DIVE IN…

As a country with 7,000 beaches and around 60,000 kilometres of coastline, it is no surprise that Australia is a remarkable dive destination. The Great Barrier Reef is the heart and soul of diving in Australia. This 2,300-kilometre stretch of interconnected reefs and islands – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – has a huge selection of dive sites.

The Great Barrier Reef is so massive that it can be seen from space!

Aside from the incredible reef diving, there are a number of historic shipwrecks to discover. From Townsville in Queensland, you can do an exciting dive out to the

Yongala shipwreck, which sank during a cyclone in 1911. The wreck, which is still mostly intact and lies 14 to 28 metres below the surface, wasn’t found until 1958.

Australia’s second-largest coral reef, Ningaloo Marine Park, sits just off the coast of Western Australia. This reef offers a unique opportunity to swim alongside whale sharks, which pass through this area between March and August each year.

On the outskirts of Adelaide, Glenelg offers multiple dive options for beginners to pros.

For a shallow dive, you can swim out from the shore to explore the jetty which holds a variety of marine life including nudibranchs, crabs, and sea stars. For a deeper dive, head out to the Glenelg Dredge and Glenelg Barge wrecks.

Shelly Beach, located in New South Wales, provides a maze of boulders and seagrass to wind through, and the nearby dive site of Fairy Bower is another popular spot with frequent sightings of eels and rays. If you’re lucky, you might even spot the resident octopuses or blue gropers.

Victoria has several piers that are great for diving, and Portsea makes a name for itself as one of the best. This jetty on the Mornington Peninsula is easy to enter from the shore or from ladders along the pier and is known for sightings of weedy seadragons and seahorses. Some other great options are Blairgowrie Pier, Rye Pier, and Flinders Pier.

SWEET TREATS