Great Barrier December

[demonic_death]

Hi everyone,

I will be going to Australia late this December( around Xmas weekend ). I plan to stay 2 days in Sydney( no diving ) and then proceed to Gold coast ( about 1 day, no diving ) and my last stop would be in Cairns.

As I am taking 5 days here, I would like to go to the GBR. Any recommendations as to which boat to take? What are the sites that are "must-dives" ? I know that December is summer, but is there a possibility to avoid the "cattle herd" dive crowd?

On a side note, when I was in Guam, MDA took me to the "off the beaten path" dive sites. Tourists don't go there often, locals love it as it is a refreshing view from the usual top sites. It was a nice site.

Do I need to do a liveaboard, or just day trips? If so, which operators do I trust my
vacation on?

Thanks in advance everyone. Dive safe!

 

[slipslop]

i have done liveaboards on the atlantic clipper - i heard its been sold now
pro dive to miln & flynn reefs (3 days 2 nights)
and on taka to cod hole & the coral sea (4 days, 4 nights)

and really enjoyed all of them.

i did not enjoy the day trips for diving as they are so rushed. remember that it takes 2 hours to get from Cairns or Port douglas to the outer reefs and 2 hours to get back. Tusa dive is a good option for day trips if you want to avoid hordes of snorkelers