Australia and New Zealand trip planning

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We went in November Springtime and saw lambs and flowers everywhere, However it was Box Jellyfish season and we did not dive.
Box jellyfish are no problem for diving as they are only considered a problem close to the shore.
 
Used to live on the GBR, currently live in NZ.

As others have indicated, diving on the GBR with Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom will get you access to the best sites. However as noted availability dries up well in advance during minke whale season from late June to late August, so you should jump on it asap if that is your proposed timeframe. The Yongala wreck south of Townsville is also a must see, and I would recommend hiring a car and diving with Yongala Dive out of Alva Beach if you choose to do this.

In NZ, the best diving is definitely Poor Knights IMO (at least from what I've done so far). There's a wreck off the south coast of Wellington, but not something I'd go out of my way to see if I didn't live here. South Island is mindblowing for topside travel though.
 
As always I point people to one of our members web pages -> Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site
You can spend hours looking at the dive site information on that site.

For me I believe Sydney and the NSW coast has the most accessible shore and short-boat-trip diving. There's sites everywhere, and there's always some that are diveable.

In Qld the Yongala is on most people's bucket lists - if you do the GBR you have to go to the outer reefs, I've personally never dived an inner reef that was worth the trip.

Victoria has some great sites, but the good ones are pretty much all boat dives, all the shore dives are pretty shallow due to the nature of the bay.
 
My wife and I are planning a trip to Australia and New Zealand in the next year or so. It will be a balance of sight seeing and diving. We are thinking of 1-2 months duration. At least one week will be for diving. My buddy will be flying in for the dive portion. We are thinking we may do a live aboard.

We are soliciting ideas for itinerary and time of year to make the trip. For the sight seeing portion, we are more interested in nature than cities.
I had a chance to dive Poor Knights Island last September. Perhaps it was overhyped, but in comparison to the best diving in the PNW (God's Pocket / Browning Pass), it was just "OK". No really enough current to support the density of life, I'd like to see. The ocean temp was warm enough that most all of the divers on the boat were in 7mm wetsuits (they laughed at my drysuit on the first dive, but were envious (and shivering) on the second

I loved NZ, and would probably move there if I could, it's just not a diving destination
 
so it might need a dry suit.

What do you mean might ?

Take loads of money, diving in that region is not cheap. I had 10 days diving in 2 weeks 3 years ago and the cost was similar to a months' diving in Lembeh!

Another +1 for the Yongala, wild trip in a large rubber duck, not for the faint hearted if the swell is on.
 
Hi Boiler_81

Lots of great advice I don’t know if it will make it easy or harder :)

It will come down to the time of year you want to travel and what you want to see.

If diving is the focus, then as advised Mike Ball or the Spirit of Freedom is both great options. They have a mix of itineraries with three, four or combined seven-day trips. As mentioned here already the get out into the more remote regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). However, if you wanted something slightly cheaper and still good diving, the ProDive option from Cairns is fairly priced with good diving.

Start with the GBR with the time of year you want to go. June – November covers Minke Whale season, coral spawning, clearer water and calmer seas. (Check the operator itineraries for detailed dates). End of November to May, has good diving as well, warmer but wetter (rainy season), and tends to have stronger South Winds due to the Trade Winds. This is also the Cyclone season.

At this time of year, it will also mean the further south you go the colder it is. Maybe start in New Zealand and finish with diving in November? But if you come from a cold area already perhaps warmth is the better option, then start with diving in May finish in New Zealand…

If you don’t mind a drive the East Coast from Cairns to Brisbane (Bryon Bay area as well) is nice. Stop on the way for the Yongala out of Townsville (400kms south of Cairns). Best wreck dive in Australia, and as mentioned should be a stop. Big distance 1600kms though.

Again, lots of choices, bit had to give general advice without what your interests are other than diving. Australia is a land of variety, tropical North or cold South, “wild” West coast of populated East coast. New Zealand rich farming land with culture in the North, South with spaces then Mountain ranges with Fjords…
 
if you told us what type of diving you want to do and qualified to do it would narrow it down

i wouldn't spend all your time on a LOB this so much to see and varied dive sites

in australia id dive hmas tobruk )in hervey baywith hervey bay dive centre and do the whale watch while your there -2 hours further south Id dive wolf rock to swim amongst the great nurse sharks - its not commercialised like other areas
in NZ id dive poor knights (1 day ) and try and get package to dive the hmas canterbury (one day)

further south visit rotorua and see the hot pools bubbling mud etc ( unique)

head over to picton and dive the Mikhail lermontov ( id rate this as one of the best wrecks ive ever done)
then head down the west coast of the south island and if the weather is clear get a helicopter ride for as much as you can afford to fly over ether southern alps ( breathtaking) from Fox glacier


visit queenstown and spend a bit of time based there and do day trips and varioous activities

go to milford sound and go on a boat excursion to the heads

i wish I could put an itinerary together for you to allow you to cherry pick the best but there a lot to see
 
For a very very short time window in October there is a chance to get out on a LOB to Rowley shoals, Clerke Reef and Mermaid wall - the trips usually book up months if not years in advance however there are two 8 day trips with vacancies in October 2020 and three this October. You are 300km from land, don't be surprised if a Marlin overtakes a tiger shark while you're looking at a nudibranch. Less than 200 people a year get out there and it's worth the wait. Big fish. Many fish. Playful fish like the giant grouper at cod hole.
I'd combine that with Ningaloo and possibly the montebellos if you want to dive our newest marine park that is also the site of Australia's forgotten atomic detonations. Certainly not you're average dive spot when you're diving ground zero of an A bomb test.
Ok I'm a little biased living in WA but having done the shoals - it's big kids diving :wink:

We also have leafy and weedy sea dragons on the city doorstop and the newly discovered Ruby sea dragon down at Bremer Bay where once a year the Orcas show up along with everything from giant squid to southern right and blue whales. No diving there as the orcas come to predate but an awesome if brutal experience if you get out there and see a predation.
 

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