Post-Cruise, SYD>Great Barrier Reef to Dive

[Di Princess]

Hello, Aussie Friends,

 

My DD, S-in-L, and GrandBaby disembark the Diamond Princess in Sydney on Tuesday 3 February and fly home SYD > LAX on Saturday evening, 7 February.

Patrick wants to dive the GBR but we only have from Tuesday until Saturday. Do you have any suggestions for:

1. Hotels in Cairns near the dive beaches?

2. Dive shoppes from which to rent suit & equipment?

3. Flight times?

 

Thanks in advance for all your help! :D

[Aus Traveller]

Maybe Port Douglas might be a better place to stay than Cairns. From both locations they would have to take a boat trip to the Reef because it is off-shore. Any dive company they go with would have the equipment available for hire. I suggest they check on Google.

 

February is in the wet season so there is the chance of rain and even possibly a cyclone. The weather will be hot and humid. I don't want to put all the negatives, but February is also in the "stinger" season when it is dangerous to swim at beaches unless the person wears a stinger suit. Google either Box Jellyfish (Chironex Fleckerii) or Irikandji to see the risks. Off-shore at the reef there isn't such a danger.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Aus Traveller

[MicCanberra]

Hello, Aussie Friends,

 

My DD, S-in-L, and GrandBaby disembark the Diamond Princess in Sydney on Tuesday 3 February and fly home SYD > LAX on Saturday evening, 7 February.

Patrick wants to dive the GBR but we only have from Tuesday until Saturday. Do you have any suggestions for:

1. Hotels in Cairns near the dive beaches?

2. Dive shoppes from which to rent suit & equipment?

3. Flight times?

 

Thanks in advance for all your help! :D

 

I will try and answer your queries.

1.Diving is better out by the outer reef (1-2 hour boat trip), Port Douglas or Cairns will do for accommodation but it will depend on which dive company you go with.

2. Any reputable Dive company should be able to provide the gear (google as suggested).

3. Around 3 - 3.5 hour flight from Sydney to Cairns. Shuttles run from Cairns to Port Douglas (around 1-1.5 hours).

 

I hope this helps:D

[dancinman66]

Why not go on a three day tour of the reef

Everything included

Cheapest way to go and you could do snorkeling or learn to dive yourself

 

 

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[Di Princess]

Thank you for all your suggestions. I appreciate all your help.

 

Mic Canberra,

 

I think we were on a Princess cruise together one time with Kathy & Dennis. :confused:

[MicCanberra]

Thank you for all your suggestions. I appreciate all your help.

 

Mic Canberra,

 

I think we were on a Princess cruise together one time with Kathy & Dennis. :confused:

Yes, I thought your handle was familiar, it would have been on the Diamond Princess, Vancouver to Beijing in 2012.:D

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Hello, Aussie Friends,

 

My DD, S-in-L, and GrandBaby disembark the Diamond Princess in Sydney on Tuesday 3 February and fly home SYD > LAX on Saturday evening, 7 February.

Patrick wants to dive the GBR but we only have from Tuesday until Saturday. Do you have any suggestions for:

1. Hotels in Cairns near the dive beaches?

2. Dive shoppes from which to rent suit & equipment?

3. Flight times?

 

Thanks in advance for all your help! :D

 

Heron Isle, DayDream Isle & Orpheus Isle all have lively accessible reefs that don't require travel to them. Ie you walk off the beach and can snorkel through the reef.

 

The GBR is massive and can be accessed by fast cats from various ports. I would recommend Cairns /PDouglas & Green Island over Tvlle departures.

 

The reef can also be accessed from the Whitsundays, but if via flights a hassle to get to unless flying into Hamilton Isle & ducking across to Daydream Isle which is really lovely btw. :)

[cathiecatt]

Hi - I would also recommend port Douglas/ cairns over Townsville. You can't safely swim off either of their beaches though because of crocodiles. You need to travel to the reef/ islands. From port Douglas you can go to the Low Isles - it is gorgeous and has a turtle bommy. From cairns we love green island. It offers helicopter tours over the reef. We also took a boat out to the reef for incredible snorkeling. Port also has lovely boutiques and restaurants.

As mentioned earlier, it is stinger season and you will need to wear a stinger suit. If you feel like a splurge, you can stay on green island - it is gorgeous.

There are other spectacular sites in that area - including the daintree rainforest, mossman river gorge etc. it's a beautiful part of the world! Enjoy :)

 

 

 

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[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm at Port Douglas at the moment. You can swim off the main beach in the winter (not in February though due to the stingers) however I don't think there are any good dive spots near it. The main beach is patrolled and they close it if a crocodile is spotted.

 

You shouldn't have any problems organising a dive trip from Port Douglas.

 

As cathiecatt says, it's a lovely place, easy to walk around if you stay near the main centre and there are shuttle buses if staying further out.

 

I recommend this place http://portdouglasmeridian.com/. Lovely apartments, one block from main shopping street, two blocks from the beach. We've stayed here six times and it's always been excellent.

[MicCanberra]

I'm at Port Douglas at the moment. You can swim off the main beach in the winter (not in February though due to the stingers) however I don't think there are any good dive spots near it. The main beach is patrolled and they close it if a crocodile is spotted.

 

You shouldn't have any problems organising a dive trip from Port Douglas.

 

As cathiecatt says, it's a lovely place, easy to walk around if you stay near the main centre and there are shuttle buses if staying further out.

 

I recommend this place http://portdouglasmeridian.com/. Lovely apartments, one block from main shopping street, two blocks from the beach. We've stayed here six times and it's always been excellent.

 

I recall there being a netted area at the beach in Port Douglas, is this for the sharks and crocs or for stingers as well.:D

[dancinman66]

Stingers would get through mic as they are tiny

Got to wear the fashion lucrative suits

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Stingers would get through mic as they are tiny

Got to wear the fashion lucrative suits

 

 

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Apparently they are not just for the sharks and crocs.

Beaches With Stinger Nets Around Cairns and Port Douglas

There is a stinger net at the lifeguard station at the top end of Four Mile beach, Port Douglas. Tourists use it right through stinger season. The net is occasionally closed in stormy weather. You’ll also find stinger nets at Palm Cove, Clifton Beach, Yorkey’s Knob, Holloways Beach, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach and Ellis Beach, most beaches in the area.

 

You’ll sometimes see local children in full body stinger suits, exposing only fingers and faces as the net is potentially not 100% effective, tiny jelly fish can still, possibly, pass through. Don’t be put off, you’ll also see plenty of people in bikinis, the stinger suits serve a dual purpose, we use them to protect our kids from the sun, too. The lifeguards drag the net every day to check for any unwanted visitors, look out for them, it’s interesting see all the small fish and invertebrates they catch, they’re a friendly bunch, say hi.

:D

Edited September 11, 2014 by MicCanberra

[OzKiwiJJ]

I recall there being a netted area at the beach in Port Douglas, is this for the sharks and crocs or for stingers as well.:D

 

Didn't notice if it was netted at the moment, I'll check next time we go down to the beach. The tide was at its lowest yesterday when I walked along that part of the beach and there didn't appear to be any netting. Perhaps they only net it in stinger season?

[OzKiwiJJ]

I had a look at the brochure racks where we are staying and found these options:

 

Blue Dive offers overnight scuba adventures for experienced divers, and also introduction to diving courses. They operate fairly small boats. http://www.bluedive.com.au

 

Both Calypso and Poseidon offer both certified and introductory diving, as well as snorkelling. Both go to the outer reef. They are larger catamarans. Calypso is operated by tropicaljourneys.com, Poseidon is http://www.poseidon-************.au.

 

Wavelength is a small boat (30 pax) that does excellent snorkelling trips to the outer reef. I did this trip a few years ago and had a marvellous day, so if you only want to snorkel I highly recommend these guys. http://www.wavelength.com.au.

 

By the way, it isn't necessary to hire a rental car to get from Cairns to Port Douglas. There are lots of shuttles running to and from the airport. We usually get our accommodation place to arrange the shuttles for us.

[MicCanberra]

I had a look at the brochure racks where we are staying and found these options:

 

Blue Dive offers overnight scuba adventures for experienced divers, and also introduction to diving courses. They operate fairly small boats. http://www.bluedive.com.au

 

Both Calypso and Poseidon offer both certified and introductory diving, as well as snorkelling. Both go to the outer reef. They are larger catamarans. Calypso is operated by tropicaljourneys.com, Poseidon is http://www.poseidon-************.au.

 

Wavelength is a small boat (30 pax) that does excellent snorkelling trips to the outer reef. I did this trip a few years ago and had a marvellous day, so if you only want to snorkel I highly recommend these guys. http://www.wavelength.com.au.

 

By the way, it isn't necessary to hire a rental car to get from Cairns to Port Douglas. There are lots of shuttles running to and from the airport. We usually get our accommodation place to arrange the shuttles for us.

 

Great information for the OP.:D

[OzKiwiJJ]

I'm here for another couple of days if any more info is needed ;)

 

BTW the word that was asterisked out is cruises.

Edited September 11, 2014 by OzKiwiJJ

[Cruise_me_Crazy]

Any tanning salons!!? :D:p

[MicCanberra]

Any tanning salons!!? :D:p

 

Yes, they are outside of every building in Port Douglas, with a really big one on the beach.:p

[OzKiwiJJ]

Any tanning salons!!? :D:p

 

Probably but I had my spray tan before I left home. ;)