Thirteen of these were at Fly Point with marine life such as Blind sharks, Fiddler rays, Flatheads, Giant Sea Hares, Rock Cod, Octopuses, Squid, Stingrays, Turtles.and Wobbegongs. Three of these were particularly memorable:

A very late afternoon dive when in the fading light I was experimenting with slow shutter speed/ long exposure shots and a shoal of small fish shot by me chased by a dolphin. It paused for a second in front of me, we were eye to eye, then it continued its pursuit. Of course my camera was hopelessly set up to take a photo of this brief encounter but I took a shot anyway. Inevitably it was very blurred but I’m happy to have, an albeit poor, photograph of what is now a treasured memory.

A dive with my UK dive buddy Paul Hymers. Paul and Mel had ventured Downunder and stayed with Mary and I for a few days in Port Stephens. It was fun diving Fly Point with a friend who like me could compare it with diving Dover Harbour West Wall, UK!

Another dive with an “old” dive buddy: Herbie Schmitz. I had first met Herbie and Brigit Schmitz in Western Australia in April 2005 and then subsequently Herbie at the London International Dive Show. In April 2014 Herbie and Brigit stayed with Mary and I in Port Stephens and Herbie and I enjoyed one dive at Fly Point, unfortunately in disappointing visibility.

Five of my twenty Nelson Bay shore dives were at The Pipeline. One  with Paul Hymers who enjoyed seeing the local Cuttlefish, Octopuses, Sea Horses and Wobbegongs and another with Herbie when we photographed Blue-lined Octopus and  Sea Horses. The other three were all solo dives, one including a Toadfish.

Jake Miller and I also dived Little Beach and Halifax Park, both in poor visibility.