Traveling to Australia

Hello All,

I have business in Melbourne during Jul-Aug and Dec this year in Australia. I would love to end both trips with some good diving in Australia. I realize the first is winter there and the latter is Spring-Summer. Being my first trip, I would like to make the best of this. What are good dive operations to hook up with and good dive destinations for July and December in Australia?

Thanks,

Tom

Australia is a big place with a huge selection of both tropical and temperate diving. What sort of diving are you after? Are you looking at diving in the Melbourne area or taking a side trip to the Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef or somewhere else?

Hi Tom,

I was in the same situation as you back in March. I dove with Dive Victoria over one weekend. They had a very professional setup, and very friendly staff. We dove some WW1 sub-marines with seals coming to check us out, as well as other sites around Portsea. Very nice experience overall.

Cheers,

Mat

Agree with Gudge, but you don't have to go far for great temperate diving.

There are some excellent cold water (10-15degC) options in Port Phillip Bay on which Melbourne is situated. "The Heads" between Point Lonsdale and Point Nepean offers several fantastic options on walls festooned (ooh I love that word) with gorgonians, sponges and large kelp.

You can even do shore dives if you are very keen. A list of dives close to Melbourne can be found here on diveoz.com.au. For boat dives within 1 hours drives, I would definitely recommend Pope's Eye and Foggy Reef. A good shore dive is Flinders Pier - if you are lucky you might spot a weedy seadragon. There are also some fascinating wreck dives which stand as testiment to the extremely hazardous entrance to the Bay.

Hello All,

I am thinking two trips. One might be in the Melbourne area which I known little about. The second dive I would go up to Cairns to pick up a live-a-board for a destination like Cod Hole or Ribbon Reef. I have exchanged emails with Mike Ball and Explorer Ventures. All these seem good.

I admit a preference for warm dives but am looking for adventure with photo ops.

The first dive would be July and I would probably not get too far from Melbourne. This dive would be myself so I am amenable to more insulation if there are some things to photograph.

The second dive will be October to December. The only reason for mentioning the October period is that the first full moon of that month is when the Coral spawn occurs. I have always wanted to be around for that. December is probably a bit warmer and my main squeeze will accompany me likely for that dive. I am willing to travel to get to the right destination.

Thanks for any and all input. I am sure there is someone in this forum with great Australian dive experience.

Tom

If going up to Cairns, consider the liveaboard "Undersea Explorer" out of Port Douglas. I have done one trip with them, a minke whale swim to the Ribbons/Cod Hole trip last winter.

They do Ribbons/Cod Hole (minkes in winter); Coral Sea (Osprey Reef); and at that time of year a "Far Northern" trip up to the little-dived parts of the far northern barrier reef, as far as Raine Island/Great Detatched Reef. Very spectacular stuff.

I found them to be an excellent operation, and the boat has had a refit since my trip.

add this: They also do a coral spawn trip to ribbons in December.

www.undersea.com.au

another vote for the undersea explorer, they are a very nice and reasonable ops out there.

some photos and info on my two trips with them can be found here:

http://nitrogen-narcosis.com/trips/australia2005/index.htm

enjoy /paul