land based diving east coast australia

[heidihart88]

HELP! please, I've been reading and reading and researching and there's just too much info. I am going to Australia this July with my brothers, we'd like to do a lot of diving but I get sea sick. I am fine on boats as long as I can be outside, this means no overnights- no liveaboards, and yes, I've tried the dramamine, the patch, the bracelets, I even lived on a boat and still threw up everyday, it's just not my thing. I'm a very experienced diver so I'd like to do some good diving and not be on a boat with 100 other divers. We will be renting a campervan and driving from Cairns to Sydney so really anywhere in between is fine. I'm thinking about doing a couple days diving out of Cairns, possibly Mission Beach, Townsville, Ayr (Yongala) Byron Bay (Julian Rocks). Any recommendations of who to dive with, where to actually dive, would be appreciated. We have one month to get from Cairns to Sydney....thank you!

 

[ozzydamo]

HELP! please, I've been reading and reading and researching and there's just too much info. I am going to Australia this July with my brothers, we'd like to do a lot of diving but I get sea sick. I am fine on boats as long as I can be outside, this means no overnights- no liveaboards, and yes, I've tried the dramamine, the patch, the bracelets, I even lived on a boat and still threw up everyday, it's just not my thing. I'm a very experienced diver so I'd like to do some good diving and not be on a boat with 100 other divers. We will be renting a campervan and driving from Cairns to Sydney so really anywhere in between is fine. I'm thinking about doing a couple days diving out of Cairns, possibly Mission Beach, Townsville, Ayr (Yongala) Byron Bay (Julian Rocks). Any recommendations of who to dive with, where to actually dive, would be appreciated. We have one month to get from Cairns to Sydney....thank you!

Julian rocks at byron bay would be the shortest boat ride to a great dive site- checkout sundive byron bay. it's a big fish dive, lots of em too. Godive in brisbane, sundive on the sunshine coast (wreck dive hmas brisbane)

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

There are a ton of posts regarding various east coast dive spots, but if you are going to dive the GBR out fo Cairns the best trips are those going to the Ribbon Reefs and Coral Sea e.g. Taka, Spirit of freedom, and Mike Ball. Not overcrowded and the best diving on the Reef. Also July is middle of the Mink whale migration so you have an excelent chance of swimming with the Minke whales.

As for land based I can only speak for the Far North, but there is white water rafting, the rainforest and Skyrail. See here for a few ideas.

 

[bracko]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/australia/409689-scuba-diving-australia.html#post6206586

everything I've mentioned in that post can be done "shore" diving (mostly day boats)

South West Rocks / Fish Rock is a site that a lot of people rate highly from Sydney, unfortunately i think it's smack bang in the middle of Sydney and Brisbane, but you can fly to Port Macquarie from either city i think.

unless you're very keen to "tick that box" of the barrier reef I wouldn't bother with the outer reef's if you've done a decent amount of tropical reef diving.

 

[ocdiver1]

You named two awesome places...Julian Rocks and the Yongala. I also recommend Sundive in Byron as someone already did. For the Yongala, definitely go out of Alva Beach near Ayr, not out of Townsville...a fraction of the time for the boat ride and the trip out of Townsville frequently gets cancelled where Yongala Dive still makes the trip (found that out several times the hard way). Great diving, but be prepared for some ridiculously high prices in Aus to dive. I've never made it to SW Rocks or Port Nelson in NSW, but have heard great things about both places. It's too bad about not being able to do a liveaboard...a 7 day trip to the outer reefs out of Cairns is a great trip.

 

[ferris213]

Scuba Diving Brisbane, PADI Courses, Scuba Diving Gear Brisbane, Dive Brisbane. They run a boat out to Stradbroke Island most days. It's not a huge boat but there is normally some good diving.

Wolf Rock Dive - Grey Nurse Sharks|Scuba Diving|Commercial Diving|Charters|Training|Equipment - Welcome up north gets Grey Nurse sharks all year round I think (haven't got there myself yet)

At Bryon Bay (about 2hrs south) Welcome - Sundive Scuba Diving Dive Byron Bay might have Grey Nurse in May but is a really nice town and has some great diving. They do single tank dives so no long SI. you come back to the shop to gear up and have a bite to eat. Boat ride is only about 5 mins and the diving is awesome.

One hour north at Mooloolaba you can also dive the Ex-HAMS Brisbane. Diving Australia - Learn to Dive - Scuba Diving Australia | Scuba World runs a good shop and nice boat. They do their S.I. in protected waters so sea sickness shouldn't be a problem.

There's lots of great diving around Brissy but if I had to choose only one it would be Byron bay. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Griffo]

I've never done it myself, but i'm told that there are plenty of good shore dives on the Gold Coast particularly around the seaway
Diving The Gold Coast

 

[broncrider]

If you want some good spots, talk with the folks at Kirra Dive in coolangatta. Rudi, Kristie, and B will take really good care of you. a short 20 min boat ride mostly through the mouth of the Tweed river and you can be at Cook Island which is only about 800 meters offshore. check out their website they also have regular trips to the HMAS Brisbane, Julian rocks, and southwest rocks. even a good drift dive in the Tweed is an amazing experience. Tell them the Texan sent you.

 

[phuonguyen]

For shore diving at Brisbane/Gold Coast, there's really only two decent options, The Tweed River and the GC Seaway as mentioned above.

The Tweed is a nice drift dive that's very tidal. so early mornings might be in order. Night diving at the tweed really brings out the best of the tweed! I've personally been in the water when dolphins have swum up to me in the tweed.

On the other hand, the Seaway is a really nice alternative for the Tweed, you really only want to dive it 30 minutes before the high tide to 30 after.
The marine life seems to be more abundant at the Seaway than the tweed. Heaps of wobbiegongs and schooling fish as well.

Brisbane is really more of a boat diving area, with a couple of Nth Straddie dive sites. Flinders Reef is one dive site that I would highly recommend, as well as the Ex HMAS Brisbane. And one last thing, seeing as you're coming down in Winter, check out the Grey Nurse Sharks in "The Gutters" at Flat Rock!!

 

[heidihart88]

Maybe I should have been more clear, I can dive from boats, I like to dive from boats, I just can't sleep on them, when I said land based diving I didn't mean shore diving, I just meant no live aboards. Suggestions of actual dive sites/dive shops and dive towns along the east coast of Australia is what I'm looking for. Some of you have given me great suggestions, thanks! more would still be appreciated, I'm starting to rethink diving in Cairns at all and only doing Brisbane as mentioned above, and the Yongala out of Airlie Beach, then Julian Rocks. What about Cairns? Port Douglas? Sydney? The Whitsunday's? Byron Bay?