ocdiver1
Contributor
Heidihart...the Whitsunday's are actually reached from Airlie Beach, the Yongala from Ayr/Alva Beach and Julian Rocks is at Byron Bay. The Whitsunday's are beautiful area, but i found the diving pretty mediocre. I think going to Cairns is worth it, lots to do and see in addition to the diving. I've never personally dove around Brisbane but don't recall meeting anyone who'd dove there and spoke incredibly highly about it. A couple of NSW sites worth looking at are Port Nelson and SW Rocks near Coffs Harbor, although I've yet to dive either. Diving around Sydney is awesome...worth doing even if only to see the weedy sea dragon. I've dove with Abyss and had a good experience. Depending on how much time you had in Oz you could fly in Sydney, give yourself a couple of days to dive there in addition to seeing the sights, fly to Bryon, then work your way north from there to the Yongala and then Cairns, depending on what you wanted to do. Australia has so much to offer topside...I'd give yourself plenty of time to see the sights along the way, depending on your interests.