This past weekend Guy, Chrissie, Tania, Jack, Myself and Bill headed about as far north as you can drive in the South Island to trial run our live-a-shore option for diving the Mikhail Lermontov and other wrecks and reefs in the Port Gore, Cape Jackson area. Normally we access this world class wreck via our day boat from Picton or multi day live-a-board trips. However with increasing prices for boat charter and the lack of suitable vessels for big dive groups, I decided to look at alternatives.

View down into Port Gore from the Titirangi Saddle.

The Lermontov Lodge, named by Kevin Dekker who used to run trips from it during 2003/4 was built in 2001 and is only a very short 5 minute boat ride to the Mikhail Lermontov. The lodge is modern and unlike cramped live-a-boards is spacious, has endless hot running water and 230volt power. The Lodge has largely been unused since Kevin stopped doing his trips in 2004 and Go Dive have secured it for our multi-day tours for the future. It sleeps up to 12 people in comfort, has laundry facilities and a full size kitchen, no more cooking for 8 people on a two burner stove in a 1m x1m live-a-board galley.

Guy prepares his boat ready for a morning of fishing.

The road trip in takes around 2.5 hours from Picton, with some stunning scenery as it winds up the Keneperu Sound up over the saddle into Queen Charlotte Sound, the road then skirts around Endeavor Inlet to a height of 700 metres and over into Port Gore. I had my reservations about the quality of the road, but was pleasantly surprised as 1.5 hours of the trip in is sealed and then onto very well maintained metal surface, the last 15 minutes down to Lodge is steep but has a very good surface, easily accomplished in a two wheel drive vehicle.

Comfy and spacious Lermontov Lodge lounge

Once at the lodge it is only a short stroll down to the launching beach, where our tender will take guests out to our day boat, which will be moored in the bay. The huge advantage of the live-a-shore trips is that due to the speed of the day boat and preparation of meals on shore, the time spent diving can be increased and more dive sites can be accessed. It will also make it a fun experience for non-divers as they can walk, swim, snorkel or fish while the boat is out diving.

Launching the tender, the Lermontov is just past the Point on the left of the Picture

Trips will depart Picton early evening and with guests transported in by road, arriving at around 8am. The day boat will meet you early the next morning ready for your first taste of the Lermontov, we will come back to shore between dives for lunch, prepared by our shore based staff and out again in the afternoon for another dive or two. Depending on how keen you are and one whether you have enough bottom time left, a night dive or evening dive will also be available. Imagine that a night dive on the Lermontov.

On the last day you will be brought back to Picton by boat due to post dive altitude considerations. This way you will get to see the Sounds literally from top to bottom, first by road, then by boat.

Go Dive Marlborough’s day boat used for Live-a-shore Multi-day Port Gore trips.

Go Dive have 2, 3 and 4 day trips scheduled right through summer 2009/10, dates etc will be listed on our new web site page which will be added to www.godive.co.nz very soon.

In case you are wondering full gas blending/Nitrox facilities and compressor will be on site.

Dive Club Marlborough members will have access to a special rate and club only trips, the first of which will be within the next month or two. Let me know if you are keen and I will email you some info.

Two day trips $495.00 inclusive, meals, accommodation, cylinders, air, unlimited diving ex Picton.

Club members $395.00

cheers Brent

This entry was posted on Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 9:40 pm and is filed under Club, Trips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.