Diving in Australia?

[Detonate]

Ok, here is the situation. My wife is being sent somewhere in central Australia for 2 weeks for work in November. We've decided that this would be an ideal opportunity for me to fly out there as well and do some diving. However, I know nothing about diving in Australia, or the surrounding areas.

Basically she'll get there, work, and then I'll fly in after her work there is complete.

So I can fly in to where ever the good diving is, and she can then meet me there.

So Question One: Where is the good diving in Australia?

Question Two: Is it worth doing a Live Aboard on the Great Barrier Reef? Any Recommendation?

Question Two: Should we even be in Australia? Another thought was for me to fly into one of the surrounding islands like Fiji or something and have her fly from Australia and meet me there. We haven't researched how much that would cost, but if people say that the diving on the Coast of Australia is not that great, and that we should go to XXXX instead, we would certainly consider it.

I tried to do some quick searching to figure out a good plan of attack for this trip, but mostly what I've found are sites that sell diving in particular areas, so obviously they rave about how great the diving is there.

They are working out the fine details of my wife's travel plans this week, so I'm looking for real quick information. Names of places, reefs, dive ops, live aboards, alternate suggestions, and most importantly I'm looking for the opinions of people that already have the experience diving the south pacific.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cdiver2]

Ok, here is the situation. My wife is being sent somewhere in central Australia for 2 weeks for work in November. We've decided that this would be an ideal opportunity for me to fly out there as well and do some diving. However, I know nothing about diving in Australia, or the surrounding areas.

Basically she'll get there, work, and then I'll fly in after her work there is complete.

So I can fly in to where ever the good diving is, and she can then meet me there.

So Question One: Where is the good diving in Australia?

Question Two: Is it worth doing a Live Aboard on the Great Barrier Reef? Any Recommendation?

Question Two: Should we even be in Australia? Another thought was for me to fly into one of the surrounding islands like Fiji or something and have her fly from Australia and meet me there. We haven't researched how much that would cost, but if people say that the diving on the Coast of Australia is not that great, and that we should go to XXXX instead, we would certainly consider it.

I tried to do some quick searching to figure out a good plan of attack for this trip, but mostly what I've found are sites that sell diving in particular areas, so obviously they rave about how great the diving is there.

They are working out the fine details of my wife's travel plans this week, so I'm looking for real quick information. Names of places, reefs, dive ops, live aboards, alternate suggestions, and most importantly I'm looking for the opinions of people that already have the experience diving the south pacific.

Thanks in advance!

You dont say what kind of diving you like, but. If it were me I would go on to Walindi Plantation in PNG (PNG voted #1 for a couple of years in a couple of dive mags) lots of coral and exotic fish. You can stay at Walindi or go on a couple of liveaboards from there, flights from Cairns are reasonable but Walindi is on the expensive side but well worth it.
We dived there and GBR, Coral sea liveaboard PNG was by far the best.
If you want any information give me a PM.
David

 

[Scuba_John]

Detonate,
Central Austraila? Not much out there except a big rock and lots of opals! Your choices are many if you are comming from somewhere in between Northern and Southern. Queensland(GBR) has some great diving and this time of year the waters are getting warmer. Depending on the time frame you need to look out for school breaks that usually happen and tend to book alot of space. Carins(Cans) or Port Douglas is the departure point for Mike Ball in the area. (www.mikeball.com) The trips head for the out reefs where the diving is fantastic. The Whitsundays is also another area of good diving. Going to Darwin in the north is fish shoot as you have to hit neep tide to get any diving in at all. The wrecks in the bay are worth the time if you can wait but....Going South you will need to take a dry suit as the water gets very very cold but again the diving is worth it. Best shot would be head for Cairns and get Mike Ball to the outer reef. We rode Super Sport from Lizard Island down the ribbon reefs and back to Carins. And after sepnding 6-7months there in 2001 it was some of the better diving we did.We also stayed for a while on Heron Island we the diving is closer to the outer reef.
Carins has alot to offer beside diving.Kuranda, Sky Rail trip down through the rain forest to Tjapukai, Undara is another of the worlds places to see and walk thru lava tunnels and the outback. The Wine & Cheeze tour is well worth it. Port Douglas just up from Carins has Steve Irwin and his AUS Zoo. A good Hotel in Carins is The Coral Reef Resort, not right in town but you can walk to everything.
Fiji is also a good idea if you want to break up the flight home. 4 Hours out and 10 to get home to the US.
Compare the two and if you are already in AUS then I would stay there and head to the GBR. WA also has good diving but it can get hard to find unless your in Exmouth or Perth.

 

[alcina]

What kind of things do you like to see while diving?

From Central Australia you can really hit anywhere in Oz and most places will be coming into their best diving seasons. Australia has an incredible diversity of marine environments, many that are overlooked.

Of course, I love the Ningaloo Reef as it is easy and has virtually everything you'd need...tiny, small, medium, large. Colour, amazing structures...

Perth and the southern part of WA have good diving too. Wrecks are in Esperance, Albany & Busselton. The Abrolhos out of Geraldton is wonderful. The Rowley Shoals out of Broome are stunning and rarely dived...not sure what their schedule is.

South Australia has sea dragons. NSW has grey nurses. Qld has the GBR (I'd grab a liveaboard out to the Coral Sea). Tassie has some incredible cold water diving. Too many things to mention for each place.

I'd say ask specific questions here and go directly to the operators in the areas you are considering. Yes, they will extoll the virtues of their area but you should pick up enough useful information to make a pretty well informed choice.

 

[BacardiSpice]

Seconding what Alcina has said - it depends on what sort of diving you're interested in. Oz has just about everything, ranging from kelp forests to caves and sinkholes to coral bommies. Whale sharks and Great Whites to sea dragons. Established touro cattleboats to luxury liveaboards and adventure dives. Backpacker hotels through to expensive island resorts. Wrecks, reefs, temperate, tropical. Only thing is no real ice diving...unless you go down to Australia's Antarctic territories The biggest problem is the tyranny of distance...if you were based in Sydney, say, it might not be entirely practicable to pop over to Ningaloo Reef. Sounds like you're fairly flexible, though, so Oz is your oyster.

As David also suggests, it's a great place for jumping off to Melanesia and Micronesia. I haven't been to PNG yet, but loved the Solomon Islands.

 

[Detonate]

Hmmmm, I guess I didn't realize there was so much different diving in Australia.

Living in DFW, I do pretty much 100% of my diving in Lakes and Cozumel. Everytime I start to plan a trip to somewhere else, I see that I could go to Cozumel 5 times for that price, and that's exactly what I do.

I shoot a lot of Underwater Photography, so that is really what I'll be looking to do. I can't imagine that I'd want to dive in a dry suit, so the warmer the water, the more I'd prefer it.

I'd really like to photograph some of the more "exotic" life that we don't get to see in the Carribean.

I'd be interested in seeing large creatures, Soft Corals, Lion Fish, Clownfish, Reef Sharks, etc...

 

[BacardiSpice]

Certain areas of the Coral Sea would fit the bill - Osprey Reef has some good liveaboard ops and you'd see some large pelagics there. The Mike Ball liveaboards that Scuba John mentions are also very good - first dive liveaboard I went on was a week on the 'Spoilsport', which took in the 'Yongala' wreck and some great Coral Sea sites out near Flinders Cay....places like 'China Wall' and 'Midnight Bommie'. Clear warm water and lots of sharks - very much enjoyed it.

If you're after exotic photographic subjects, then perhaps PNG or the Solomons? Muck Diving is hugely popular in both destinations, and they also take in some great pelagic action. I did 10 days on the 'Spirit of the Solomons' (operated by Bilikiki), and it was sensational...good mix of reefs, wrecks, groping around WWII debris for exotic little critters, and doing exploratory dives off sheer walls looking for sharks.

DiversionOz will give you an idea of some operators in the area:
http://www.diversionoz.com/

 

[blacklatexozdiver]

www.diveoz.com and www.oceanoutlook.com.au are good places to find info.

 

[Scuba_John]

Whoo Hooo, The Yongala, Great Dive did this dive from Maggie Island as a day trip. While you can not enter the wreck you can view the remains thru one of the many port holes. Since you are in the DFW area I would be happy to pass on a VIP card that gives some benifits on the Ball boats. As for the diving Like BacardSpice said you can get everything you are looking for on the GBR. Dont forget the Giant Clams,Carpet sharks, and my fav clown fish what a picture. Also as Alcina has said Ningaloo and WA have great dive sites as well. Its a tosh up for me, I would be stuck again and end up spending alot more time all over. I really like Broom and its endless beach but then AUS is some place I should have taking my diving investment too in the first place, live and learn. PM me if you would like the VIP cards. And to my Aussie buddies No Worries, No Drama mate

 

[diveaussie]

Ok, here is the situation. My wife is being sent somewhere in central Australia for 2 weeks for work in November. We've decided that this would be an ideal opportunity for me to fly out there as well and do some diving. However, I know nothing about diving in Australia, or the surrounding areas.

Basically she'll get there, work, and then I'll fly in after her work there is complete.

So I can fly in to where ever the good diving is, and she can then meet me there.

So Question One: Where is the good diving in Australia?

Question Two: Is it worth doing a Live Aboard on the Great Barrier Reef? Any Recommendation?

Question Two: Should we even be in Australia? Another thought was for me to fly into one of the surrounding islands like Fiji or something and have her fly from Australia and meet me there. We haven't researched how much that would cost, but if people say that the diving on the Coast of Australia is not that great, and that we should go to XXXX instead, we would certainly consider it.

I tried to do some quick searching to figure out a good plan of attack for this trip, but mostly what I've found are sites that sell diving in particular areas, so obviously they rave about how great the diving is there.

They are working out the fine details of my wife's travel plans this week, so I'm looking for real quick information. Names of places, reefs, dive ops, live aboards, alternate suggestions, and most importantly I'm looking for the opinions of people that already have the experience diving the south pacific.

Thanks in advance!

Hiya,

Well central australia is a little way from the coast but you can pick up cheap flights pretty easily. I would definitely recommend a liveaboard trip on the Great Barrier Reef, one in particular is Diversity, running out of Port Douglas north queensland. They visit Cod Hole, Pixie pinnacles etc, some of the best diving there is. A quality operation and small groups. If money isn't an option try looking at booking on one of Undersea Explorers research trips. Amazing! Visiting some of the above sites plus Osprey Reef. It will be a trip of a lifetime. YOu can look these dive operations up via the web for more info.