Good morning. Long time lurker, first time poster.
I completed four dives over two days this week on the SS Yongala. My wife and I incorporated an EANx course into the dive trip. We stayed at the trailer park in one of the bedrooms set aside for Dive Yongala. Straight up, this was an easy start to the trip and a very relaxing day. (Lauren, you could get your AOW/deep dive certification here but you would need to phone ahead).
While I have limited experience, I think I have enough Australian experience to recommend this site. Top of the wreck is at 14m and schools of trevally, glass fish, and a ‘flock’ of eagle rays were our first encounters on the descent. The wreck has beautiful soft and hard corals, clams and oysters which provide the requirements for several different species of parrot fish and wrasses.
Over four dives I saw a kaleidoscope of colour (even at 25m depth) and schools of fish that I’m not good enough to identify. The big names for this trip included a hawksbill turtle, spinner, bull and tawny sharks, marble ray, barracuda and lionfish.
Above all, the quantity and diversity of marine life in one place made the effort worth it, and even more, makes this recommendation worth the time.
Rob