Diving in Australia?

[alcina]

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...

Ningaloo has all of that and more...but it isn't particularly cheap (in either time nor money!) to get here or to stay here. For some flight info check out the only airline that flies from Perth to Learmonth (Exmouth's airport) www.skywest.com.au

Cozumel is just so accessible for you and there are always good deals out there it will be a pretty unfair comparison to anywhere, I think. Bali might be a great location for you but I am not 100% sure on the big guys - great colour & macro and scenery.

 

[cdiver2]

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/

with BarcardiSpice Diversionoz is a great travel agent to use specifically Ken he came into the office on weekends and holidays to get things going after I had a illness just before our departure date.
As stated we did dive the GBR on Diversity, the boat/crew were great except the diving was follow the DM. But Caymaniac did the same run (with a different crew) and all diving was with your buddy. Cod hole...there is not a lot I can say about it one very friendly cod, Osprey reef lots of deep wall diving with very wide canyons in the reef and lots of sharks in them this is also where we saw two Mantas feeding swimming in a loop side by side. By far the best for me though was Walindi in PNG tons of hard and soft coral exotic fish Unicorn fish, mantis shrimp, Lion fish, Coral trout Mandarin fish.. etc etc. We did see quiet a few big shark but always on the edge of visibility, Dolphins had a pod of about twenty take turns to ride the bow wave of the boat. I have not done the live aboards from Walindi into the Bismark sea but I have not heard a bad report from all the people I have spoken to that have done it.

 

[reubencahn]

I'll pile on with a Diversionoz recommendation. Their site has great info but more important, the people there have personal experience diving nearly all the destinations they service. And they will answer questions with real information and advice. (I've found far too many dive travel agents who tell you that any destination or boat you ask about is fabulous or wonderful.) From all I've heard Australian diving is wonderful, but for myself, having to make a choice, I went to PNG this past year and am glad I did. As much as I'd love to dive around Australia, when I next return to that part of the world, it will be either Solomons or PNG again. There were two Australian professional photographers on the boat who love Australian diving but who were clear that PNG was a cut above the GBR. However, I do not think they had dove Ningaloo, Rowley Shoals or the Coral Sea. I'd also recommend a liveaboard if you've never done one. It's incredibly luxurious be able to walk to the dive deck, put on your gear and drop in--four or five times a day. Finally, Sydney is one of the nicest cities I've ever visited.

 

[BacardiSpice]

Glad Sydney treated you well, Reubencahn She's not a bad old city, but a bit drizzly this week! I haven't made it to PNG yet - tossed up between Milne Bay and Osprey Reef in December, and decided to stick closer to home just for this year. I want to get to Kavieng in the nearish future, and then get back to the Solomons.

CDiver, I'm absolutely with you on Ken! I tried my usual dive agent, the one I've always used in the past, but they lost interest when they found it wasn't going to be one of my previous cost-is-no-object extravaganzas. Ken, on the other hand, treated what was a straightforward and fairly inexpensive booking with all the aplomb of a huge, expensive expedition. Very professional, great information, and incredibly swift responses. So next time I do go on an extravaganza, I'll be booking through him!

 

[cdiver2]

Glad Sydney treated you well, Reubencahn She's not a bad old city, but a bit drizzly this week! I haven't made it to PNG yet - tossed up between Milne Bay and Osprey Reef in December, and decided to stick closer to home just for this year. I want to get to Kavieng in the nearish future, and then get back to the Solomons.

CDiver, I'm absolutely with you on Ken! I tried my usual dive agent, the one I've always used in the past, but they lost interest when they found it wasn't going to be one of my previous cost-is-no-object extravaganzas. Ken, on the other hand, treated what was a straightforward and fairly inexpensive booking with all the aplomb of a huge, expensive expedition. Very professional, great information, and incredibly swift responses. So next time I do go on an extravaganza, I'll be booking through him!

You will have to go a long way to beat Ken. I had what might have been a stroke six weeks before I was due to go and did not know if I would make it or not. He put in a lot of overtime to run up a back up plan just in case. Two to three emails a day to sort things out I will use him for my next trip.