Australia trip advice

[pgravis]

So, my wife was just accepted into an artist residency in Perth Australia....in August 2021. So, this is jumping the gun, but we like to plan ahead! the trip will start on the west coast, but obviously we want to hit up the Great Barrier Reef. So, we are looking for advice on the best places to go and what to do. We currently aren’t certified to dive-but it kind of seems silly to go all that way and not dive, so I think we will try and get certified before we go. I’ve read mixed things about basing reef tours out of Cairns as the Whitsunday Islands have better reefs, but would love to hear a reefer perspective that has been there. Also, thoughts on west coast sites worth checking out? Ningaloo reef and coral bay look interesting. We are all ears and need as much beta as possible! I wouldn’t complain about seeing some pics as well.

 

[zeroc0o0l]

Went 4 years ago - wife and I both divers. Landed in Melbourne and drove along the "great ocean road" Lots of stops along the coast but this was cool ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Apostles_(Victoria) Headed to Adelaide to dive with leafy seadragons - side note water is cold. Flew up to Cains to week long live aboard with Mike Ball, worth every penny - go see the great barrier reef. Its amazing- the coral is mind blowing!!! Will PM you with more info

 

[lapin]

Liveaboards out of Carins are great. They will teach you to dive. You can dive or snorkel.
Byron Bay is pretty kewl. College town with tons of art. Then there is Nimbin, a day trip. https://duckduckgo.com/?ratb=e&q=ninbin+austraiial\&ia=images&iax=images&t=ffnt

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I would start the dive classes before the trip ASAP (if you are getting cert). PADI requires a certain amount of hours of classroom training and its weird to waste vacation time on this.

 

[Fishurama]

Tip 1: Dont die, lol. Everything is bigger and trying to kill you. And yes that is really a spider eating a snake in Australia...Its a Banana spider. LOL



In all honesty though have fun, enjoy the sites,people, food,etc and if you see this spider run! :)

 

[Roger W]

So, my wife was just accepted into an artist residency in Perth Australia....in August 2021. So, this is jumping the gun, but we like to plan ahead! the trip will start on the west coast, but obviously we want to hit up the Great Barrier Reef. So, we are looking for advice on the best places to go and what to do. We currently aren’t certified to dive-but it kind of seems silly to go all that way and not dive, so I think we will try and get certified before we go. I’ve read mixed things about basing reef tours out of Cairns as the Whitsunday Islands have better reefs, but would love to hear a reefer perspective that has been there. Also, thoughts on west coast sites worth checking out? Ningaloo reef and coral bay look interesting. We are all ears and need as much beta as possible! I wouldn’t complain about seeing some pics as well.

You will love Australia
if you go to Cairns or Port Douglas there are plenty of trips to the inner and outer reef. Having done it a few times I found snorkelling is just as good as it is not too deep and you can tickle the clams and see the fish and corals easily. I was able to snorkel down to where the divers were and really it was a bit dark and the corals were above them, so it seemed to me to be a lot of effort for not as good an experience.
if you want to learn to dive there are lots of “Padi” diving schools around Australia and it would be a great way to meet locals in Perth or other Aussi locations.
Hamilton island in Queensland I might give a miss as there have been too many bull shark attacks, recentlly - 2 English snorkelers were just attacked one lost a foot and the other had a nasty bite,
you can dive in Sydney they even have coral at Shelley beach, plus go out with the grey nurse and port Jackson sharks - all safe, or go on a boat and do some whale watching.
North WA is good and swimming with the whale sharks will be awesome., but plan to spend a lot of time travelling Australia is very big.
Too many options, too little time- just get over here get on a local Padi course, meet some locals and go from there.
happy travelling.

 

[pgravis]

Thank you everyone! Been so busy with life I forgot to follow up here.

 

[wrasse man]

Townsville, YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DIVE THE SS YONGALA! I have dove all over the world thanks to the navy and have been fortunate to have over 1000 logged dives. The YONGALA is absolutely the most incredible dive you can do in Australia. While your close to the South Pacific, take a trip to Palau, Yap, Guam, Tinian and Truk lagoon. Truk will blow your mind, there are many beginner (130 feet or less) dives. Or go full on tec and be amazed by all wwii wrecks.

 

[doughboy]

if you have time, check out the rainforest. also take a helicopter tour, to get a view of great barrier reef from above. make sure to find out where there are actually live corals. back when I went, it was mostly dead staghorn coral skeletons as far as the eye can see where I went.