Dive Australia’s newest wreck, the Ex-HMAS Adelaide!
THE TRIP HMAS Adelaide was the lead ship of the Adelaide class of guided missile frigates built for the Royal Australian Navy, based on the United States Navy’s Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates. She was built in the United States of America and commissioned into the RAN in 1980. During her career, Adelaide was part of Australian responses or contributions to the 1987 Fijian coups d’état, the Iraq invasion of Kuwait, the Indonesian riots of May 1998, the INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce, the War in Afghanistan, and the...
Read MoreGrey Nurse Shark Overload at Seal Rocks, Forster, N.S.W.
THE TRIP A dive at Big Seal Rock, when the grey nurse sharks are in, is the most unforgettable experience. Descending the rock wall, you will come upon a wide gutter at 21 m, which has a small cave cutting into the rock face. Usually schools of kingfish, drummer and trevally circle the gutter, while turtles, wobbegongs, stingrays and Port Jackson sharks can be seen resting on the bottom. Between summer and winter the gutter is often filled with dozens of grey nurse sharks. You can sit on the edge of the gutter and watch these large sharks...
Read MoreNorth Stradbroke Island – Expect the Unexpected!
The Dive Site North Stradbroke Island is a pristine, secluded island paradise – a hidden treasure only one hour from central Brisbane. Diving off Stradbroke Island can only be described as exhilarating! The dive sites you will explore are only a 10- 15 minute boat ride from shore and Manta Bommie has been rated in the top 10 dive sites in Australia. Straddie’s reefs are teeming with various marine life like Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks during Summer (Oct- Apr), endangered Grey Nurse Sharks and Humpback Whales during Winter (May-...
Read MoreDive the Magnificent South Solitary Islands Marine Park
THE TRIP The Solitary Islands Marine Park runs for 90 km north of Coffs Harbour; which is centrally located between Sydney and Brisbane, on the NSW north coast. This is where the warm Great Barrier reef waters from the north, meet the cooler southern waters from Sydney and below. The sheltered Island havens are warmer than the coastal waters producing a unique blend of tropical and sub-tropical fish life, hard and soft corals, and spectacular marine life. With over 25 exciting dive sites we will not be limited in our choices of dive...
Read MoreDive Australia’s Most Historic Shipwreck the SS Yongala!
THE SS YONGALA The Dive Site The S.S. YONGALA sank in a cyclone on the 23rd March 1911 and remained undiscovered for almost 50 years, not being positively identified until 1958. The wreck now lies on its starboard side in 14-28 metres of water and at 109m long is the largest and most intact, historic shipwreck in Australian waters. She sank just 12 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Bowling Green in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park with the loss of all 122 passengers. Exactly what happened we will never know – although research indicates the vessel was steaming, the fact no life...
Read MoreThe Ultimate Easter Eggstravaganza – The Best of New South Wales!
This trip sold out quickly last year and was talked about for months after! So why would we change the winning formula?! Well we have! You get an extra two dives at South West Rocks! Given the action in Shark Alley at the moment I am sure the extra two dives will be used getting up close and personal with these marvellous sharks! Escape the craziness of Brisbane and head south for a weekend that you will replay on your deathbed! Starting off the Easter long weekend we are heading down to South West Rocks to dive at Fish Rock Cave, hitting up the South Solitary...
Read MoreAdvanced Digital Underwater Photography Techniques with U/W Photography Legend Ross Gudgeon!
4 to 6 July 2014 Ross Gudgeon has been running digital photography workshops at Sundive for years but this is the FIRST time he will run one on one of our favourite dive locations, the North Solitary Islands at Wooli, NSW! This is an opportunity you WON’T want to miss! Most published photographers will agree that the turning point in their photography was a course with an industry expert and Ross is at the top of his game! I have seen first hand the significant improvements that have come with attending one of Ross’s courses....
Read MoreHone your skills and get your eye in for the smaller stuff at Cook Island Aquatic Reserve!
THE TRIP Cook Island is located approximately 600m offshore from Fingal Head and four kilometres southeast of Tweed Heads in Northern NSW on the Southern end of the Gold Coast, Australia -Cook Island Aquatic Reserve was declared on October 23, 1998 to protect the marine biodiversity of the island’s reef system. – Cook Island plays host to an amazing array of marine life, offering spectacular temperate, subtropical and tropical species of fish which are bountiful. Nudibranchs, Rays, Eels and Occys are plentiful. Clown...
Read MoreWeekend on North Stradbroke Island – MANTA FEST !!
THE TRIP North Stradbroke Island is a pristine, secluded island paradise – a hidden treasure only one hour from central Brisbane. Diving off Stradbroke Island can only be described as exhilarating! The dive sites you will explore are only a 10- 15 minute boat ride from shore and Manta Bommie has been rated in the top 10 dive sites in Australia. Straddie’s reefs are teeming with various marine life like Manta Rays and Leopard Sharks during Summer (Oct- Apr), endangered Grey Nurse Sharks and Humpback Whales during Winter (May- Sept), plus Bull and Eagle Rays, guitar and Wobbegong Sharks,...
Read MoreExplore Windarra Banks – The Cod Grounds and find out what all the fuss is about!
Windarra Banks – The Cod Grounds Upcoming Dives at Windarra Banks – 8 May 2013 Probably the most legendary dive site near Byron Bay and definitely the most requested by divers venturing out with Blue Bay, Windarra Banks is located 16 km North-East of the Brunswick Heads bar. Divers who are fortunate enough to have visited Windarra Banks in the past, rate it as one of Australia’s best dive sites. Being so far out, diving at Windarra Banks is extremely subject to sea conditions and very hard to plan. Not only do sea conditions have to be favourable on the day to make the 16 km...
Read MoreAmazing structure and Big pelagics – Experience the Awe of Cherubs Cave and Henderson Rock Moreton Island.
Cherubs Cave and Henderson Rock are two of the most popular and least scuba dived sites in South East Queensland. Just the very mention of diving here will send pangs of jealousy into any experienced Queensland diver! Next Trip – A MIDWEEK two day two night trip on Wednesday 4 September to Friday 6 September 2013. Cost – $650 includes 6 dives (2 dives at Cherub’s and Henderson’s, 4 dives at Shark Alley), fuel surcharge, tanks, weights, return ferry transfers, 2 nights accommodation and transport on Moreton Island. This...
Read MoreSpend a Day at Julian Rocks in Byron Bay
THE DIVE SITE Discover the Magic of Julian Rocks in Byron Bay – One of the Top 10 dive sites in Australia! According to a story from the Bundjalung people a jealous husband threw his spear at the canoe of his wife and her lover. The canoe broke in two and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Only the back and the front of the boat stuck out of the water, creating a rock formation just 2.5 km off shore. Named by Captain Cook in 1776, Julian Rocks in Byron Bay consists of ancient sedimentary rock, remains of a volcanic eruption more...
Read MoreGalapagos Islands in luxury on the Penguino Explorer, 7 to 16 September 2015
Scuba Dive one of the most untouched and influential locations on the planet… The Galapagos Islands!!! Come with us as we follow Darwin’s path and dive with whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks…. the list of pelagics is endless! Meet a century old tortoise, dive with an iguana, all the while living it up in style aboard the Penguino Explorer. This is a trip worth saving for! 10 nights Ex Brisbane From $9,891 Price Includes: Return flights ex. Brisbane to San Cristobal via Santiago and Guayaquil flying with Qantas , LAN Airlines and Aero Gal Airlines 1...
Read MoreDive the EX HMAS Brisbane, Wreck and Nitrox courses
THE DIVE SITE Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1967 the HMAS Brisbane was a 133 metre, Charles F Adams Class DDG, guided missile destroyer of approx 5000 tons. The HMAS BRISBANE served Australia faithfully for 34 years, till she was decommissioned in 2001. She served in both the Vietnam and Gulf wars and assisted on many humanitarian missions such as in Darwin in 1974 after cyclone Tracey. In January 2003, the Queensland Government agreed to accept the decommissioned HMAS Brisbane from the Commonwealth Government for sinking off...
Read MoreLady Elliot and the Capricorn Bunker Group Liveaboard Weekend
LADY ELLIOT ISLAND & THE CAPRICORN BUNKER GROUP The Trip Come and join us on South East Queensland’s ONLY live aboard Big Cat Reality. The Big Cat crew will be taking us to the Bunker group of Islands and Cays. This trip is 4 days of unique dive sites in the Capricorn Bunker Groupand surrounding Lady Elliot Island! This trip is a must for every diver with diverse coral cays, reefs, islands and abundant marine life. Dive Information Suitable for Open Water Divers (certified to 18 metres) Wreck certification is not a requirement...
Read MoreWooli – Pimpernel Rock and the North Solitary Islands!
THE TRIP The islands are just a short 20 minute ride away and will provide you with some absolutely world class diving. The islands are not only home to the temperate species, but being the southernmost limit of permanent colonies of tropical species. North Solitary Island is only 7 nautical miles from Wooli. The marine park reserve is famous for a diverse variety of marine life, thickly populated at different dive locations around the island. At the north eastern end is a small sheltered inlet called Anemone Bay. The boulder strewn site is carpeted with anemones and numerous Anemone...
Read MoreWolf Rock – Grey Nurse Sharks All Year Round!!
THE DIVE SITE Wolf Rock at Rainbow Beach is one of the few places in Australia where you can see Grey Nurse Sharks all year round and they are HUGE! Compare Wolf Rock to other dive sites where Grey Nurse Sharks are only seen in winter, this site is truly unique. Wolf Rock is also the ONLY known aggregation site for pregnant female grey nurse shark on the whole east coast of Australia. At the end of mating season (Oct- Dec) the numbers of grey nurse shark found at Wolf Rock increases dramatically; meaning that you will be diving with mainly female sharks. It is understood that Wolf Rock...
Read MoreAustralian Giant Cuttlefish, Leafy Seadragons and Great White Sharks!
THE TRIP OPTION ONE- Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions Only Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions want you to see Great White Sharks! And not just a quick flashing pass of grey, they want you to really see and experience the wonder and amazement of Great White Sharks. Get that tickle down your spine as one of the world’s prehistoric, amazing and definitely misunderstood fish swims by you. After nearly 50 years, Rodney and Andrew Fox are the world’s foremost cage operators and they can hold their heads up high knowing that their combination of more time on location, more cages and less people makes them...
Read MoreCome and explore the President Coolidge in Vanuatu!
THE TRIP Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of 3,955.5 km2 (1,527.2 sq mi) and a population of around 40,000.It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu. The town of Luganville, on Espiritu Santo’s southeast coast, is Vanuatu’s second-largest settlement and the provincial capital. A Spanish expedition led by Portuguese explorer Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, established a settlement in 1606 at Big Bay on the north side of the island. Espiritu Santo takes its...
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