Dive club member Sean Capper recently travelled to Lord Howe Island for some diving, relaxing and to take part in the Underwater Photo Competition. Armed with his Nikon D70 in an Ikelite Housing, Sean achieved some great results including;
- Macro: 1st & 2nd place
- Marine Life: 1st place
- Wide Angle: 2nd place
- Portfolio: Tied 1st place
Below is a report and images from Sean from his time on Lord Howe.
Our accommodation was at Pinetrees but there was no time to rest and we were in the water within 2 hours of arriving. The photography competition was being hosted by the ever cheerful Lauren and Tas of ProDive Lord Howe, having recently purchased the dive shop from our Kevin Deacon’s very own brother Jeff. They were most accommodating and as the week progressed, provided us with a host of fun activities both in and out of the water. The Island itself boasts many diveable sites which makes it a good all weather location. We spent several dives out at the Admiralty Islands which provided deep, clear blue waters for the photography competition. There was huge variety of fish life and the night dive from Ned’s Beach was a critter paradise. The water was clear and not too cold at all since the Islands are fed with tropical currents which extend down from the Barrier Reef. Throughout the week Tas and Lauren took us to the best sites that they could muster on the day. We were twice scheduled to go out to Balls Pyramid but alas conditions did not suit the 2 hour trip to the volcanic remnant. Instead it seemed that our hosts had saved the best for last, as our last morning was spent within the lagoon diving in only 4m of water in a spot right next the reef wall. Here, amongst the breaking waves and coral we found ourselves marvelling at the graceful and inquisitive Galapagos Sharks who circled us and cajoled the local inhabitants, making a meal of the writhing catfish. The week was finished off with a pirate themed photography presentation where the food was plentiful and the alcohol flowed into the early hours. Late on Saturday morning we gathered back at the shop for goodbyes (and antics with the shop’s dive stamp). We’d made new friends and were now looking forward to the next trip back again. Click here for more of Sean's Lord Howe images...
This was myself and Marie's first trip to Lord Howe Island. My friends, who all seemed to have gone there on school trips as if an Aussie right of passage, had referred to it as an unspoilt paradise. They were right, unspoilt but well manicured! We flew Quantas from Sydney and our first glimpse of the World Heritage site was Balls Pyramid which stands to a majestic height of 562m. Pretty soon the Island itself came into view and we flew over the lagoon and onto the small airstrip. Wow. Love at first sight.
1st Place Macro
1st Place Marine Life
2nd Place Wide Angle
