environment that they do here is surely against Occupational Safety and Health practices. Is the NZ government trying to say that our divers are less at risk or less important than other nations divers?

As I understand it, the ministry of fisheries tries to justify not allowing UBA by saying that this will have a negative imapct of stock numbers. Personally I think this is a load of BS, as the people of the Chatham Islands' for example have one of the best marine ecosystems here that seems to by managed rather well. These people are generally not into plundering their resources as they depend upon them for equal balanced ongoing survival in this remote part of the world.

Allowing divers to take Paua for an example on UBA will be allowing divers to venture to grounds that they may not venture to at this present time. This would aid in relieving commercial pressures on areas that are constantly worked.

If MFish are sure there procedures for maintaining stocks are satisfactory then there is no reason to be concerned with overfishing or exploitation, as divers have a set quota already in place. I would like to see these decission makers come to the Chathams for an example and take the plunge the way the divers of New Zealand are doing now! But this is more than likely not going to happen as they play with peoples lives at the stroke of a pen!!

The use of UBA for the taking of Paua, should be limited to commercial divers in NZ, with massive fines for recreational divers that try to get away with it.

Case Testing Programme
I would like to see a case testing programme put in place at the Chatham Islands' for the use of UBA for the collection of Paua and Kina, allowing divers to explore the use of protection cages. This could be done on a short term basis initially, having the divers and Mfish monitor this testing period.

How you can Help!
Write to the ministry of fisheries expressing your concerns for the divers that are treated wrongfully, being unable to protect themselves of dangers that lay beneath in our Oceans. You can also contact Occupational Health and Safety as it is these divers that are being treated in a manner that is morally unacceptable.

For more information about Great White Shark Research follow this link.

Whale Stranding Chatham Islands

2010-09-23T14:57:00.001+12:00

Hi Guys, Well there was a massive Pilot Whale stranding a couple of weeks ago up here at the Chatham Islands. We have been able to film the whales from the sea as well as from the land and I will be doing a full report on this upon my return to New Zealand. Here is a couple of images until then with many thanks to Shirley King that represents the Moriori people that gave us access to the beach.

These Whales were not noticed or known about until, a local fisherman by the name of Stan told me, leading on to the notification of doc. Even though this was a tragic event! It is not uncommon for the Chatham Islands' as thousands of whales have stranded here over the years, including Sperm Whales on more than 1 occassion.

There is so much to see at the Chatham Islands' when you venture here on a diving, shark cage diving or scenic visit. Here is one of my favorite coastal photos.

We have had Mark Scott; Comedian up here over the past week and here he is in person under 1 of the many coastal trees that have a unique shape and form.

As I find myself in the office looking over the waves crashing against the foreshore, I am somewhat thankful that I was unable to fly out today, as that would have been terrible. Normally I need a few ales before getting on such a small plane.

Rekohu - Chatham Islands

2010-09-13T21:32:00.000+12:00

Hi Friends', Well it has been a while since my last Blog entry as I am now located at the Chatham Islands' as we set up the Great White Shark Dive NZ packages. There is so much to see and do in this land that has a great amount of historic values. The Chatham Islands name in Moriori is Rekohu meaning Misty Land. This is very true as here at this Sub Antartic island you can have mist hang around until lunchtime then clear for a few hours before it sets back in later in the afternoon.

The Great white shark diving is going well and we are seeing big girls every day. We have not seen any males yet but I am sure we will as others have seen the big boys further off the coastline.

We will be having all the travel packages on Dive Planet soon as well as on the new Great White shark dive website that we are currently constructing.

Here are a few images of the Beautiful Chatham Islands, where the people are friendly and helpful.

Find more photos like this on Dive Club Global

Rebuilding Dive Planet Website - Russell Says

2010-08-19T23:45:00.000+12:00

Hi Friends, well here at Dive Planet we are currently looking at alternative web hosting providers and we will be bringing you a new vibrant looking Dive planet NZ website in the coming months. Things will not be too different as you will know that you are still on the right site, but we are going to change the navigation system quite a lot.

Other aspects of the site that will change include but not limited to a more comprehensive photo gallery section where you can explore all types of galleries from, Spearfishing, Freediving, Scuba diving NZ to Catchbag and Scenic dive locations.

Within our new galleries you will find links to where you can purchase framed photos online including prints on canvas that will be limited editions. Some of these awesome photos will be 1 of 1 that will come framed with authenticity papers.

Our video galleries will be setout like the photo galleries with options of purchasing videos that range from documentaries to scenic diving and sport fishing DVD’s.

As I look over the huge site we have constructed it is somewhat daunting to think about; when you are about to do a rebuild, but we are a company that aims to provide the best and most relative information that you seek.

The whole team at Dive Planet would like to thank you all for your support giving us the drive and determination to expand the Dive Planet website as we take into account concepts that you have asked for. We will live up to your expectations with the support and dedication from our new cms provider that is equally driven to accommodate even the trickiest website reconstructions. More info about this new player that can build you the “Ultimate site” soon!!

As for now I am off to update my other blogs about the Great White Shark Dive NZ project that we are all working very hard on as we set up the best Great White shark diving operation in New Zealand.

Take care and remember! Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan!!

About Galeophobia the Fear of Sharks

2010-08-18T14:44:00.001+12:00

Shark fear is commonly known as galeophobia, when a person has a fear of sharks they will typically shy away from water activities, as I did, where there was any potential risk of encountering sharks. This is a very real debilitating fear that is often passed on to other family members and friends especially children. Other factors that people who fear sharks will typically avoid, include watching any movies or view images of sharks, as to them this in itself can be overwhelming. So why do people fear sharks? Follow this link as we look into Shark Fear, Galeophobia, Fear of Sharks

When we talk about Fear of anything we really come down to a few basic but important points. First off is having fear a bad thing? That may seem a lttle strange to ask, but if we sit back and think about it, "Fear" has its positive points. Imagine if we all went through life with no fear!! The world would be a very dangerous place, would it not?

We would not fear death and this in itself could, or more than likely would become the end of all human life on earth. I want you to just think about this point!!

Taking the above into account along with the link that talks about shark fear and related issues I personally think that fear is a good thing!! It all depends on how we mange this fear. Do we take control of the fears we have or do we let fear take control of our lives? My next article on this subject will be looking at ways of controlling fear, putting the things that scare us into perspective. But for now I invite all those that have a fear of sharks to follow this link as I am seeking out an individual to help learn how to control Shark Fear.
Fear of Sharks – Shark Fear with Paul Morris

Fear of Sharks – Shark Fear with Paul

2010-08-15T01:13:00.000+12:00

Does the thought of getting near a shark make you break out in a sweat? Then I say diving with Great Whites may be exactly what you need. Dive Planet NZ is helping people with a deep seated fear of sharks and the ocean overcome their fear.

I have had a personal experience of fearing the ocean developing the phobia after being attacked by a Great White while kayaking and fishing in Taupiri Bay in 2005.

I Paul Morris suffered a stutter, nightmares and anxiety following the encounter and was directed by a psychologist to find out as much as he could about the creatures. This led to being chosen as the subject of a documentary (N.O.W Shark Fear) where I made peace with the ocean by diving with the creatures I had been meeting only in his nightmares till then.

While filming in Fiji, I also developed a love for diving and went on to form Dive Planet with Julian Snelgrove. With the support of Great White Shark Dive NZ I now want to give back so I am asking those with a fear of the ocean, to make a submission to join me, a psychologist and shark diving experts to dive in a cage with sharks.

The winning submission will receive an all expenses paid week long trip to a Great White shark diving destination. You do not have to be dive qualified as all cage diving is based on a surface cage.

Follow this link and fill in an application form now!!
Go to http://www.diveplanet.co.nz/ for more details

Final Submissions have to be in by the first of February 2011.

Worst Animal Nightmares - Sharks and Giveaways

2010-08-11T01:11:00.000+12:00

Hi Friend's

Well our team has got most of those little glitches sorted out so now we can concentrate on bigger and better things. The last doco I did about my Shark attack that I like to look upon now as more of an encounter that changed my life, will be on TV3 soon. There is a preview video that I got from the Best Picture Company in Brisbane on our site, but this is better viewed on TV3. Having come full circle after this attack I now want to give a little back.

Great White Shark Dive NZ and myself are looking for someone that has a fear of sharks or the ocean, so we can help you get back enjoying our beautiful aquatic realm. This package is worth over $5000.00 as we encourage you to take the steps towards a better understanding of sharks, to finally go diving with Paul and the Great White sharks of New Zealand.

The diving side of this will be at the Chatham Islands where Great White sharks are spotted in good numbers all year round. Out here at the Chatham's there is only a population of 600 odd, with less than 20 that go swimming and diving in the deep, yet everyone sees the Great Whites. For all information please follow this link, Shark Fear With Paul Morris and Email us all the information we are seeking as you may be the lucky one to be chosen.

Face your fears, discover truth and freedom as you explore the beauty of New Zealand underwater.

Dive Planet NZ Website Glitch

2010-08-09T00:34:00.004+12:00

Hi Friend's

Thanks to all of you whom have sent us an email in regards to the glitches on the Dive Planet website. We assure you that this is just temporary and our "Trusty" web guys at E-C in Gisborne are doing all they can to get this matter sorted out for us all. The E-C internet group owned by Russell Holland from Russell Says is a company that really stands by and supports their customers. Taking this into account I am sure the team are just as eager as we are to see things back to normal.

Looking at more positive aspects of Dive Planet and our new Project being Great White Shark Dive NZ these are exciting times as we focus on promoting the Best shark diving operation in New Zealand. These packages will have many options for you to have an amazing adrenalin pumping time, coming "Face to Face" with Great White sharks, then relaxing in the hotel with fresh New Zealand cuisine and fine wines.

Paul is also going to be putting a trip up for one lucky person to face their fear of sharks with him and the Great White Shark team that are sponsoring this package. More info will be released when Paul's Doco Your Worst Animal Nightmares / Sharkbait comes on TV3 soon!! Links will be available from the TV3 network as well.

Take care and Dive Safe Friends! I will catch up with you all tomorrow once Dive Planet is back to normal!

Great White Shark Dive NZ: NEW GREAT WHITE SHARK PHOTOS

2010-08-05T01:16:00.000+12:00

Great White Shark Dive NZ: NEW GREAT WHITE SHARK PHOTOS: "Well Friends, Here are those new photos that I have been promising to post of the Great white sharks that you will see at the Chatham Islan..."

Great White Shark Dive NZ: New URL Great White Shark Dive Blog

2010-08-03T16:57:00.000+12:00

Great White Shark Dive NZ: New URL Great White Shark Dive Blog: "Hi Friend's, Well we are progressing forward very nicely. The biggest news we have is that now you can link directly to this blog using this..."

Stationary Warehouse North Shore Auckland

2010-07-28T23:51:00.001+12:00

Hi Friends,
How often have you purchased a product that offers a warranty only to find that when there is a problem you get mucked around by the shop you made the purchase from? Well I have found this with a few companies having endless hassles with Toshiba for a starter over my daughters laptop chargers, that have only lasted a short period of time. Even though they were under warranty between Harvey Normans and Toshiba NZ I got nowhere ending up buying new ones so my girls can do their studies....

However I have to say that there are other companies that really go that extra mile to ensure that the customer is looked after. This brings me to the Stationary Warehouse on the North Shore in Auckland, as here I have always found the staff to be exceptionally helpful with all of our needs and requirements.

A prime example of the help that this company has assisted me with, was my very comfy computer chair that broke down between the first and second year of purchase. For myself having a spinal injury and fused discs it is vital to be comfy when spending 12 hours a day building the Dive Planet network. So i took my chair back to the team at the Stationary Warehouse hoping that they could assist me getting a few new parts. When I showed the gentleman the problem he asked for proof of purchase which I did not have, so he then took the time to search for the sale by the dates I gave him. Once this was located I was really surprised to have the manager of the store not only replace the parts, but gave me a new chair!!

I suppose many of us get complacent expecting to pay for damages as companies try to weasel out of honoring the initial sale and warranties of products. But I have to say that the Stationary Warehouse really are a fantastic group to deal with and I personally would recommend them to anyone. So if you are living in Auckland, looking for a great company to deal with for all stationary and office requirements, make sure you see the team at the Wairau Road branch on Auckland's North Shore.

Thanks Team, Great work and Great customer satisfaction!!

Warehouse Stationery Wairau Park
17-19 Croftfield Lane, Wairau Park, Auckland
New Zealand
Phone: (09) 443 4844
http://www.warehousestationery.co.nz
Opening Hours: 8:00am - 8:00pm, weekdays. 9:00am - 6:00pm Sat & Sun
Fax: (09) 443 4888

18 Million in 24 Hours online

2010-07-11T11:07:00.000+12:00

The reason for me bringing up this topic is from having to endure listening to motivational tapes, DVDs from a boarder that I had. I can only take so much of this personally. In saying this I admire this person in some ways for trying to deal with his mental instabilities, listening to motivational speakers for self improvement. Unfortunately getting motivated then going and getting stoned off your face is a real concern and contradiction.

I am totally amazed at the mentality of some people that listen to motivational speakers, and then think that they can make the same amount of money in such a short period of time. Do they not realize that people like Anthony Robbins have dedicated a great deal of time into study of marketing research? Sure Anthony Robbins had a great idea and made a lot of money from it, but you cannot expect to be computer illiterate and think that you are going to do the same overnight!!

The fastest way of making huge money online is to have a proven strategy advising others of how to make a fortune in a short period of time. The thought of getting a lot of money for minimal effort is appealing but not a realistic option. This type of selling of ideas and strategies is only selling a dream, playing on the minds of the weak and fool hearty to a large degree. For the ones that do find success it comes from extracting key ideas and components then using these within your own marketing campaign for your own unique product or service. Take Ryan Wade for an example, now this is a guy that has done very well for himself, not by copying others content, but more so implementing key aspects of other successful peoples strategies into his own unique business.

So for those that think they can do this without any knowledge of marketing concepts, computer knowledge, or having a dedicated number of followers in social media areas they are just dreaming. Of course you could try and re word content from another person who is successful, as this particular individual had planned, but this will only end up sadly for those that be so foolish.

Motivational speakers and salesmen have their place and they can be inspirational, with some great ideas but you have to take away the key points that relate directly to the UNIQUE business plan that you have. Do not be fooled by these quick rich schemes as they really are few and far between.

"Mother" Yeah Rite!!

2010-07-09T01:43:00.009+12:00

Hi Friends,

This week has been one with a chain of events that I never want to have to endure ever again, after finding a young boy screaming for his mummy in the middle of my ex-wifes street at 00.30

On Tuesday night Wednesday morning while looking after my children and watching a late show on Discovery channel with my eldest daughter, I was alerted by the sound of a child screaming for his mummy. To make matters worse the young boy aged four lived across the road from my ex-wifes place and was known to us all. I could not believe my eyes seeing this very young boy in the middle of the road on a wet cold night screaming for mummy. After running over to check on him and following him back into his home I realized he had been left alone while his so called mother was out with someone we thought we knew, getting drunk and stoned.

Cutting a very long story short I am totally horrified that any mother could leave their child alone at home opting to go and get drunk and stoned. I was even more horrified to find out that this boy’s mother was with someone that I thought I knew during this time period, whom was a boarder at my ex-wifes place.

People like this should not be allowed to have the care of children in their hands as this could have easily turned out to be another child fatality. I am however happy that this young boy knew us and happily came over to be warmed up and looked after till a loving parent being his father came to his aide. He is now in the safe and in the loving care of his father and I pray that he is never returned to his mother to live in an environment like that.

This ordeal has shaken myself and my extended family as it has been a rather emotional couple of days as we try to understand how anyone could be so selfish, placing drink, drugs and sex over their own child’s welfare. Then to get verbal abuse the next morning by both of the people responsible for ruining their night, thinking that my actions of calling the police was a direct attack against themselves, failing to take in the real reason that my ex-wifes primary concern was for this child.

Is this what society has come to? Leaving children alone so you can go out and get drunk and stoned! Where has true family values gone? One can only imagine the upbringing of this young mother, in order for her to act in such a negative and pathetic manner. Sadly I have to say, that people like this should not be allowed to breed as they are creating a very negative social acceptance that has to be stopped, before the cycle is repeated enough times for it to become an acceptable normality, where it is overlooked all together.

Initially this so called mother came across as being a caring person willing to do anything putting her child before anything, but after hearing how this is not the first time of leaving the child alone I feel so upset for this little boy of what may become of him if he is allowed back into her care.

On a final note to the mother of this child, you disgust me to my core and for the sake and well being of your son I hope he remains away from you in a loving environment where he will be cared for and loved. Seek help for the issues you have as it is obvious that your own upbringing is showing its ugly head as the cycle repeats itself.

As far as that other individual goes that played a part in leaving this boy alone I want you to know that you are worth nothing more than a sack of shit. You sicken me how you just carry on like normal as if nothing has happened moaning about how your night was ruined. So please don’t ever look at me, or talk to me!!

Plastics Killing our Oceans

2010-06-17T15:17:00.004+12:00

Hi Friends,
Plastics are ever increasing the Threat killing all life. Marine life is being killed at an alarming rate by plastics. What are you going to do about it be proactive or be lazy and away. Be a MEAN Kiwi stop plastics in our seas.

Most plastic bags end up in landfills, part of the millions of tons of plastic garbage we dump each year. But whether jettisoned illegally by ships at sea, washed out from land during storms, or, as in the case of the chalupa bags, accidentally lost overboard from containerships, countless tons of plastic refuse end up drifting on the high seas. People need to take more responsibilitty as we as a people our killing our planet with these materials. Plastic is the ENEMY. Watch this video and see if you how plastic is sufficating all life on Earth.

"Grim" Our Great White Shark

2010-06-17T15:04:00.002+12:00

Hi Friends,
Well I know it has been another long stint since I have made a posting here on my Blog but I have been doing a lot of really good stuff. I have been giving talks to children in schools as well as setting up competition pages where children that want to be Marine Eco Ambassadors of NZ can win prizes for their efforts.

A Shark Called Grim
Grim is a 2.8 metre Great White shark that was tagged off Stewart Island, by Clinton Duffy of the Department of Conservation in NZ. Grim is named after Grim Davis of Stewart Island as Mr Davis has been of Great support to Clinton and the team doing the tagging of these sharks, so we can learn more about them. Below is a picture of Grim as he makes his travels while being plotted by Clinton Duffy.

On Dive Planet NZ we will be following Grim and updating the page so make sure you check back on a weekly basis to see where Grim is going.
Great White Shark Tagged in NZ 2010

White Shark Conservation Trust Ongoing Saga

2010-05-12T22:11:00.001+12:00

Hi Friends,
As you are more than aware of my personal White Shark Conservation Trust site that I have on Word Press, I am still having ongoing issues with Bruce Grooney that started the first White Shark Conservation Trust in NZ. Bruce has been a real pain to work with since the start of having him get expossure on the Dive Planet website as you all know all to well after my last posting concerning his Slanderous disclaimer on his site. Since then I have recieved more from Bruce and as I am open about things I want to share it with you here on my blog along with my response, leaving it up to you as individuals to make up your own minds and email me your responses as you have done in the past. On that note I thank you all for your messages of support after the last posting!!

From Bruce Grooney
Paul

We the Trustees of the White Shark Conservation Trust do not feel you have been responsible in what you have published on this site. Your page is misleading. Using White Shark Conservation Trust as your main heading and "author line" is misleading and misrepresents you as being the registered entity "White Shark Cosnervation Trust", which you are not. Neither do you have our permission to use our company name or any of the Trusts proprietary information in any manner.

We note too that of all the themes available in word press you chose to use an almost identical theme and layout as the White Shark Conservation Trust, further aiding the belief that you are misrepresenting yourself.

There is a blog dated 10 May where you responded that you are the White Shark Conservation Trust site. Again misleading. We are the only registered legal entity "White Shark Conservation Trust" in New Zealand. Also untrue/misleading is your statement that the White Shark Conservation Trust was started on Dive Planet.. The White Shark Cosnervation Trust was started in the home of Mr Bruce Goorney in 2009. Dive Planet merely agreed to host us temporarily (to the benefit of both parties). We were greatful for this however the situation was not working and we had opportunity to manage our own site. It now seems that there may have been an ulteria motive given your unwillingness to remove all of our content and this new site which closely impersonates the White Shark Cosnervation Trust"

You are trying to trade on the reputation of others! Failure to remove all use of our company name will result in the lodgement of an infringement notice.

Reply from Myself to Bruce Grooney
Dear Bruce,

You the Trustees of the White Shark Conservation Trust.org first started out on the Dive Planet website and that is a fact. The Benefits to your naming initially that got you noticed started from Dive Planet NZ. Links that I placed to your site placed you on the Top of Google, until such time that you threatened legal action against Dive Planet for linking to you. How pathetic is that? But that is your choice and so be it.

I told you Bruce from the start that I would build up the ranking and the page would never be moved away from the Dive Planet website but we would link to your own site once launched as we did!! Even though this had no benefit to Dive Planet it was in the best interests of your site. Subsequently your page ranking has dropped after the link removal from Dive Planet.

The ultimate aim is to educate people about the plight of the Great White Sharks is it not? There seems to be hostility on your behalf Bruce as you disagree as you have stated with Dive Planet's viewpoints. I am interested as to what you disagree with?

In regards to you Bruce being the only legal White Shark Conservation Trust in NZ that is actually false as all search terms for this in search engines will show the first pages on the internet was those on the Dive Planet website. My legal domain here is www.whitesharkconservationtrust.info although not linked to this site yet.

Point 2 is that I have been involved with the Great White Shark info in NZ long before your site came along and I have always linked to others that promote or educate others about the importance of sharks in our oceans.

Point 3. The Great White Shark Conservation trust site that I have on Wordpress is using a generic Wordpress template until I get the Style sheet changed. If this template happens to be like yours take it up with Wordpress as it is one of their generic templates.

However you have a shark image on the top of your page whereas I do not. Our Logo is nothing like yours and this will be on this site within the next week. This site will incorporate all our Project Sharkfin petition section as well. Bringing me to one final point that my site here is www.whitesharkconservationtrust.info INFO, meaning we link to other White Shark Trusts!! As well as providing links and resources about the Great Whites.

Point 4. In regards to misrepresentation I think you should be very careful here and I think you should have a really close look at yourselves first. Slander seems to play a big part in your neck of the woods and I advise you to tread carefully.

Point 5. Bruce I have not stated anywhere that you did not start your Trust site, but I have stated that that the White Shark Conservation Trust was first listed on the Dive Planet NZ website and that is a fact!! Nor have I bagged your Trust site like you have done against the Dive Planet website. Nor have I stated that we are the only Great White Shark Conservation Trust in NZ like you seem to have the Illusion that you are.

Point 6. The Dive Planet Website has no content that relates to you in any way yet your disclaimer on your site is slanderous and false towards Dive Planet NZ website that I am the webmaster for.

Point 7. I am more than happy to re-link to your website to promote the Shark Trust Site that you started Bruce as we are all working towards the one common goal. I am prepared to discuss matters of concern with you concerning the naming of my personal site, on Wordpress and I am willing to come to an arrangement for my domain name that I legally own as well this sites naming, then rename this section not that I am legally bound to do so. I would simply be doing this to save confusion. But initially I would have to see your slanderous disclaimer removed and all reference to it in the search engines removed first.

Point 8. Your comments have been posted on our site where you have submitted them and I am sure the International community will agree that your actions have been far from fair especially with the Slander comments on your site. One can only guess your motives as to where your true values lay, with sharks or Palm oil and monkeys. I would place a link to your site here-within but that may lead to further confrontation from you.

Summary of Facts
• White Shark Conservation Trust was first featured on Dive Planet NZ
• You were aware that the page name would always stay the same on Dive Planet
• Yes it took me a while to remove some of your content being made up of 1 paragraph
• I linked to your site from this page when you started your Word-press site
• You threatened legalities to Dive Planet for using your Logo to Link to your site
• You have continued to Slander Dive Planet with your False Disclaimer
• I am personally taking legal action against you for this false slander
• I helped you get your first Sharkwater show screening publicised to gain monies with no Direct financial gain to Dive Planet
• I have never stated that I am the only White Shark Conservation Trust website
• You still falsely state that you are the only White Shark Conservation Trust website
• www.whitesharkconservationtrust.info is legally owned by myself
• I am willing to re-name this section / site once you remove your slanderous remarks in your disclaimer and give you the domains that I own for what they have cost me to save confusion, not that I legally have to.
• I am willing to help you by linking to your site with conditions as I do with other reputable sites
• I am personally sick to death of your propaganda bullshit
• This will be published on my Blog as well as on the White Shark Conservation Trust Site that I legally own as I stand by my beliefs unlike some people that only publish points to make themselves look good!!

Kindest Regards
Paul Morris
www.whitesharkconservationtrust.info
paul@diveplanet.co.nz
Kindest Regards
Paul Morris

Earth Day Dive Planet NZ

2010-05-02T22:32:00.006+12:00

Hi Friends, Well Earth Day for Team Dive Planet NZ and Goat Island Dive was a real success. We managed to clean out 500kg of rubish from Leigh Habour. Just take a look at the video here of the highlights of our days event. You can also see the full report on Dive Planet Website Earth Day 2010

White Shark Conservation Trust Statement

2010-04-20T02:11:00.000+12:00

Hi Friends,
Well I have just received a newsletter from the White Shark Conservation Trust and I have to say that I was far from impressed with the majority of the statements made. Here within is a copied section of this newsletter then after that I will point out the facts that they are obviously overlooking.

Quote: There are some individuals who like to gain publicity by saying they were attacked... maybe to give them a sense of identity and publicity deserved by true attack survivors. In the case of a white shark launching a full attack, the animal rushes its target at speeds up to 25 miles an hour, and just before the moment of biting the eyes are rolled back into eye sockets to protect them. This makes the eye look blood-shot white. When the supposed ‘attacks’ are recounted the individual always talks about ‘eyes black as coals’ – very theatrical, but...not an attack... just a curious nibble!
As a Trustee of the White Shark Conservation Trust, it saddens and angers me to see individuals so ready to exploit the sharks anyway they can in order to make money, or nurse a narcissistic ego. This sort of exploitation is as bad as the trawler fisherman and long liners who decimate the world populations. End Quote:

Firstly this and I Quote: "There are some individuals who like to gain publicity by saying they were attacked... maybe to give them a sense of identity and publicity deserved by true attack survivors".

So what does the White Shark conservation trust think a true attack is? Tearing flesh fom the bone? There are many types of shark attacks. Researchers have been bitten on the leg, so was this an attack? What about someone like me that was knocked around for 40 odd minutes while kayak fishing then having my kayak submerged by the shark? Is this classed as an attack? Not according to the so called White shark conservation trust as these sharks were just curious and they were taking a nibble as quoted in the statement above!!

Quote:"In the case of a white shark launching a full attack, the animal rushes its target at speeds up to 25 miles an hour, and just before the moment of biting the eyes are rolled back into eye sockets to protect them. This makes the eye look blood-shot white."

In this above statement this is all true, but for a shark attack victim especially one that may have been tormented for a while, his or her memory will focus on what they initially saw. To say how the sharks eyes look blood shot is frigin ridiculous as no one person would be taking that image in. Maybe if you sit down and look at an attack frame by frame will you see this occurrence?

Quote: When the supposed ‘attacks’ are recounted the individual always talks about ‘eyes black as coals’ – very theatrical, but...not an attack... just a curious nibble!

As for the above statement here, I am now 100% convinced that the writer of this article is not only narrow minded but just plain thick!!Whilst being attacked by a shark of course you are going to recall the first images that you saw being the black looking eyes. There is nothing theatrical about that, and then to carry on saying it is just a curious nibble makes me honestly believe that the writer is the theatrical one. I am sure if it was him or herself that was being nibbled on it would be a whole different story.

Quote: As a Trustee of the White Shark Conservation Trust, it saddens and angers me to see individuals so ready to exploit the sharks anyway they can in order to make money, or nurse a narcissistic ego. This sort of exploitation is as bad as the trawler fisherman and long liners who decimate the world populations. End Quote:

So is he or she saying here that people that have only been nibbled on call it a shark attack in order to make money out of it? Or that they have a narcissistic ego? Talk about a pathetic statement!! There is no body that I know of that has made money or received a payment for a story that wishes the event never happened. Most victims of shark attacks or nibbles as the White Shark Conservation Trust states endure months to years of hardship with nightmares, shakes and fear of the sea, so to say they do it for money is insane! Knowing the owners of this particular trust I personally think insanity on their behalf is the most likely fact.

In summary I think the writer here at the Great White Shark conservation trust needs to take his hand off it, as it is affecting his thought pattern. I would also like to see how this individual reacts when he is looked upon by a shark as a potential meal or nibbled on. I am sure that it would be a whole different story.

I would also like to hear from others and the viewpoints they have in relation to the Quotes above. Email paul@diveplanet.co.nz

Visitors Diving in New Zealand

2010-03-24T11:33:00.004+13:00

There is nothing I enjoy more than having the opportunity to share the thrill of diving in New Zealand with overseas visitors. Hi Paul here of Dive Planet NZ, recently I was contacted by a young man from New York Bryce Oleski expressing interest in coming to New Zealand to do some Spearfishing. As it turned out Bryce was also doing his Padi Scuba course so I set him up on a couple of Great Dives at the Poor Knights Islands as well as scuba diving the Canterbury wreck F-421 located in Deepwater Cove. The video at the bottom of this page is of Bryce diving on this wreck being the last Leander Class Frigate in New Zealand with the awesome team of Northland Dive.

Shane and Julia of Northland Dive have a fantastic setup with this Backpackers lodge that boast a stunning landscape on Old Russell Road in Northland. From here they take you out to many great dive sites like the Canterbury wreck as well as other locations that include caves and very scenic dive locations. One of these locations that are a top rated site is Danger Rock and it is here that they have seen dolphins; Orca�s and whales on numerous occasions.

So join me now as we take in more info and see for yourselves the great times you too can have exploring HMNZS Canterbury with Northland Dive. This video gives a whole new meaning of ship to shore telecomunications.

Dive NZ Dive Planet Upgrades

2010-03-15T01:23:00.007+13:00

Hi Friends, Well it has been a very hard few weeks here on the Dive Planet website as we look at a whole range of possibilities. First up we have been looking at Launching Dive Planet TV on the Ziln Network. This will start off with Dive Planet featuring documentaries on the Marine section under Animal talk to hopefully lead on to our own Dive Channel. More on this subject as things get finalized for the launch on the 26th of March. Look at this Mother of a Crayfish!! It took two divers to get her to the surface. As you can see it is larger than a 12ltr Alloy Scuba Tank. Full report under Catch Bag.

Lady Bubbles has been a popular page on the Dive Planet website but I have always felt that this page was lacking behind. Well I am now pleased to announce that we have a few groups of lady divers that will be taking over this page turning it into a very unique and special place for female divers. Keep an eye on Lady Bubbles Scuba Diver Girls over the coming month. Marine Planet that is a section of the Dive Planet website is currently being overhauled with a brand new video feature. This is a great way to advertise your business with the traffic that it is generating. The Marine Planet pages will now link into a new looking Fish ID section that we are also working on as well as linking to many other network sites that we are involved with.

Checkout the NEW shark footage on Marine Planet and see the Great Diving that you can have in New Zealand as well as in Australia with friends Andrew Fox, Rodney Fox Shark Experience. Dive Club Global is attracting a lot of visitors now with members using the site to upload photos and video.

We will be working more on this over the coming week introducing more videos from across the globe. So come on in and be part of Dive Club Global and meet new and interesting people to plan your next adventure with.

Dive Safe Cheers Paul

UNDERWATER VIDEO

2010-03-01T17:43:00.005+13:00

There is nothing better than going diving and filming the divers and the marine life. I get a great amount of satisfaction from filming underwater especially new divers to the sport and giving them a copy of the dives. But this past weekend has really bugged me a lot as the footage I have taken recently on anotheer camera has ended up having a black dot in the middle of it all. I have check the housing and this looks clear, as well as checking the cameras wide angle lens and that looks fine as well, so I am starting to think that there may be an issue within the camera itself. Take a look at this video and if you have any ideas please advise me as it is a real pain in the butt. Contact Paul on paul@diveplanet.co.nz

Bayfisher Magazine

2010-02-27T16:18:00.009+13:00

Hi Friends,
I find it quite strange how I only have a few contacts in here yet I recieve a lot of traffic from my blogs. Well I am here to give all my readers some very important info. I will be doing articles for the Bayfisher magazine and encourage you all to Subscribe to this Magazine that is growing fast as the best Fishing and Diving magazine in New Zealand.

Click on BAYFISHER and Subscribe NOW.

Earth Day 2010 Goat Island Dive Planet NZ

2010-02-26T01:43:00.005+13:00

On April 22nd and this year we are going to be having Earth Day with the awesome team of Goat Island Dive in Leigh. This will be a Great day so we want to have record numbers turn up to take part in the activities that we are planning. First off Earth Day will be a shore based project based around Leigh harbour and Matheson�s Bay. We will be on the search for unwanted debris that is lying above and below the surface.

The Dive Planet Goat Island Dive Earth Day is pleased to announce that we will be having Luke and the Team along from Blackdogcat to take divers out to the reef sections of the inner harbour. For those of you that are interested you can demo a Blackdogcat on the day as well, these boats are awesome for scuba divers, spearo�s and fishermen alike. Click the Blackdogcat for more info.

CONTACT paul@diveplanet.co.nz to Register

Earth Day on DIVE CLUB GLOBAL

Passions of Scuba Diving Free Diving

2010-02-11T20:01:00.003+13:00

For many people that have been diving for a number of years I feel have lost touch with the peace and incredible beauty that is held within the holds of our magnificent oceans. Due to the nature of my business I speak with many divers, Scuba Divers, Free Divers along with hunters and spear fishermen. Generally hunters and gatherers look upon our oceans as being a means of providing food or the enjoyment of catching Crayfish along with the sport of hunting. But for photographers, videographers , conservational divers as well as new divers I feel they see the ocean in a whole different light.

I have only been diving a few years now clocking up over 800 dives yet I still marvel at the glorious creations that are held within this watery world that I feel so at peace in. Even the sharks that cruise the depths all have a unique role to play in the everlasting life cycle as long as man does not break and kill this life source of our planet. I am a hunter and gatherer only taking what I need for any one day ignoring what I am allowed to take as taking that much in my eyes would be plundering an already endangered eco system.

Some divers have expressed a feeling of sadness when departing from the ocean for surface intervals or time back in the routine of life and this is another aspect that I relate to overwhelmingly so. As being in the sea exploring the creatures that gaze upon us as if we are the ones on display gives me great satisfaction and inner peace. Others have described deeper emotional feelings of being more loving and willing of expressing their feelings after diving towards a partner or companion. Is this because of other desires, pressures or are these people just more in tune with our nature and our planet. I like to think that it is because we are passionate and caring for the life force of our oceans and land.

Free divers seem more in tune with our aquatic realm than scuba divers as they are at one with the oceans free of any instrumental devices to keep them there. They are and seem to be more accepted by all aquatic life in this capacity.

Ask yourself, what do I really feel when I go diving, what do I take from the sea and then think about the ways and things you do to look after her and protect her. I think many people will discover that we take our oceans for granted and we give back very little, so I ask you all to take more care, support groups that clean her look after her and bring you knowledge of the importance of all creatures within her bounds.

Fishing Northland New Zealand

2010-02-05T08:07:00.006+13:00

Hi Friends Well, I have just got back from taking a break up North, I was suppose to go diving but ended up getting my son to return my Dive Gear that I hired from the awesome shop the Dive Centre on the North Shore. Catching up with Luke and the team of Blackdogcat we headed up to Ninety mile beach for one heck of a good time. To see the full report follow this link Doubtless Bay Fishing Comp Here is a video of the day that we had, magic stuff with our Blackdogcat.

Featured in this video is Luke Kevin and Ants. This article also has a gallery of photos on the Global Fish N Dive Club. Be a Global Dive Club Member with us here.

Over Tired But Online

2010-01-27T14:15:00.005+13:00

Hi Friends,

Well I have to say that I am totally beat!! It has been a marathon trying to get everything in place to launch our new look Dive Planet website. We still have quite a lot of things that we need to tweak like the Online shop as well as a few of the old pages, but I am sure we will get this done soon!!

Never the Less we have Now launched our Online Dive Club that is called the Global Fish N Dive Club. Tell all your friends to come on in and sign up as this is a free place of meeting new people and making friends.

Please support our Sponsors Like Blackdogcat and Ocean Hunter that have made this site possible.

Direct link is here below

Visit Dive Club Global

We hope that you will invite all your friends to join the Global Fish n Dive Club as we continue to evolve and expand our dedication to the International diving community. Here is a list of all that you can do within your Club.
• Have your own page so others can get to know you
• Meet New and interesting people
• Invite all your friends to join or see your photos and videos
• See a list of all members that you may contact
• Upload all your diving photos; please create an Album for your photos. We will feature all new albums. Some photos may also feature on Dive Planet with your copyright info
• Upload Videos quick and easy. We do ask that you embed from YouTube, Vimeo, Metacafe or Dive Planet’s Channel on Dive Tube to save on bandwidth
• Start your own forum, Discussions and invite friends. Place links to your favourite sites for reference
• Events, Promote your dive club, events and activities
• Start your own Groups like Spearfishing, Conservation, Scuba Divers etc
• Chat with friends online within the Global Fish n Dive Club
• Electronic games are also available where you can challenge your friends and see others high scores. Great for the Children too
• Video Chat to members
Paul and Julian would like to thank our sponsors especially Mike of Ocean Hunter who has been a great support and key player in helping us fund our Global Fish n Dive Club.

The Blackdogcat

2010-01-23T02:11:00.005+13:00

The Blackdogcat is coming to Dive Planet. This is the best and most fun dive and fishing boat I think I have ever been on for her size and class. This boat in actual fact is a real bad-boy as it is mind blowingly fast, takes a punishing and is incredibly easy to board after diving. Checkout the video below of the Blackdogcat.

Spearfishermen and Sharks NZ

2010-01-19T20:18:00.007+13:00

Hi Friends,

Spearfishing and Sharks in NZ, so what are the chances of getting attacked by a shark while Spearfishing in New Zealand? Really speaking your chances of getting attacked is quite low, but the most important factor to remember is that the sharks want your fish NOT you!!

Over here in New Zealand divers frequently see sharks with the most common shark being the Bronzie, (Bronze Whaler) these sharks are very cheeky as if you do the unthinkable and have fish tied around your waist the sharks will skilfully come and steal them from you. I was recently talking to a spearo that had fish tied to his waist and upon return to the beach was horrified to see that only the heads were left. I was told that he did not even feel them being taken. You guessed it he no longer ties his fish close to his body!!

For new visitors and residents to NZ, seeing sharks like the Bronze Whaler is a high possibility. Sharks like the Great White shark are still quite rare to be seen, even though we have a few sightings each year. These sightings mainly come from Scuba Divers and fishermen. Here is a link to one Australian Spearo that had a Great White come and say hello, at Horn Rock in Auckland’s Outer Gulf. He was close enough to touch her as it cruised past checking him out. See Video footage that he took of his encounter here on Dive Planet; Rob Wills Great White.

Another email that I have received was from a young lady whose boyfriend went diving in the area that I had my encounter with a Great White in 2005. Well Dawn to answer your question about time of year that I had this encounter it was Jan 14th 2005. I have had reports that this big 5 to 6 metre girl has been in the area again this year last spotted off the Reef just outside Taupiri Bay, where your partner may have been Spearfishing.

Great White Sharks are very curious creatures, as they usually take a good look at intended prey before making a move. Here is a link to a video of a Great white shark off Gisborne, notice how this little 3 metre girl is taking her time checking out the fresh tuna.

Great White Sensory is another very interesting section I have written about on Dive Planet as we search to find an understanding about these deadly yet beautiful majestic predators of our oceans.

Spearfishing Tips• Never Tie your fish around your waist
• Remember that when sharks turn up they are there primarily for your fish not you
• Keep your fish a good distance from yourself when swimming back to the beach
• Use a Plat Spearfishing Plat. More about these in my next blog.
• One trick is to use a black plastic bag see below for more info

Confuse the Sharks
I have been told by one seasoned spearo that he uses a large black plastic bag to place his fish inside attached to the float line. He has told me that this confuses the sharks as they can scent the prey but are very skitterish about this object floating in the currents. This is something that I really want to put to practice and video to see how the sharks will respond.

Sorry but this has to be cut short as I still have a lot of linking to complete to get our new site live, so stay tuned for more toothy info with Paul’s Dive Blog. Dive Planet Fox Great White Research

Plan the Dive n Dive the Plan!!

Strange Fish New Visitor to NZ waters

2010-01-19T00:56:00.004+13:00

Sandra Wakeford of the Browns Bay Boating club was recently looking for Marlin 12 nautical miles out the back of the Poor Knights Islands when they came across a strange fish. After emailing Paul at Dive Planet describing what was seen along with corresponding Emails to Clinton Duffy of the Department Of Conservation, it turns out this may very well be an.....More info article

Frustrations of Linking

2010-01-18T15:55:00.003+13:00

Hi Friends of Dive Planet,

Well it is another gruelling day here pounding my keyboard as I sort out the links for our New Dive Planet Templates. This would have to be one of the most mind bending jobs that I think I have ever done. But I am sure that once all is complete it will make the Dive planet website all the better for our many thousands of visitors as well as for the admins that work in her backend.

This is one backend job that I think that I can live without as I am sure there are better backend jobs out there. Kiwi Humour!!

Well that is about it for the moment as I really have to finish off linking the Spearfishing section on the Dive Planet network. To be kept fully up to date with what is happening on Dive Planet checkout the links on the right of this blog if you are interested.

Plan the Dive N Dive the Plan!!

Building the Dive Planet website

2010-01-16T20:10:00.004+13:00

Building the Dive Planet Website

Building a website is hard enough even with a really good content management system like ours. When building a website the biggest things to do include planning out the site, knowing what sections you are going to have as well as how these sections will be laid out. Then you have to take into account how these sections will work over a long period of time. This is an area that I have not really planned well initially that has now created a rod for my back that I have had to fix. But once we have got our new structure in place we will be on our merry way in a far more efficient way that will be better usability for the admins as well as the visitors.

Take our articles section on Dive Planet for an example; my biggest problem has been placing all the links and sub pages under the one heading. This has now created a lot of problems for me due to the amount of content that I have. Where the problem lays is that new pages and old info are overlapped making it hard to compile relevant and current sections.

To overcome this I have made a sacrifice placing all articles into an archive folder that I will now have to wait for Google to Re: index. All new articles for sections such as Spearfishing, Scuba Online Magazine as well as catchbag are all sitting in an archive folder called archive 2010. This will make things a lot easier for me and our visitors as they will be looking at current content, as well as being able to look at content from previous years. So at the start of 2011 all I have to do is place a link on our very well tagged articles page to the content of 2010 and start a new archive for 2011.

Google Analytics
Analytics play a very important part in all websites as this single tool system allows you to track and monitor every aspect of your website, from visitors to pages visited, length of time on each page and much more. Google analytics also allows you to see other sites that link to yours as well as reporting errors of broken inbound links. I did not know this before but broken inbound links have a negative impact on your site, so you have to contact the sites that are linking in and get them to fix the links or remove them.

Duplicate meta data is a big NO NO and to my surprise I have found that we have had a few pages that were like this. These problems have been fixed now but without Google Analytics I would have never known the problem existed. Crawl errors that we had included meta tags that were too short. It is important to make sure that your meta tags are descriptive to the page of content.

An example of this would be to call a page (Recipes) Google will look at this and go, “Ok what recipes, this single word is not very descriptive of what the page is about. So if we Change this page name to Recipes of New Zealand then this would be viewed more favourably by Google. Well here at Dive Planet we have decided to call and tag our Recipes page Seafood Recipes of New Zealand. Now we are looking really good in the eyes of Google as the page is optimized describing what the main page and sub pages are about.

That’s a Wrap
Well that is all I have time for today but we will carry on with a bit more about Google Analytics another day. In the meantime you can read more about Google Analytics by following this link.

New Dive Planet Is coming

2010-01-15T23:28:00.008+13:00

Hi Friends, Well it has been a very long time since I have been posting blogs but I am now back with vengence. My Dive Blogs will be updated at least once a day from now on as I prepare to launch the New Look Dive Planet website. Dive Planet NZ is a place where you can learn all about the diving options in New Zealand.

We are New Zealand's number one Diving Webbsite. So what makes Dive Planet so good and why are we constantly expanding? The simple answer is dedication. I am deeply dedicated to Make Dive Planet NZ the best diving website Globally. New Features of Dive Planet NZ will include the Ultimate Dive N Fishing Club that will be going online in a couple of weeks.

To see more and become part of this Global Club you will just have to keep up to date with our Newsletters. Subscribe to Dive Planet Newsletters and be in to win prizes. We send gifts all over the world!! My next topic tomorrow will be on the Ady Gil and how Dive Planet NZ is helping raise funds to rebuild multiple Ady Gil style boats for round two of Japan versus Sea Shepherd and the protection of whales. More info can be found by following this link Japan Sinks Earthrace.

Ya All come back now Ya Hear. This is Paul signing off ttill next time!!

Shark Fining Petition

2009-07-07T14:59:00.004+12:00

Hi All, Well today I want you all to make a change and tell the NeW Zealand government to pull thier heads in and start to protect the Sharks in our Oceans. Many people look at this subject as a Hot Potato and do not want to touch it. But here at Dive Planet I am going to personally make sure Shark fining in NZ as well as the importation of Shark Fin products into NZ STOPS. Please follow this link PROJECT SHARK FIN and sign our petition.

If we do nothing then 90% of the worlds sharks will cease to exist by 2028. Don't think the problems too big as we can still make a change but if we wait it will be too late. Let your children see these magnificent creatures as they are suppose to be swimming in our Oceans. If not our marine ecosystem will be a very sad place full of algae and jellies as it dies forever.

So please Support Project Shark Fin NZ NOW

Blogging - Vlogging & Social Media

2009-06-18T22:23:00.002+12:00

Welcome back, Ok well you can now see that I am starting to get an idea of how all this works. I never thought that I would say this but the way Blogspot ties in with other programs really does have its benefits.

I have another blog that for some reason I cannot connect to and I am guessing that this has something to do with RSS Feeds that my site does not have in place currently. However the blog posts on Dive Planet will be totally different to the ones here.

Blogging is really great and I thought I was doing really well until my daughter said to me " Hey Dad my friend and I are Vloggers" Vloggers>? Yep thats right they are both Video Bloggers and go by being Vloggers! How kool is that !! Well I am not that up to becoming a Vlogger just yet but who knows what may lay ahead? I can see the benefits in Vlogging considering in the month of March throughout the USA over 11 billion video clips were watched.

Social media is a good thing but I cannot for the life of me see the point in having a computer program post blogs or tweets to your contacts. Some may be doing this for the opportunity of making a quick buck, but I assure everyone that adds me as a friend that I will be keeping in touch with you on a personal level. An example of this would be the lovely Angela who is everso creative and her creations in art I am sure blossoms from the beauty within her. I invite you to go and meet Angela here.

Well thats about all for me for this evening as I have a lot to do on the Dive Planet website.

Take care Dive Safe!!

Blogging

2009-06-18T22:12:00.005+12:00

Well I am sure you can all tell that I am quite new to this blogging process as I am making quite a few mistakes. However I do see the value in submitting blogs and I am sure I will be able to provide everyone with a range of topics. One of the first topics I would like to talk about is the Social media scene.

Looking at the image above this is a preview of the Dive Planet website that I am proudly constructing with my dear friend Julian. Dive Planet is Now New Zealand's Premier Diving Portal. You can use the links in the Right Hand column to connect to parts of the Dive Planet website.

Look What Naughty Paris Sent me. New Shoes

2009-05-19T18:05:00.005+12:00

2008-11-02T10:54:00.000+13:00

Find more photos like this on Dive Planet

Great White Nails Huge Tuna

2008-11-02T00:40:00.001+13:00

This Great White came in from nowhere and Nailed a huge Hunk Of Tuna. Video clip by Paul Morris of Dive Planet. Great White Shark Videos right here right NOW

Great White Shark Approaches Bait

2008-10-28T00:53:00.001+13:00

This short clip was taken by myself Paul Morris of Dive Planet NZ while filming with Discovery Channel aboard the Princess 2.

From shark attack victim I am now an activist in ensuring the survival of the Great White Sharks.

I am currently seeking sponsorship to help me in my quest of purchasing some Underwater video equipment so I can further study these magnificent creatures.

Marine life South Australia

2008-10-28T00:52:00.001+13:00

While filming great white shark videos we saw all these fish hanging around the baits in the current. Footage by Paul Morris of Dive Pklanet NZ

Up and Coming Posts to Look out for

2008-10-08T10:43:00.002+13:00

My next Blogs will be about my experiences with the media and Docos: that I have been in. We will be looking at Media hype and who you can and cannot trust.

News Reporters

Peter Cronshaw and the Team 20/20

David Hamlin National Geographic Explorer Channel, Ultimate Shark.

NOW, No Opportunity wasted and Phil Keoghan

Best Picture Show Company in Brisbane Australia and my experience filming with them

Diving with sharks in Fiji

Diving with Great Whites Andrew Fox Rodney Fox

Fear of Sharks - Paul Morris Researcher

2008-10-08T10:29:00.009+13:00

Do you have a deep seated fear of sharks?

Do you fear what may be lurking beneath you at the beach?

Have you been attacked by a shark? About Shark Attacks

Maybe you know of someone that has been attacked by a shark?

Well if you have or do to any of the above, you especially must read on

You see I have had a Great White Shark attack experience and this, I would not wish on my worst enemy!! Getting to a place where you feel happy about the sea again takes time and commitment.

Key Points Shark Fear

Understand your fear and what really scares you

Learn about what really scares you; Study why sharks behave the way they do

Try to put yourself in the shark’s position and how it may view you

Step by step get closer to facing your fear

Take a trip and go and see them in their environment

Then when you are ready dive with them in the safety of a cage

Helping others back into the water

If I can help more people that have this fear find a peaceful resolution and get back into the water, then my experience and heartache I endured was worth it to educate other about how not to appear part of the food chain.

Helpful Resources

Learn more about the Great White Sharks and other sharks of our great oceans, as well as why they are a very important part of our marine ecology? Join me here on a world of Discovery as we embark on a journey of Discovery and understanding of these sharks.

Dive Planet Fox Great White Research

The best way to deal with this is to learn about the creature that haunts you. Find an understanding about the Fear and learn how to control it. Do not try to overcome Fear as Fear lets you know you are alive. Being Fearless I should imagine would be like being dead.

The best way to overcome this deep seated Fear is to Face up to it in a safe environment, where you can talk to experts that are reassuring towards your feelings and can help you see the sharks in a whole new light.

I highly recommend taking part in a Shark Diving Adventure and there is no company better than the Andrew and Rodney Fox Team. Find out more info; about this company, about the Sharkman Rodney Fox who is the Greatest Shark Attack survivor of all time right here with Paul Morris on the Dive Planet website. Just click the link below

Shark Diving Rodney Fox

Dive Planet Shark Sections Upgrade

2008-10-08T09:33:00.005+13:00

Hi Everyone

Major catch up here, The Dive Planet website has been hungry for my attention sucking up 16 hours a day.

Today I am going to be talking about the major overhaul that we are currently doing on the Dive Planet website. Firstly I am getting a bit frustrated with breaking good links in the site, but this has to be done in order to get the site running they way I want it to run. We are sorry that many visitors have been redirected to our 404 page but this should sort itself out with the search engines over the next month.

We have taken all the Shark section apart as we are building a very comprehensive section on sharks with Andrew Fox of Shark Diving Rodney Fox. Once completed in the next month or so we should be able to get back to just updating these sections that are very popular amongst our visitors.

Please be patient and signup for our newsletters that 1000’s receive so we can keep you well informed. Newsletter signup is located on the left margin of our Homepage. Link Below

Dive Planet Homepage

Spearfishing Articles Copyright

2008-09-30T21:21:00.004+13:00

Once an article is posted in the public domain over the internet. Who owns the copyright? The person that wrote the content? The person that the content was about? or the website that hosted the content?

Now that we are in the Digital age with RSS Feeds and most topics being posted on the web is it not up to the story teller to decide if he wants to share his content with multiple media sources? Here on the Dive Planet Community and website if the person that wrote an article for me writes another one for someone else in my books that is fine as he or she is getting thier message out to a vast amount of people.

I would really like to hear other peoples viewpoints on this matter so please contact me. paul@diveplanet.co.nz

Discovery Update

2008-09-30T21:10:00.007+13:00

Hi All,

Well as you all know the first shot at diving in Australia with my good friends Andrew and Rodney Fox was a tad dissapointing as the Great Whites were on summer vacation. But now that they are back it looks like I will be finally taking the challenge to meet my Foe, Face to Face.

Once this airs on Discovery I will do a full recount of my experience and about the Best Picture show in Brisbane Australia that shot this Doco. Until then you will all have to be patient and make sure you watch the show.

Date and time will be posted here as soon as I am notified.

All you divers out there!

Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan!!

Dive Planet Community

2008-09-28T10:23:00.007+13:00

Now that we are into the full swing of the Dive Planet website that can easily be found on Google ranked number 1.

We are looking at other areas that we can build to create a unique site for divers.
Having our main site that is solely for information about everything diving in NZ here at Dive Planet we wanted to create an area for divers to come and chill out during their surface intervals.

This community will be a place for the whole family to talk to other likeminded people and discuss a broad range of Topics.

So what are the Features of the Community?

Looking below you can see that we have tried to incorporate a lot of different things, taking into account the expense of disc space and usage charges I think we are doing OK.

Dive Buddy Database
This is an area where divers can hook up with other divers and grow over time to cover all the main dive areas of NZ.

Main page - this is where you can find out about the creators of Dive Planet and have the benefits of these modules

• My Page
• In the My Page section here you have a feast of opportunities
• You can start your own Blog
• Have a chat room
• Start a forum
• Upload music
• Upload limited video
• Have your own wall
• Create Groups
• Create your own theme
• Send and receive emails to members
• Meet new people

Well that covers a lot of it but there is more and you will just have to see for yourselves.

Other areas of the community include, groups, video section, mail, join others Blogs and discussions and all this is covered by our sponsors.

So how do I become a member?

Firstly you will have to go to the Dive Planet Website and join up for newsletters. Then you will receive an Email and Password. From here you can access the member’s area where you will find offers by our sponsors and maybe even some giveaways.
Now that you are in the Members area you can navigate your way to our community. Once you become a member you can access the Community directly with a link that we will email to you.

When can I enter the Community?

The Dive Planet Community should be fully online by the beginning of November
Security – Is the Community Secure?

This is a very good point and one that I am glad has been asked. The community will be very safe and that is why you may need to double password. We may have one password for the member’s area, and one password for the Community.

We have a Report abuse link and anyone that is found to be abusive, racist, sexist etc will find themselves dealt with appropriately.

Well that’s all for now on the Dive Planet Community and more will be posted once we are fully online. Till Then
“Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan”

Project Aware

2008-09-26T22:10:00.001+12:00

The Dive Planet Goat Island Dive Project Aware day was
to be a day of remembrance as there were moments of joy and excitement and times of frustration and anguish.

We even had a few divers from DHQ Greenlane come along and do some cleaning at Ti Point, but the majority of waste was extracted from Leigh harbour and coastal reefs with the aid of Goat Island Dives Charter vessel Apollo. The turnout was fantastic including.....
www.diveplanet.co.nz/articles/project.asp

2008-09-23T20:50:00.000+12:00

Hi everyone and welcome to my first post on my Dive Blog. I know what you are all thinking!! What has that eye for a header got to do with diving?

Well there is a bit of a story to that one. Yes ladies I have got a camera in the back of it and I must say you all look mighty fine.

Seriously speaking, not that I wasn’t about that camera, this is a photo that I took of a Portuguese shark that was caught off the west coast of New Zealand out from the Manukau Harbour while on a shark tagging expedition with Clinton Duffy of Doc.

After having an exhausting day searching for Great White sharks dishing out cubes of bait lazing in the hot sun, did I say that? What I really meant was dying in the heat from the laborious work of tackling the cubes of bait to attract sharks; we got a call over the VHF that some guys had caught a strange fish.

These guys were in a fishing competition some 75 miles off the coast and were fishing in 800 metres of water. When they pulled up this fish up from the depths, having sore arms they were shocked by the look of it. This fish was 900mm long and brown with skin like a reptile. So the call was made to the Tatanui Doc’s research vessel asking us if we wanted to take a look? It was described to Clinton as looking like an oversized motion!

“If his motions look like this God help the poor fellow”

After travelling great distances battling the high seas where no man had gone before all in the name of research, well maybe not that far, we caught up with these likely lads. It was here that Clinton Identified this fish as a Portuguese shark and since I was the only one with the camera I managed to get some Great Shots both external and internal.

The Portuguese shark normally lives in water depths of 1200 to 2400 metres of water and they are seldom caught by commercial fishermen yet alone recreational anglers. So this fisherman is the only known person to have ever caught one recreationally. Well Done!

So you see that is my little story behind my strange looking eye header. Ok ladies i have turned the camera off now so relax. Or have I?

To all you divers out there Dive Safe! Plan the Dive and Dive the Plan!