Australia

Australia is the largest country in Oceania, the world’s smallest continent and the sixth largest country in the world by total area.
The sovereign country is made up of the Australian continent mainland, the island of Tasmania and many smaller islands. It is home to the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system.
Australia is surrounded by the Pacific and Indian oceans. The Coral Sea is off the coast of Queensland, while the Tasman Sea runs between Australia and New Zealand. The Arafura Sea and Timor Sea separate Australia from Asia. The proximity of the seas and oceans is why Australia is often called an island continent or the world’s largest island. With over 21,262 miles of coastline, not including its offshore islands, Australia is considered a hot spot for scuba diving vacations.
The country is comprised of the six states of Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria, and the two territories of the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
The capital of Australia is Canberra. Its largest city is Sydney. Other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. Each state and territory is unique in its landscape and waterscape, making it an ideal holiday destination.

Scuba Diving in Australia

Australia scuba diving is among the best in the world. It offers diverse underwater topography, over 300 unique dive sites, and abundant and vibrant sea life. Scuba diving in Australia features reef diving, shark diving, wreck diving and freshwater cave diving. Highlights include viewing the incredible kelp forests, colorful coral gardens and large variety of marine life. Dive travel to Australia is most popular in Southern Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Queensland, in particular, comprises one quarter of Australia. Its Sunshine Coast has some notable live aboard adventures, with diving among wrecks, caverns, ledges, pinnacles and coral covered sandstone formations.

Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef
In diving circles, Australia is most known for its Great Barrier Reef, located in the Coral Sea off the northeast coast of Queensland. Cairns liveaboard diving is a great starting point to this majestic reef. Many dive cruises Cairns itineraries take divers to the reef, as well as other notable diving spots. As the world's largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef is comprised of 900 islands, 2,900 individual reefs, over 3,000 individual coral systems and 300 coral cays. The best scuba diving in Great Barrier Reef features over 400 coral types and 1,500 different fish species.
Australia liveaboard diving is the best way to explore the largest single structure of living organisms in the world that extends over 1,240 miles. The inner reef features shallow waters with vibrant coral gardens. Among the sightings on a Cairns liveaboard diving trip are lots of reef fish, turtles and groupers, as well as sharks, dolphins and whales. It truly is the best scuba diving in Great Barrier Reef. The outer reef offers incredible topography, particularly the Ribbon reefs that form the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef. Other visits on a liveaboard trip may take in Cod hole, noted for the potato cod that live there, and Osprey reef, a submerged atoll in the Coral Sea and part of the Northwestern Group of the Coral Sea Islands near the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef.
Two other great spots when diving in Great Barrier Reef are the Ningaloo Coast reef and the wreck of the SS Yongala, which lies in the central section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Customized dive cruises Cairns itineraries also can include other notable diving areas, such as Brisbane and Lady Elliot Island.

Extraordinary Australia Dive Spots
The best diving in Australia can be accessed through a liveaboard trip to the various sites. With its extensive coastline, liveaboard Australia adventures are the way to go for diving enthusiasts. Living on the water means quick and easy access to amazing underwater coral and marine life.
Australia liveaboard cruises offer the rare opportunity to sail to Rowley Shoals, which are three atoll-like coral reefs off Western Australia. Since the number of divers are limited here each year, an uncrowded view to explore the pristine reefs awaits.
Australia liveaboard diving also brings divers to South Australia for the infamous cage dives with great white sharks. The Rodney Fox liveaboard from Rodney Fox Expeditions offers a unique liveaboard shark safari. It’s the only live aboard in South Australia to offer epic shark tours and the only one that takes divers to Neptune Islands. The unique diving adventure provides divers with the maximum viewing time with great white sharks, with unrivaled access to cage dives, as well as wonderful land tours and the chance to see sea lions. More shark action can be found at South West Rocks, while whale shark and manta ray sightings are quite popular on Ningaloo reef, Australia’s largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef close to a landmass.
Liveaboard Australia cruises are easily the best mode of transportation to dive around the country’s many island shores. Northern Australia is noted for its brilliant coral reefs, while southern Australia is known for its tropical waters and massive kelp forests. Numerous shipwrecks await off Avoca Beach, including the Adelaide-class frigate. Another good spot for shipwreck diving is off Cape Bowling Green in Queensland. There, the SS Yongala passenger ship can be explored.

Diving to the Seasons
Australia has four seasons, each notable as a desirable holiday destination for divers.
From June to August, scuba diving in Australia is highlighted by minke whales. August through October, humpback whales steal the show.
May to February in South Australia is the time to spot great white sharks. Also around this time, liveaboard diving in Australia features mako sharks, bronze whalers and young seals.
May to June is typically the mating season for giant cuttlefish, while year round, scuba divers are likely to spot potato cod, 

When to Go

Liveaboard diving in Australia is year round thanks to the different climates throughout the large continent. 
Most of the country has four seasons, except in the tropical north, which has a wet and dry season. Summer runs from December to February, autumn is March to May, winter runs from June to August and spring is September to November.From October to April, temperatures run around 33 degrees C or 91 degrees F. Winter temperatures are mild, averaging 27° C or 81° F.
During any time of year, rarely do overnight temperatures drop below 5° C or 41° F. For diving conditions, the best scuba diving vacations in Eastern Australia and Queensland are from late August to early December. These months give divers a chance to see seasonal variations in marine life.
Dive travel to Rowley Shoals in Western Australia is best from October to December. In all other states, Australia scuba diving is ideal year round.
Diving in Great Barrier Reef is also year round, with water temperatures around 24° C or 75° F during the winter months and 30° C or 86° F in the summer months. June through November are great months for spotting humpback and minke whales around the reef, while the summer months provide great visibility for viewing the wide range of fish species on the reef.

Getting There

The easiest way to connect with most Australia liveaboard cruises is by flying into Sydney Airport, an international airport in Sydney, New South Wales. From there, direct flight connections are available to the Gold Coast, Cairns, Brisbane, or other east coast destinations.
Most liveaboards to the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea operate from Cairns. Visitors can fly into Cairns Airport, an international airport in Cairns, Queensland.
West Coast liveaboard cruises to remote Kimberley, Rowley Shoals and the surrounding reefs generally operate out of the Port of Broome. Perth Airport in Western Australia offers the best access.
Other international airports in Australia are Melbourne Airport in Victoria and Adelaide Airport in South Australia.

Visas and Passports

All non-Australian visitors, except New Zealand citizens, are required to have a valid visa to enter the country. This can be obtained from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs before leaving your home country. A passport is required to obtain the visa. Australia also accepts an electronic travel authority (ETA),which is linked to visitors’ passports. This is available for tourists who will be in the country for less than 90 days. There is a small fee to obtain this electronic label-free visa. Australian citizens must have an Australian passport to enter or exit any part of the country.

Time Zone

Australia has three time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST),Australian Western Standard Time (AWST) and Australian Central Standard Time (ACST). 
AEST is GMT+10. It is used in the eastern states, including Queensland, Victoria, South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
AWST is GMT+8. It is used in the entire state of Western Australia.
ACST is GMT+9.5. It is used in the entire state of South Australia, as well as the Northern Territory and the town of Broken Hill in western New South Wales.
In addition, certain eastern and central parts of Australian observe daylight saving time during Australian summer (from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April).
During Australian Eastern Daylight Time, the time is GMT+11. During Central Daylight Time, the time is GMT+10.5.
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not observe daylight saving time.

Currency

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Electricity

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Language

Most Australians speak English. It is termed Australian English or General Australian because the accent, vocabulary, grammar and spelling differs from other English varieties.