Liveaboard - change itinerary for ribbon reef?

[Wookie]

We actually have a lot of time - we were planning to also go to Daintree and stay at the Orchard? Randomly saw it in a guidebook. Sounds like it's a good idea?

Don't know about the Orchard, it's been 20 years since I was there, and I stayed in a backpackers, but do go to the Daintree and pet a fruitbat and take the train and walk on the beach there. Don't get et by a croc.

Magnetic Island is also good for a day or 2. Be still and have the Lorikeets land on you.

 

[WetPup]

ah ok.

I would like to think we'll go back. But then again, these liveaboards aren't cheap. If we went back to this part of the world I think we might consider New Zealand instead since we haven't been there either. Sounds like perhaps we should do Brisbane -> Sydney -> Brisbane -> Port Douglas -> Sydney -> LAX. Uff. That's a haul.

Brisbane - sydney - cairns - sydney - lax? Or do you really need to go back to Brisbane after Sydney? Domestic flights here are generally pretty cheap either way.

 

[Christina D]

I had assumed you had to go through Brisbane to get to Cairns? Perhaps not?

 

[Wookie]

I had assumed you had to go through Brisbane to get to Cairns? Perhaps not?

I have flown Sydney to Cairns and Narita to Cairns. It is a pretty big runway.

 

[WetPup]

I had assumed you had to go through Brisbane to get to Cairns? Perhaps not?

Uh, no. Direct flights from Sydney to Cairns several times a day Check Jetstar or Qantas.

 

[Christina D]

Cool! Good to know.

Sounds like the concensus is change the trip. One follow up - would a liveaboard to the outter reef and a day trip to the SS Yongola be an alternative? Or is it really all about the Mike Ball trip?

 

[WetPup]

No. The Yongala is not a day trip from Cairns. It is a LONG way away. It's a 6 hour drive and then a 1 hour boat trip. On top of that, due to its depth, you cannot dive it without an AOW certification. Leave that one off your list

 

[mattia_v]

We loved the Ribbon Reefs (on taka last year); the diving is very easy in terms of visibility (good), temperatures (warm), depth (relatively shallow) and current (almost none). Raja this year was even better, but I would do the GBR again without hesitation if in Oz again and sufficiently funded.

 

[Dan]

I've done the far north itinerary, the Cod Hole itinerary, the Taka GBR 3 day itinerary, and the Yongala on separate trips. My honest advice is that GBR diving is Meh at best, and if I had any advice to give it would be to fly from Cairns to Madang PNG and dive there. If your heart is set on diving the GBR, then wait for a Mike Ball slot to open up, because being on a Mike Ball boat is worth the mediocre diving, but if you are just going for amazing diving, you won't find it on the Great Barrier Reef. It is worth changing your itinerary to go someplace awesome, and there is awesome diving in that part of the world, but in my opinion, the Great Barrier Reef isn't it.

Have you been to Raja Ampat or Komodo, Frank? Raja Ampat is just on the west end of Papua. I sure like to check PNG in one of these days.

 

[Wookie]

Have you been to Raja Ampat or Komodo, Frank? Raja Ampat is just on the west end of Papua. I sure like to check PNG in one of these days.

I have not. I've been to Thailand, GBR, and PNG by liveaboard and by land. I keep thinking that I've gone on the GBR the wrong time of year, or in the wrong place or something, because I think the Florida Keys compares most favorably with the GBR. I have not been to Raj or anywhere else in Indonesia.