Moreton Bay and Stradbroke Island diving advice

[Anthony A.]

Hi everyone, I am close to visiting Brisbane at the end of this month and still haven't booked my hotel

Anyway, I will taking a cruise from Brisbane but I will be flying there 5 days early to do some diving and site seeing. In regards to diving Moreton Island and Stradbroke Island, what is the best location in or around Brisbane (on the beach of course) to book a hotel that will allow me to visit both areas. From what I gather, you need to take a ferry to Stradbroke Island, in which case Manta Lodge is the dive operator on that island? Can people visit Stradbroke to just lay on the beach there?

Also, what about Moreton Island, is it a nice dive or should I just stay at Stradbroke. I really will ony be doing about 2 days of diving (4-5 dives max) while im there so perhaps I may have to choose on or the other. I'm dying to see some large fish like nurse sharks and rays, but are nurse uncommon this time of year? Really excited to visit! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rickoz]

Hi everyone, I am close to visiting Brisbane at the end of this month and still haven't booked my hotel
Anyway, I will taking a cruise from Brisbane but I will be flying there 5 days early to do some diving and site seeing. In regards to diving Moreton Island and Stradbroke Island, what is the best location in or around Brisbane (on the beach of course) to book a hotel that will allow me to visit both areas.

No Beach at Brisbane but they do have a man made one at Southbank.

From what I gather, you need to take a ferry to Stradbroke Island, in which case Manta Lodge is the dive operator on that island? Can people visit Stradbroke to just lay on the beach there?

Yes you need to take a water taxi or ferry to Stradbroke Isl, You can beach it there.

Also, what about Moreton Island, is it a nice dive or should I just stay at Stradbroke. I really will only be doing about 2 days of diving (4-5 dives max) while im there so perhaps I may have to choose on or the other.

Stradbroke Isl it caters for al types of adventures, Morton Is is basic more a little resort but no more diving from what i hear. If you luv wrecks the stay in Brisbane Ask someone about Cutrtan Artificial Reef.

I'm dying to see some large fish like nurse sharks and rays, but are nurse uncommon this time of year? Really excited to visit! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sharks then Stradbroke but it will depend on the time of the year talk to some of the locals at www.diveoz.com.au

 

[ferris213]

Straddie is a nice spot with some swimming beaches and Manta dive is a pretty good outfit. Just catch the water taxi and they will pick you up from the jetty. It's a long day if you don't plan on staying there overnight.

Go Dive run a good outfit too, they leave from the harbour in Brisbane, and visit the sites off North Stadbroke Island. If you get the chance you could also do the HMAS Brisbane out of Mooloolaba, though it is about an hour north.

 

[Anthony A.]

Thanks so much for these tips. I just booked the hotel which is actually at surfers paradise. Do you know if the water taxis pickup from there to stradbroke or do i need to drive up to brisbane?

 

[ferris213]

The water taxi won't pick up from surfers paradise, and it will be about an hour or so drive. If your staying in surfers paradise I personally would dive at cook island.

http://www.coolydive.com.au/ leave from tweed heads which is very close to the gold coast. I think the diving is pretty good there and it will be much much easier than driving up to brisbane then getting the boat out to Straddie.

If you have your own car you could also drive about an hour south from the gold coast to Byron bay. http://www.sundive.com.au/ offer some great diving at Julian rocks. For me, Byron bay and Julian rocks beats Brisbane and stradbroke island any day of the week.

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[geoffdee]

As mentioned above you need to take the water taxi or barge across to straddie from Cleveland which is about 1hr north of surfers driving. Little bit late for the GN sharks but the mantas are out this time of year and definitely worth a look. You can stay at Manta Lodge for reasonable rates in a Youth Hostel Association/YMCA type of accommodation which is pretty good. Might be a little hard to just turn up and get other accommodation on straddie at this time of year aside from that. Theres also a few day boat operators that would get you out to Stradbroke dive sites from Brisbane as mentioned. But if you want to beach it probably need to stay ove on island. There's some sites out off Moreton Island worth diving such as flinders reef, curtin is ok and a few others (some less dived by day boat operators) but you wont get out to these by staying at the island resort, the resort is not that geared to diving more snorkelling along the Tangalooma wrecks and other adventure type activities and can be a little exxy. Youd need to take a day boat also for diving off moreton such as the supercat. On the Gold Coast as mentioned Cook Islands a nice easy dive and worth it or there's a few other sites such as Nine Mile and Kingscliffe Pinnacle might get larger life at. If you can Byrons not that far from Gold Coast driving 1.5 hours and Julian Rocks is worth it (but again a little late for GNS). If you can venture north about 1.5 - 2 hour drive highly recommend diving the ex HMAS Brisbane always an interesting dive.

 

[helianth]

Stradbroke Island is beautiful and you can certainly go there just to lie on the beach. You could probably dive Straddie and Cook Island in that time with some good planning.

The diving has been great at Cook Island and I can recommend giving Tweed Sea Sports a call Tweed SeaSports - Scuba Diving PADI Courses - they take dives there and Nine Mile Reef most days. There were lots of turtles out there last weekend and there has been talk of Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks, but the Grey Nurses are more of a winter thing.

 

[Anthony A.]

There were lots of turtles out there last weekend and there has been talk of Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks, but the Grey Nurses are more of a winter thing.

turtles, mantas and leopards at cook island? is this normal? i would love to see these. byron bay is also a huge possibility since i will be renting a car.

 

[ferris213]

I have been fortunate enough to encounter mantas twice at cook island. Once we were circled for about 10 mins. Turtles are a fairly common sight, buy I've never seen a leopard shark there. (I've only dived there about 10 times)

Byron will almost certainly have turtles and leopard sharks, and I have seen a manta there once in about 60 dives

Straddie is the best bet for mantas. Almost a certainty at the aptly named manta bommies.

Having said all that of course you might see none of the above, or everything.

If I was staying at surfers, had my own car and two or three days spare, I'd dive cook island once, then Byron for as long as possible.

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[Anthony A.]

Thank you all for the great advice. Cook and Byron and the spots. Will post pics. On my return