Hi - I'm on business in Brisbane in March and can extend for 2-3 days diving. Would love some advice if it's worthwhile to dive some dives in the area, or is it worthwhile to travel to cairns area for GBR? (DM with ~300 dives).
Brisbane in March
- Thread starter ehudco
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Damselfish
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We did a similar thing many years ago, with business in Gold Coast which is an easy hourish train ride from Brisbane. Wanted to do a 7 night liveaboard from Cairns but couldn’t make scheduling and availability work. Wound up on a 3 night liveaboard (Taka - long gone) that did southern ribbon reefs and Cod hole round trip from Cairns. Last dives of route were on the way back to Cairns on some so-called “outer reef” sites that most of the 2-3 night trips are on.
I would say if you can make a 3 or 4 night trip on the Spirit of Freedom or Spoilsport work it might be worth the flight to Cairns. (Though I imagine availabilty might be a problem this soon.) Especially if you can squeeze in extra days to do other things around Cairns, which we did. I wouldn’t do it soley for an outer reef trip as I was not impressed. Seems more suitable as a place for new/local divers to do training or get wet. While it may technically be the GBR, meh.
For just a couple days I would investigate diving around Brisbane or Gold Coast. There are a lot of dive shops and I considered it. But I have no first hand experience. I’ve also heard good things about Byron Bay.
I would say if you can make a 3 or 4 night trip on the Spirit of Freedom or Spoilsport work it might be worth the flight to Cairns. (Though I imagine availabilty might be a problem this soon.) Especially if you can squeeze in extra days to do other things around Cairns, which we did. I wouldn’t do it soley for an outer reef trip as I was not impressed. Seems more suitable as a place for new/local divers to do training or get wet. While it may technically be the GBR, meh.
For just a couple days I would investigate diving around Brisbane or Gold Coast. There are a lot of dive shops and I considered it. But I have no first hand experience. I’ve also heard good things about Byron Bay.
DownUnderwater Dan
Contributor
Hey
, it's definitely worthwhile diving in Brisbane, at North Stradbroke Island to be exact. It's only 20 minutes ferry ride from the mainland. Last time I was there, in early June, I seen Humpbacks, bull sharks, and another group seen a great white & humpbacks in same dive, it made the local news. Manta Lodge Dive ran one of the best dive operations I've seen, tbh.I put a link of a couple of YT dive videos at Nth Stradbroke taken in past 6 months, August and December. The conditions looked great, plenty of Mantas & sharks, and hundreds of eagle rays on a single dive.
Thank you, it's helpful to read first hand experience - I was anxious to find my self looking at sand all day when an hour flight away it's an experience of a life time (I know well enough from a dive resort near my home that in every place you can take some great shots for a website
)
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Well that's a very poor attitude and feeling joy at an experience from MANY YEARS AGO
which does not at all apply to today and also there are no longer A LOT OF DIVE SHOPS
Maybe, if you're serious you could call Steve that runs the show and also drives the boat
+61 418 736 738
which does not at all apply to today and also there are no longer A LOT OF DIVE SHOPS
Maybe, if you're serious you could call Steve that runs the show and also drives the boat
+61 418 736 738
Thank you, I'll do. I made few connections yesterday and I see it requires planning as many of the clubs are not working everyday.
I've dived yesterday and the day before, writing a short brief if anyone in the future search and find this thread and is interested, although it is 2 weeks after the cyclone, so ymmv.
Byron Bay - two dives at Julian rock, leopard sharks, Grey nurse sharks, eagle rays, wobbegongs, turtles - visibility pretty good (~15m I think).
Stradie island - waves I consider high but the locals are accustomed to (~2m). Visibility about 5m. Same as Byron bay as for sharks and turtles, just much fewer, could be the visibility.
Reef in both places is some soft corals and a bit hard corals here and there - not the main topic you'll come here for.
Great guys in both places, was a lot of fun, and thanks for the ones here that helped me understand where I'm going and set it up.
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Not that of a secret
- In Byron bay I went with Sundive. In Straddie it was with Manta Lodge.One thing to note (and it does appear on sundive order form, otherwise it would have been a problem for me) is the hour difference between Brisbane and Byron bay due to DST.
Overall weekday diving options here are not that abundant, so pre-planning is required.
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