Cairns, Port Douglas or Broome?

[payaso]

I'm going to Oz in October or November to Sydney and Perth. I'll be solo and want to plan a dive trip in Broome, Cairns or some nearby great location.

I prefer smaller boats without kids or with kids but not a large boat. I am an intermediate diver (not a newbie) with experience in northern Calif cold water/conditions.

Can anyone recommend dive boats in Port Douglas for 3 or 4 day trip? I read that there are a lot of cattle boats in Cairns. I can consider Darwin or Broome but couldn't find much info on Broome except one boat that charged $3500 for 5 days, whoo! too expensive!

Broome sounds more to my liking because its off the beaten path and less people but couldn't find much info on the net.

Thanks

 

[alcina]

There is very little diving out of Broome and you are going to want to talk to the operators there well in advance for your planning.

If you're going to be in Perth, why not come up here to the Ningaloo Reef?

Most boats outside of Queensland are relatively small and most operators keep the group numbers small, too.

 

[payaso]

Hi
Thanks for the invite. It's a bit of a trek from Perth and I'll be short of time. If it wern't for that I'd like nothing better than a long trek. Coral Bay looks nice too!
I'm limited to a few locations reachable on the air pass with Quantas.

Maybe when I have more time.

I'm looking for recommendations in Cairns at the moment.

ciao
Rob

 

[adstaa]

There are some great 3 and 4 day liveaboards out of Port Douglas and Cairns. If you are lucky you can get some great deals on standby.

If you choose to do day trips, the diving is better out of Port Douglas. Most of the boats however take around 80 to 100 people, tho not all of these will be divers. The only way to get a small boat is to do a private charter. The real cattle boats up here take about 400 people out to the reef each day.

However, October/November is the shoulder season and there are usually less people in the Port/Cairns area.

cheers

 

[recd]

In October/ November a few boats run liveaboards out to the Rowley Shoals from Broome. I went with this company and had some great diving. Rowley Shoals - Introduction