Australia - need tips for the dive of my life

[NirtakSretep]

Hi everybody,

I have the chance to go diving in Australia from 1-18 April and want to make the best of it! It's a once in a lifetime thing, because from Germany you don't travel often to Australia.

Therefore I need to make up my mind - do I go West, hoping to see whalesharks at Ningaloo Reef or do I go to Cairns?

I would be so glad to get some help here for my decision making!!!

Many thanks in advance and best regards from Munich!

Kay

 

[Tortuga68]

Beides!

You should repost this in the Australia forum (nm I see you have), and read the threads there. April is the start of the season for whale sharks so good timing if you decide to go that way

 

[Ghanguss]

Gday,

Never dived the west coast but Ive been to the GBR a few times.

The best diving out of Cairns is on the outer barrier reef ie. the ribbon reefs and the remote reefs like Osprey reef. The links below show an overview and detailed maps of the GBR.
Overview
Detailed maps

To get to Lizard island / osprey reef, youll need to go on a liveaboard like-

Taka TAKA or

Mike Ball Mike Ball

You can also go from Gladstone and get out to the Swain Reefs (livaboard). Mainly fishing vessels go to these parts of the GBR so a dive trip is not as easy to arrange but it can be done. Ive snorkelled on the Swains and it was spectacular, I would like to go back and dive it one day.

Other prime locations are the Yongala out of Townsville Yongala

Most other scuba diving is done via day trips which Ive never done, but Ive heard mixed reports and most say if possible get to the remote areas on a livaboard. Ive done Taka twice and will go again.

I hope you have a good trip

 

[NirtakSretep]

Thanks a lot for your answers, I think I'll go for the West coast... but might reconsider when down under as I'll stay in Sydney for a couple of weeks.

All the best to you!

 

[TSandM]

I don't know how much time you have to dive, but we decided against going to Cairns on the advice of people from this board, and instead, went to Byron Bay for two days of diving. It's still some of the best diving I have done anywhere. No whale sharks, but lots of nurse sharks, bull rays, skates, HUGE schools of an enormous variety of fish, nudibranchs, lionfish . . . I could go on. I'd dive there again in a heartbeat if someone would pay my way to Australia.