Brisbane - GBR

[Buadhai]

My wife and I will be visiting friends in Brisbane in October. We are both experienced AOW divers. We live in Thailand dive regularly here.

My wife would like to see the GBR. I'm assuming this means a side trip to Cairns with a couple days (or more) on a liveaboard. This would add four or more days to our trip.

Is there a better way? Is it worth the extra time and expense? (In other words, would we be better off to spend the time and money here in Thailand where the diving is good to great and the cost a whole lot less?)

 

[chris kippax]

I think you will find a Mike ball liveaboard trip very comparable if not better. Inner GBR can be no good, best to go on a coral sea trip or even better a Far North itinerary

 

[Damselfish]

It depends what you mean by liveaboard. If you're talking about what are commonly marketed as trips to the "Outer Reef" - which I'm guessing you are when you say a couple days - you will probably be disappointed. That area may technically be part of the GBR, but what we saw of it was pretty sad. Further ranging real liveaboards, such as Mike Ball or Spirit of Freedom, might be worth it. But I haven't been to Thailand so can't compare directly.

 

[ocdiver1]

I wouldn't get too caught up in diving the "GBR." Unless you do a 3-4+ day LOB trip to the outer reef, I think the diving out of Cairns is fairly mediocre and, as you've discovered, diving in Australia is very expensive. But there is lot of great diving elsewhere in Australia...if you are visiting friends in Brisbane anyway head a couple of hours south to Byron Bay and dive the excellent Julian Rocks area. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I always dive with www.sundive.com.au when i'm in the area

 

[Buadhai]

Thanks for the guidance, but we're not really going to Australia to dive. Diving the GBR would be a two or three day side trip, if it was worth it. Based on what has been posted here so far, it appears that a couple of days to the inner GBR is not worth the time or money.

What follows is a link to a blog post of a dive we did last year in the North Andaman. About US$1000 each for five nights and four days of guided diving. Nice boat. Air con cabins with en suite bathrooms and hot showers. Four meals per day. Not including gear.

Out and About Thailand: North Andaman Scuba Diving

 

[ocdiver1]

No problem. But there's a reason why i said the part about getting caught up in "diving the GBR." There are many other areas in Australia that offer better diving that the GBR area off Cairns (and to the Similans as well incidentally, although i love diving there), and i was giving you one that would be close to where you were going anyway. If the cost is a concern, i definitely understand that, but i'd say i'd say it's worth it to experience some quality diving in a new part of the world for you.

 

[Nomad-Diver]

Consider diving at Heron Island (off Gladstone). Closer to Brisbane than Cairns. You set your schedule (rather than the rigid duration of a liveaboard)

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

As a Cairns local there are plenty of good options for day or overnight trips.

Also if you do come up north there is a hell of a lot more to see than just the GBR. Rainforest in the Daintree etc