If
you have the time, the best way to see the Great Barrier Reef
is on board a liveaboard dive or snorkel trip. A liveaboard trip
allows you to maximise your diving or snorkeling time - and
you get to sleep on the reef! There are a number of vessels that
operate from Cairns offering a wide range of trips. These trips
can range from 2 - 11 days. Similar to hotels, there are different
standards of accommodation on different vessels, from budget to
luxury.
The other main difference is where the trips actually
go to. Although all diving from Cairns is on the Great Barrier
Reef, the general rule of thumb is the further
away from land you go, the better
the diving. The downside to this is longer travelling time and the
further you travel, the more expensive the trip becomes.
Outer Barrier Reef
Dive trips to the Outer
Barrier Reef are ideal for all
levels of experience and for those
with limited time. You may do a trip in as little as 2 days/1 night
and usually get the opportunity to log 6 or 7 dives - including
a night dive!
see the links below for full itinerary and prices:
The
Cod Hole was first made famous by Rod & Valerie Taylor.
You can still see the giant potato cod (up to 30kg) hand fed by
the divemasters on every trip. The Ribbon Reefs run parallel
to the coastline and offer a huge range of stunning dive sites.
These reefs are visited by fewer operators then the Outer Barrier
Reef and as such are in pristine condition.
Trip duration is usually 4 or 5 days (usually 1 day is spent travelling).
Use the links below for full itinerary and prices:
The diving just doesn't get any better the this!!!!
If you want to experience the best
diving possible you must visit the Coral
Sea. The diving here is best suited for those with a little
more experience as there are deep walls (1000m +) and there
can be strong currents (great for drift diving).
As previously mentioned, the further
away from land you get, the better
the diving is - you can pretty well guarantee 30m viz
year round. Due to the distance travelled and the fact that
the dive sites are unprotected, weather plays a big part in where
you actually dive. Most operators do not have a set itinerary and
the location is determined by the skipper based on comfort and
safety. The best time of year is September to January.
Trip duration is usually 5 to 7days (usually 1 day is spent travelling).
There are a couple of extended
trips to the untouched
beauty of the Far Northern Reefs. These trips only happen
a couple of times during the year due to the dependency on weather
and are recommended for experienced
divers only.
If
you have the time, the best way to see the Great Barrier Reef
is on board a liveaboard dive or snorkel trip. A liveaboard trip
allows you to maximise your diving or snorkeling time - and
you get to sleep on the reef! There are a number of vessels that
operate from Cairns offering a wide range of trips. These trips
can range from 2 - 11 days. Similar to hotels, there are different
standards of accommodation on different vessels, from budget to
luxury. 
The
Cod Hole was first made famous by Rod & Valerie Taylor.
You can still see the giant potato cod (up to 30kg) hand fed by
the divemasters on every trip. The Ribbon Reefs run parallel
to the coastline and offer a huge range of stunning dive sites.
These reefs are visited by fewer operators then the Outer Barrier
Reef and as such are in
