Planning trip, need advice

[Dion]

My b/f and I are planning to go to Australia for Christmas/New Year. Neither of us have been there and it is sort of a nature trip for us. I have been wanting to visit the Australia Zoo for many years and we both want to dive the GBR. I have been reading some of the other posts here and have some ideas, but I still have some questions. Originally, my plan was 1 week in Brisbane (zoo and Frasier Island) and 1 in Cairns (diving, liveaboard?), then fly home. However, from what I am reading there is also diving south of Cairns, but I am not sure if it is worth it. Also, my b/f now wants to see Sydney as well.

We have both been certified for over 10 years and have several hundred dives each, so we are not newbies, however, my personal rules for diving are that it has to be warm and I have to be able to see. (Yes, I am a wimp diver.) Oh, and for this trip, I am adding a jellyfish stipulation. That is the only thing that worries me about diving in Australia. :shocked2: I would rather see a shark. For some reason I am a stinger magnet, even though I always wear a suit, I usually end up stung on the hand or neck.

So, I guess my question is where would a good place to dive in Dec/Jan with warm water, good visibility and no jellyfish? Also, would it make more sense to just get a liveaboard out of Brisbane, or go up to Cairns? And how is the Coral Sea different from the GBR? Or are they the same and it is just a specific area?

Anyway, I appreciate any advice. Thanks!!!

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

First off there is diving all along the East Coast of Australia, but it does vary a lot.

If you are going to Australia Zoo then nearest place with decent diving would be around the Sunshine Coast (Noosa, etc). Plenty of good day trips out of this area.

The Barrier Reef really starts much further north and you should be looing at places like Cairns (the gateway to the Barrier Reef) or Townsville to get some good trips. Especially if you want to see sharks.

Stingers aren’t really too much of a problem in summer months on dive boats, just coastline. But as there is still a risk lycra body suits are advisable and supplied on most boats.

You have obviously read up on the other posts here about the various trips up north so won’t elaborate now, but as far as I am aware there are no live aboard out of Brisbane.

As for the Coral Sea it is the area outside of the GBR that offers ultra clear viz (30m / 100ft plus) and a lot of larger pelagic fish and sharks. This is where the boats do the shark feeds. Deep water (1000m / 3000 ft) deep in places as it is on the continental slope. The coral etc is not as pretty as the inside of the Ribbon Reefs but the viz and sharks make up for it, and the Coral Sea portion of these trips (Mike Ball, Spirit of Freedom, and Taka) is an extra day tagged onto a Cod Hole / Ribbon Reef trip.

At the end of the day of you want to see the best the Reef has to offer go on one of the 3 boat mentioned above. There are other options and those out of Cairns and can be see here Cairns Live Aboard Over Night Dive Trips To The Outer Barrier Reef, Cod Hole And Coral Sea. but there will still be some good day trips off the east cost around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

 

[ocdiver1]

Aquapro gave some great advice...def get up to Cairns and do one of the 3 LOB options he gave you. Aside from that, I'd see if you could squeeze out out a couple more days (maybe subtracting from Brisbane) and take in at least a couple of days in Byron Bay...not only an awesome place to hang out but great diving at Julian Rocks, and you'd be there at the right time of year. Should be wobbegongs everywhere and you should see gray nurse sharks as well. If flying into Sydney and spending a couple of days there, you could fly Ballena-Byron...you're then only a 2 hour drive from Brisbane, and will continue north from there afterwards to get to Fraser Island. I've never been to that zoo, and Brisbane is a nice enough city, but I've never found a whole whole lot to spend a lot of time in the city for. There is actually at least one LOB out of Brisbane, but I can't recall the name...but you definitely want to be up in Cairns for a week liveaboard from there.

 

[Kern]

There is actually at least one LOB out of Brisbane, but I can't recall the name...

Brisbane Scuba Diving Trips on Moreton Bay - Big Cat Reality

 

[Dion]

Thank you all for the replies, I am going to check out those operators. I think maybe I will just alter my plan to stay a few days in Sydney either on the front or back side, cut a few days in Brisbane and do a 5 day liveaboard from Cairns. Is it very far to get to Frasier island from Brisbane?

Thanks!