Seconding both Spirit of Freedom and Lynn at Ozdive. We just got back from a trip to the GBR last week. I've been on trips where the vis was better (which is hardly the fault of the dive crew) but these guys worked their TAILS off to take us to good sites and to ensure we had a good experience. We really made friends with them and I hope we'll see some of 'em again some day. (You really can't go wrong with Cap'n John, A*W*E*S*O*M*E divemasters Sarah and Liz, dive tech Mark, the best chef in the world Rob and awesome cabin helper Shelly...can you tell we loved them all?) My only advice is, take lots of Dramamine! Jet lag and seasick is no fun, and the trip out to Osprey was a little rough. (Disclaimer: I get seasick easily, unfortunately.) The cabins are plenty comfy, each with its own restroom; the food was fantastic; and at the end of the trip we got to jump off the top of the boat. Good times.
We didn't see any mantas, but lots of turtles, sharks, giant cod, lionfish, cuttlefish, titan triggerfish, reef stonefish, tons of false clownfish, and amazing coral bommies and scenery. Save room on your card for Steve's Bommie - I went through two gigs in about 15 minutes.
If you stay on land in Queensland, consider Port Douglas - Cairns is bigger and has more nightlife, but P.D. is more quaint and picturesque. I'd compare Cairns to Panama City Beach and P.D. to Cape Cod, although I'm sure others may disagree. If you stay at P.D. go to
Rainforest Habitat to see really amazing tropical animals such as cassowaries, parrots and flying foxes.
We did an extra add-on to New Zealand, planned by Lynn (her website is
www.ozdive.com) - couldn't have been better. The hotels were all topnotch, and we met some really cool people. We did only the north island (which is volcanic as opposed to glacial). We plan to come back to see the south and will definitely book through Lynn again.
Anyone with questions feel free to email.
Oh, and p.s. - take any airline but Qantas unless you want to get hassled on their VERY STRICT weight limits. The L.A. ground crew will let you on with whatever you like in your carry-ons, but forget taking it with you anywhere in Australia or carrying it home. Plan on having to put EVERYTHING (including your regulators and sensitive camera equipment, medications, etc.) in your checked bags if you take Qantas. And don't expect them to cheerfully convert kilos to pounds for you - the counter attendant I asked laughed in my face. You can rent dive gear in literally every corner in Cairns or Port Douglas, so consider leaving anything heavy at home.
The seats are also incredibly tiny and cramped, which makes a 14 hour flight real misery. The seats ahead lean back until your tray table is pressing into your stomach. The counter and gate crew were very rude to us. Alternatives are Air New Zealand, and Continental.