Cairns Sports & Outdoors

You can't go to Australia without diving the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is a great starting off point, but you will be sadly disappointed by the reefs in Cairns if you only go on a day trip from the local port. The reef in that area is dying and getting bleached out.

You'll be better off getting on a live aboard or taking a trip up to Port Douglass to catch a dive boat from there.

Equipment: Boats Available
- Tusa Dive (Cairns)
- Silverswift (Cairns)
- Silversonic (Port Douglass)

Check out www.cairns.com.au/activities
There are so many different reef trips this may help you decide.
You can choose from luxery to budget day trips.

Or-- cairns.com.au/greatbarrierreef both offer dive and snorkel trips.

The weather is usually ok in November but remember it is our wet season,so no guarantees.

Hope this helps.

Equipment: Check this out with the tour operaters but remember plenty of drinking water to hydrate.

There are a lot of Places from where you can go diving or snorkeling in Australia.

The most famos place to do it would be on the Barrier Reef.
When you stay on the east coast you will most probably start from Cairns or a place south of it.
If you want to start diving it will be cheaper if you are learning it somewhere south of Cairns - the more south the more cheap it is said to be. But if you want to make trips to the Barrier Reef they will take longer as from Cairns itself.

Make sure if you learn divinig, that you do it properly. Meaning: Choose a Dive school that shows you how to dive safe - for you and your environment.
PADI aproved ones are mostly good.

And remember: do not touch the corals. Leave them as they are for the next to see and enjoy!

Equipment: Diving equipment can be rented, wich is well, if you only do it from time to time.
If you do it more often, look that you own a mask (maybe with your correction, if you wear glasses), snorkel and fins.
If you are going to do this regularly, it can be good if you have your own wetsuit, jacket and bottles - but these are heavy.

The Great Barrier Reef is 2nd to none when it comes to snorkeling and scuba diving. If you don't know how to scuba dive, there is no better setting to learn than this.

The counters on the lower level of the Pier Marketplace are a good place to find a reputable dive company.

Equipment: Most companies should provide all equipment and wetsuits. All you really need to bring should be sunscreen and an underwater camera.

Scuba Diving is when you go to a whole different world...a world that only a few privilege get to see. Scuba Diving is when you get to put on a sexy tight rubber fitting suit that keeps you cool yet warm and protects you. Also you have a huge tank on your back that allows you to breath by connecting a mouthpiece to your mouth of course.

Scuba Diving is quite special because you get to see things only a few privilege get to see. Diving along The Great Barrier Reef is amazing. Their's a whole new world under their that you forgot about everything that goes on above the water and you just admire the coral and the fish and the way they just seem so happy.

This is a truly unique experience for anyone who hasn't dive and for anyone who has dive over and over again.

Equipment: You could bring your own scuba gear but i'm sure you really don't want to lug it around and I don't think airplanes let you take oxygen tanks on board anymore, so on most of the cruises around Cairns you can hire gear and they provide everything that you need to beginners to experienced divers.

Also you can buy your own gear among many of the shops around Cairns but I do recommend that hire one instead of buying one because its easier.

There are so many dive and snorkel trips to choose from at Cairns, it was hard to choose, but but a helpful staff member at one of the backpackers helped us out by saying it's ok to go to places like Green Island if you're a simple day tripper, but to see really good coral, you must go on an outer reef trip as Green Island coral is now very badly damaged.
He also recommended a smaller boat, as he said getting suited up alongside 100 other people took ages, on full boats you wouldn't get such personalised service, and to be looked after (as I'm not really confident in deep water) it was better to have a smaller boat with less passengers. He recommended Cairns Reef Dive and we (and others we met later) found them really great
There were about 50 of us on the boat (some we dropped off on a floating overnight hotel boat out past Green Island) and there were about 7 staff members on board to help, set out the delicious lunch provided in the cost, etc. They were really organised in stowing all gear safely, making sure everybody was ok getting in and out of the water, giving advice, helping out, and as I'm prone to seasickness and was sick all the 2 hours out to the reef (and it was an unusually rough day too I think) they were very attentive and it just helped so much. They told me once I got into the water I'd be fine, and I was. Very friendly and informative captain too, you learn a lot about the reef while anchored and get about 3 hours to spend out there (time split between 2 different reefs) and so can get in and out of the water several times.

Equipment: You don't need to bring anything but your camera (underwater disposable as well is useful), towel and your swimmers, as everything else is provided at no extra charge.
We did bring our own face mask and snorkel from home, just because we were more familiar with the fit of them.

PHOTO: SAILING AND BOATING ACTIVITIES OF ALL KINDS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE PALM COVE BEACH NORTH OF CAIRNS. THE ISLAND IN THE BACKGROUND IS CALLED SCOUT HAT ISLAND.

We took a bus from Edge Hill and 25 minutes later we were at the beach. There are bath & changing rooms available, picnic tables, lots of restaurants and shops and all kinds of gear and boats to rent. This is a great beach to swim in and growth is just starting to reach this area so it is somewhat unspoiled so far. However there are big plans in the works to upscale this area

Equipment: Everything you need, including bathing suits can be bought or rented here. You can bring stuff too, including a picnic lunch and there is camping here too.