Diving in the south pacific from Australia

[SayNo2Snow]

Hi everyone - hubby and I are planning a 4 - 6 week trip to Australia (April to early May) for general sight seeing and diving of course. We wondered what great (and economical) dive destinations can be easily accessed from Australia. I was thinking to take a week to 10 days to explore 1 or 2 other great places since were coming a long way. I saw flights from SYD to ROR were obscenely expensive. In general we would prefer a land based destination but a liveaboard for a few days isn't out of the question. We generally do 2 dives a day then explore what the destination has to offer topside.
Are there any gems you would recommend?

Thanks a bunch for any recommendations.
Cheers!
Ann

 

[chris kippax]

Why not dive in Australia only, it has an extremely wide range from temperate to tropical. 4-6 weeks is barely enough to see it all

Sites to dive


Great barrier reef Mike ball liveaboard QLD

SS Yongala QLD

Lady Elliott Island QLD

Wolf rock QLD

Julian Rocks NSW

Solitary Islands NSW

Fish Rock NSW

Montague Island NSW

Blairgowrie Pier VIC

Rapid bay jetty SA

Edithburgh Jetty SA

Cage dive with great white sharks at Port Lincoln


Now that is an epic trip.


If not I would recommend Bali or Fiji as both are easily accessed from Australia

Bali I would do Nusa lembongan, Padang bai and Tulumben.
Fiji I would do Voli voli or Taveuni

 

[SayNo2Snow]

Thanks Chris for the dive site recommendations!! ... and we absolutely will be diving Australia!

I was just thinking seeing as we are coming from so far (Western Canada) and not knowing when we'd be able to come back we would take advantage of being closer to other South Pacific destinations at hopefully an economical side trip. But perhaps those other destinations will have to wait for another time.

Cheers!

 

[MA]

Papua New Guinea. Not cheap but best accessed from Australia (Queensland).

 

[SayNo2Snow]

I'm discovering no where is cheap to fly to... I think we're just going to follow Chris' recommendation and just dive Australia

 

[Mike1967]

SS President Coolidge in Vanuatu. Flights Brisbane - Santo return from $550, depending on when of course.

 

[chris kippax]

I'm discovering no where is cheap to fly to... I think we're just going to follow Chris' recommendation and just dive Australia

This is personally what I would do, the diving Australia has to offer is as good if not better than most of the pacific.

 

[diver257a]

Why not dive in Australia only, it has an extremely wide range from temperate to tropical. 4-6 weeks is barely enough to see it all

Sites to dive

Hi Chris

I would suggest the addition of the following two entry-level sites (from the South East of South Australia) to your list:

• Ewens Ponds

• Kilsbys Sinkhole

P.S. Port Lincoln is not the site for shark cage dives, but rather the departure point for all three charter operations licensed to provide the service.

 

[Mike1967]

• Ewens Ponds

• Kilsbys Sinkhole

 

[SayNo2Snow]

Thanks folks... this is great!