ADV229 online

EFATE: PORT VILA AND TRANQUILLITY ISLAND
he island of Efate is surrounded by very pretty fringing
reef, a few wrecks and a stunning cavern called the
Cathedral, with stand-out dive sites including Owen’s
Reef on Tranquillity Island and West Side Story near
Hideaway Island Resort.
Diving Port Vila is easy, with a range of operators to
choose from, each of which pick up and return divers
to their hotels. Many of the best dive sites are only
minutes away. Diving is well supervised and varied,
with several wrecks, bommies, drop-offs and caverns in
the protected waters of the bay.
Port Vila is a good place to try diving for the first time,
with a Discover Scuba Diving experience, or even
learn to dive and get the Open Water Certification. With
operators such as Big Blue, lessons can often start in
the pool of your chosen resort, before you venture into
the ocean.
Introductory dives at Hideaway Island Resort and
Tranquillity Island are usually done in the clear,
protected shallows of the lagoon.
More experienced divers can dive deeper at sites
such as the Semele Federesen – the wreck of an
inter-island trader which lies with its propeller at
40m, or the Cathedral, an impressive tall narrow
cavern stretching down to 28m.
There is the wreck of the 1874 built sailing ship
Star of Russia, a three masted sailing ship in
36 meters of water. An island trader scuttled
in the harbour Konanda, and the ex-Qantas
Sandringham flying boat Tasman.
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//93