Australia

Take in the Australian culture and dive the most famous reef in the world.

Home to Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest and healthiest coral reef system, here you will get to experience some great dives with the presence of sharks and rays.

Insider’s View

Australia has always been one of those destinations that comes to mind when talking about colourful and thriving underwater life and this is mainly because Cairns is home to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef which is undoubtedly one of the most exciting across the globe.

OUR HOLIDAY PRODUCTS

All levels

Great Barrier Reef

Year round

Australia

UD Rating – 3 Star

Spirit of Freedom

Enjoy some of the best diving the Great Barrier Reef has to offer on this luxury liveaboard. Dive the famous Cod Hole where you will see huge Cod Fish up close and personal. Trips depart weekly from Cairns.

  • 3/4/7 night trips available
  • Ribbon Reefs/Coral Sea/Cod Hole
  • Nitrox available on board (extra cost)
  • Max 26 guests / 3-4 dives per day
  • Choice of cabins to suit budget
  • Suitable for Open Water level divers

4 Stars

Year round

32 Hours

Beginner, All

From £75 Per Night

Cairns Colonial Club

Australia, Queensland

The Cairns Colonial Club is situated on 11 acres of lush tropical gardens just 31 and half miles away from Cairns city centre.

  • Stopover hotel
  • City centre location
  • Pool/Gym/Spa/Tennis/Internet
  • Choice of restaurants
  • Relaxed, Informal atmosphere
  • Daily diving at the Barrier Reef

Beginner, All

Jan - Dec

11 Nights

Colourful Reefs

From £3785

The Great Barrier Reef & Cairns

Australia, Queensland

Travel to the Tropical North of Queensland for an existing week aboard the Spirit of Freedom exploring the world famous Great Barrier Reef.

  • Dive the Great Barrier Reef
  • Liveaboard and shore combination
  • Shark diving (Osprey Reef)
  • All levels of experience
  • Dive the Cod Hole & Ribbon Reefs
  • Individuals & Couples

Marcelina

Wednesday, 24 January 2018

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Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

Embark on a fascinating journey of discovery over and deep into the world’s oldest continually surviving tropical rainforest.


Tour Type: Soft & Easy

The Sydney Tower Eye

Guests can enjoy the views from the Sydney Tower Eye Observation Deck and the outdoor SKYWALK Tour.


Tour Type: City Trips

Daintree Rainforest

Daintree Rainforest provides genuine ecotourism experiences, under expert interpretation of long-term inhabitant guides, with exclusive World Heritage access to the centrepiece of the oldest rainforest in the world.


Tour Type: Nature Tours

Destination Fact File

Take in the Australian culture and dive the most famous reef in the world.

Australia dive sites map and details. Find out more about the diving available in Australia. Use the map below to navigate around the area and select a dive site on the map to view the details or select a dive site on the navigation and the map and information will update.

You can view all our Australia dive sites on Google Earth using our downloadable Google Earth overlay. Click Here to download the Ultimate Overlay.

Climate Information

Wildlife Calendar

The east coast of Australia is dominated by the Great Barrier Reef the longest reef system in the world. Labyrinths of green and blue patterns are broken up by sandy cays and forested islands. The Barrier Reef comprises of 2800 individual reefs, shoals and over 900 continental and coral islands. Australia is a fantastic holiday destination as it is a country of so much character and range. It is a diverse continent of unique landscapes. The landscape varies from endless sunbaked horizons to dense tropical rainforest to chilly southern beaches. Scattered along the coasts, its cities blend a European enthusiasm for art and food with a laid-back love of sport, especially water sports and the outdoors.

The name is derived from the word Australia, meaning "of the South". Legends of an "unknown land of the south" dating back to Roman times were common place in medieval geography, but were based on no actual knowledge of the continent.

Australia brings to mind many images. For some these are of its curvaceous backdrop of the Sydney Opera House on a sunny day, for others it’s a blood red Ayers rock, a flat, brown expanse of out back nothingness, or leathery characters with Akubra hats wrestling crocodiles. There are some that still persist with the notion that they will see kangaroos hopping down the street and giant snakes and spiders under every log. It is the sixth largest country in the world and has the world’s lowest population density with only two people per square kilometre. Therefore it is impossible to see this entire fascinating destination in one visit.

Australia once formed part of the super continent Gondwana, which was formed over 600 million years ago, when it, Africa, South America, India and Antarctica bumped into each other and bonded together. Australia only became a separate continent about 100 million years ago when it broke away from Antarctica. Since then it has been drifting north at a rate of about 55mm a year. Australia has two separate zones, therefore meaning that it has 2 geographic zones, Tasman Fold belt and the Australian Craton.

Australia’s biggest attraction is its natural beauty; it is politically divided into six states and two territories, each one differing in beauty, but all magnificent in their own right. The countries terrain ranges from the excitement of the cosmopolitan cities to the famous white sandy beaches, spectacular water sports and world class diving.

It is believed that the Aboriginals were the first inhabitants of Australia and lived there for more than 50,000 years and even today this Aboriginal culture is alive and flourishing. Today most of Australia’s population can be found in the cities, especially in Sydney and Melbourne. Both of these cities have very different cosmopolitan characters, but neither suffers with overcrowding, unlike cities in other countries.

Destination Key Information

Currency Australian dollar
Time Difference GMT +11
Vaccinations There are no mandatory shots required entering Australia but we always recommend you to check with your personal nurse. You can also learn more about the necessary requirements at Fit for Travel NHS
Tipping In this part of the world you don't have to tip but you can if you would like to do so.
Passport & Visas You will need a visa to enter Australia and your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay plus 6 months after you return. For more information about the visa requirements visit Australian Government Department of Home Affairs
Flight Routes There are various routes available and normally we book to depart from Heathrow to Australia via Changi (Singapore).
International Flight Durations On average your flight will take 21 hours to land in Australia. This can change as there are different routes.
Luggage Allowance 23kg depending on the airline.
Transfer Information One of our represent in Australia will be waiting for you to transfer you to the liveaboard.
Dive Season Australia is a year round diving destination. However, the cyclone season is January through March; April, May, and June and this means some heavy trade winds at times. The best season to dive Australia is July through November with the best visibility at Osprey, in the northern Coral Sea in between June and September.