Heron Island or Alternatives?

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thumbsplitter

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Messages
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Location
Philadelphia
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Hi All,

I’m hoping someone who frequents this forum can help me with some decisions for an upcoming trip.

My wife and I will be in Cairns for a conference next June. We did a liveaboard on the GBR 2004, but the reports of coral death in the Cairns area had us less excited about diving the GBR again. Then I was talking with a dive buddy and she mentioned Heron Island of Southern Queensland, where the reef seems to be doing much better. We are now very excited about staying on Heron Island before heading up to Cairns, but the flights and one ferry between Gladstone to Heron per day are proving to be logistical nightmares. For example, we would have to add-on a day in Gladstone and/or Brisbane on both sides of our stay on the island. So here are my questions:

1. For those of you who have been to Heron Island, do you think it is worth it compared to trying to find something closer to Cairns?

2. I’ve seen very few liveaboards or other options to dive around Heron Island (Capricorn Group?) If, in fact, the northern sections of the reef around Cairns are as bad as reports, does anyone have any suggestions for a way to get in 4-5 days of diving further south?

Thanks,

--Thumbsplitter
 
1. There's some good diving around Heron and Lady Elliot Islands. Both are at the southern end of the GBR. Reefs are ok and there's turtles and mantas around. Flights to Gladstone are always an issue - it's not a tourism hotspot and most of the flights are booked by locals, so the schedules are made to suit business travellers, not tourists.

2. How attached are you to reef diving? If you're happy to do some wreck diving, head from Cairns down to Townsville and Alva Beach to dive on the Yongala wreck.

Just as an aside...June is the start of minke whale migration on the northern GBR. While the reef itself has its issues, the whales still show up every winter. Have you thought about going out on a lob out of Cairns anyway to dive with the whales?
 
We thought the diving on northern GBR was incredible. Much better than Whitsundays. Stayed on Lizard Island. Totally awesome.
 
1. There's some good diving around Heron and Lady Elliot Islands. Both are at the southern end of the GBR. Reefs are ok and there's turtles and mantas around. Flights to Gladstone are always an issue - it's not a tourism hotspot and most of the flights are booked by locals, so the schedules are made to suit business travellers, not tourists.

2. How attached are you to reef diving? If you're happy to do some wreck diving, head from Cairns down to Townsville and Alva Beach to dive on the Yongala wreck.

Just as an aside...June is the start of minke whale migration on the northern GBR. While the reef itself has its issues, the whales still show up every winter. Have you thought about going out on a lob out of Cairns anyway to dive with the whales?

Thanks Wetpup. I'm particularly interested in the last part about the whales. That might be the extra component that convinces us to just stay in Carins and save the Southern GBR for another time.

Great info!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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