Where to Dive: North vs South Great Barrier Reef

[Riddim]

I'll be in Australia starting mid-January for three weeks and want to do an amazing scuba trip in that time. My sister, who lives in Melbourne, and I originally planned on doing a dive from the Cairns area in the northern part of the reef. We're both intermediate divers with our Advanced Open Water cert.

However my sister is now recommending we go to Lady Elliot or Heron islands instead in the southern part of the reef since she claims the Cairns area is no longer as healthy/vibrant as it once was. The other limitation is that while I'd love to do one of the long expensive 4-5 day live aboard trips, which I imagine would get you to the better untouched parts of the Cairns reef area, I don't think that's quite in our collective budget.

Does anyone have any recommendations on the best, more affordable, spots to dive in Australia? Preferably off the beaten path where the reef is still kicking? Thanks!

 

[triode12]

Check out the Whitsunday Islands (off Airlie Beach), they are between Rockhamton (where Heron Island is off) and Cairns (not as far to travel from Brisbane). I've been to both and the beaches in the Whitesunday's are more pristine IMO (check out Whitehaven beach). You can also access the Great Barrier Reef from there - similar GBR tours run from Airlie beach as they do from Cairns. I have been on tours of the Reef from both Cairns and the Whitesundays and they are almost identical.

You can also get liveaboard sailboat tours from the Airlie marina quite easily. Sailing Whitsundays

 

[andyw70]

I agree with triode, the tours from Airlie are great.the reefs and Whitehaven are awesome,so great I've moved here .The best trip would have to be Anaconda. Anaconda III Whitsundays, Whitsundays Sailing. They go to the outer reef and the crew were awesome.
Cheers Andy.

 

[chris kippax]

Hi Triode
Heron Island is off Gladstone, not rockhampton. It is a wonderful reserve and has been a protected site for decades thus there is a very large number of large fish. I have done over 150 dives on heron and the surrounding reefs. The reefs off the whitsundays are quite poor and do not compare with the southern GBR. If I were u I would do either heron or lady Elliott with 4 days in Byron bay and 3 days in south west rocks, and maybe some stops in between!

 

[MA]

Chris has written pretty much exactly what I wanted to write. Except I haven't dived heron so I Would've said lady elliot. Lady elliot has loads of mantas.

And Byron and south west rocks are awesome! Sharks!!! So cool. Chris has suggested a perfect trip.

 

[ozzydamo]

Lady Elliot and the Capricorn Bunker Group Liveaboard Weekend