Northern Queensland; the choices. (Diving in Australia in general)

Member Name: buster19761976

Product:	Diving in Australia in general
Date:	23/01/02 (148 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Less crowds (Mission Beach), Perfect reef (MB), Small groups (MB)

Disadvantages: Overcrowding in Cairns, Huge groups (Cairns)

Having spent a year in Australia, my friends and I decided to learn to dive. We set our target at 'Advanced PADI' level, a status which leaves you able to dive to 30 metres and perform various safety procedures un-aided. Before we booked or even travelled to a dive resort, we did a little research. I'll try to summarise without getting too boring!

We completed our course with a company called 'Mission Beach Diving'. This is based about 2 hours south of Cairns. Before I talk about Mission beach, I'll explain why we chose this small, lesser visited location above the cities of Cairns and Townsville.

The companies which operate in Cairns are invariably larger operators. They have a fairly high staff turnover and operate large boats. The positives from this are that you may have many staff onboard to help you and can choose the date you want to go. The problem however comes when you are trying to learn with large groups (up to 25 in some cases) and do not have the chance to build a realtionship with any given instuctor. This can be vital, especially if you are not comfortable in water, or like my girlfriend, become claustrophobic when wearing a diving mask. The dive sites themselves can often be overcrowded, and places like 'The Cod Hole' (where giant cod are lured from their caves with unsuitable food, only to be prodded by inexperienced divers) are upsetting to anyone who respects the underwater environment. If none of this worriesd you then go to Cairns, as it's quite cheap, and you'll get a certificate. If you want a similar experience, but with low quality dive sites (with the exception of one of the local wrecks {which would require some experience and a higher qualifivation}) then head for Townsville or Magnetic Island, where the reef is badly populated and unhealthy. The crowding of dive sites isn't so much of a problem, but that's because they are of poor quality.

Now, to Mission Beach,
one of Queensland's best kept secrets. If you're travelling by Greyhound then stop here anyway, as it's beautiful and is a nice break from the other types of resorts. The diving however is on another level altogether. We headed out with Leanne Russell of Mission Beach Diving to some of the most beautiful sites in the world. The skipper (and owner of the company) Tim, knows all of the reefs around the area backwards, and is a very experienced diver and skipper. There is only one other boat operating in the area, and it works closely with Mission Beach Diving to keep everyone happy - including the fish. The dives move around from day to day, avoiding upsetting the fishes feeding patterns. The quality of the sites in the area is superb, with a huge expanse of largely untouched (and sometimes unexplored) coral. We visited at least one spot that had no name as yet! Also the groups that travel out with Mission Beach Diving are small. We were with 3 others, totalling 6 of us! If you are diving in the area and are qualified, then look up Mission Beach as they put on some fabulous trips to the best reefs in the area, and if you want to learn, then find Leanne - she's fantastic. I found no negatives about this wonderful place, and enjoyed some of the best days of my life exploring the beautiful undersea paradise of this amazing region. If you learn or dive off Cairns or Townsvilee, then I promise that you are missing out. Make the difference to your trip, be different from all the backpackers. Go to Mission Beach
But don't tell everybody!!

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