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[Simon]

After Penguin got in touch suggesting that I could meet up with a good friend of hers in Tahiti I thought that I would post my whole trip. I'm on a diving adventure that takes me around the world, this all began when my sister announced that she was moving to New Zealand and made me promise that I would come and visit her. I'd been avoiding going for several months as I didn't really have enough time to spend there.

After new year I decided that I should at least start looking at the possiblity of traveling half way around the world (it is from England). The flights that I could find were very long well over 24 hours and involved a stop for re-fueling so it was going to take in excess of 30 hours to get there. I then had the idea that I could have a week spent in some fantastic diving destination on the way out and a week on the way back. Now the price of the flights went silly it was going to cost about $5000. Then I was offered another option a round the world ticket. Wow! when I looked into this they were fantastic, many different airlines didthem and they worked in many different ways. I decided that the most suitable one for me was a Virgin Atlantic alliance ticket 29,000 miles in any direction and some other benifits that i won't go into. If your intrested in knowing more PM me.

The cost of the ticket was around $1700 and the only additions were tax, the more times you landed the more airport tax you paid. it's flexible enough to enable you to extend any stay at no additional cost provided you return within a year.

So on Saturday the 17 February I flew out of Manchester England for the TransAtlantic flight from London to LA.

I arrived in Los Angeles CA on the 17th Feb 2007 and as you may have read I met up with Dr Bill On Catalina Island.

Today (21Feb) I fly out of LA and arrive in Papeete, Tahiti on the 22 at 5.30am I staying at the Sheriton and I'm being picked up by Aquatica Dive Centre at 7.15. I only have one day diving here and one day sightseeing.

On the 24 Feb I arrive in Rarotonga, Cook Islands and I'm scheduled to stay there two days. Again I intend to dive the day that I arrive and have a day sightseeing and off gasing.

I then have a cheating flight, I call it that because i cross the date line and i loose a day, just like that! one day gone. This takes me to Auckland and I change and pick up an internal flight to Wellington. I arrive in Wellington New Zealand on the 27 Feb and that will be my base. From here I have several jaunts planned some diving and some sightseeing but all I'm here for three weeks so I have plenty of time.

I fly to Auckland on the 18 March and intend to stay there for a week diving the "Poor Knights Islands" This is renowned as one of the top diving destinations in the world I haven't booked any diving so far but I have quite a few connections.

The 25 March will see me in Sydney for three days but I'm willing to travel about and stay longer if some good diving can be sorted.

28 March for a week I'll be in Singapore. I had intended to get a livaboard and dive two famous wrecks, the HMS Repulse and The Prince Of Wales both of these ships were sunk in an attack that coincided with Pearl Harbour. the Prince O Wales was the newest and most powerfull in the british Navy. They are both deep but I had sone news that has prevente dme from diving them. I will however try and do a dive with Grace, the Orphan Dugong in Underwater world Singapore. i may cut Singapore short and extend the next destination which is Cape Town

On the 4 April I'n due to arrive in Cape Town, South Africa. I've researched this because I wanted to do some deep wrecks and of course the Great Whites. Well the Deep wrecks are out but the Great whites are a go. I have been told about a guy called Chris Fallows who does open water diving, he is quite famous for it. He uses sound to attract the sharks and not loads of chum therefor ewhen they come they are just looking and not in a feeding frenzy (I hope).

Now it all seems fantastic but after I had planned and booked this "dive the world" trip i received a surprise phone call requesting that attend for a PFO (patent foreamen ovale or also known as a hole in the heart) test.

The reason for this thest was in late 2005 I havd a major decompression sickness which nearly saw the end of me. This "bend" was for no reason at all an undeserved hit. I had all the tests in the months following and I even had the test for a PFO and all was clear. The tests i had done were all performed priviately an not done under the National Health System ( the government system free to all in the UK but a little slow).

Anyway to cut it short I had the test and I have a large hole thats shunting and I need surgery. What does this mean? well it pretty much puts me back to recreational diving until the surgery is completed and successfull. This has meant that my world tour is now a shallow tour but at least I'm still able to dive.

If anyone wants to know more about the effects of having DCS / a bend then I will post it but you will have to tell me what section it goes in.

So anyone up for a dive?

[drbill]

My housemate Iris and I will be sad to see Simon leave Catalina today. It has been fun having him in our waters. Just hope she isn't too "wiped out" from two nights of beer milkshakes! Just teasing ya, Simon.

Back in 2001 I took a similar trip, but not around the world. I flew around the Pacific (SE Asia-Australia-South Pacific). If you have the time (and not really that much money), you too can experience such a trip.

Look forward to Simon's reports as the trip unfolds!