Australia is divided into six states comprised of two territories. These being New South Wales, which includes Sydney and the surrounding areas containing such landmarks as Harbour Bridge and Opera House both close to the Blue Mountains in Hunter Valley and its vineyards. In the North Queensland where Cairns is located, which is famous for being the main area for diving the Great Barrier Reef and also an area of tropical rain forests and the Sunshine Coast with some of the most beautiful and famous beaches in the world.

Cairns is also a great place to jump on a yacht and do some island hopping.The Borossa and Adelaide Valleys both are vineyard-producing areas, however the wineries of South Australia are more notable as true “Australian Wines”. Victoria is its own world with desert, mountains as well as lush coastline. If your looking for some major attractions off the beaten path, then Top End and Darwin are the areas to explore, with remote National parks as are Kimberly and Broome in the north. Melbourne is what one would see as a “cosmopolitan” area of Australia.

If planning a visit to Australia for the exceptional Scuba Diving, then spending most of your time in the Cairns area of Queensland is what you want to do. Australia is much larger than most people realize, and to see the entire continent would encompass months. To the contrary, a week or two of discovery and a week or two diving the Great Barrier Reef could give you such an adventure to take home with you.

Australia presents a very small range in temperature for being the 2nd driest climate worldwide, following Antarctica. The northern parts of Australia average temperatures of 84°F (29°C) during the summer months, and 75°F (24°C) during the winter months. The southern parts of Australia however find cooler averages temperatures of 75°F (24°C) in the summer and 50°F (10°C) during the winter months. Low amounts of rain fall during the year, but the wettest months are between December and March with an average of 6.5 inches per year or 165 mm.

August to November

Ask just about anyone what is the best time to visit Australia, and the answer will almost always differ from the last. The main consensus is that the weather overall is better between months of May and November with dry and warmer weather. If you are planning to dive the Great Barrier Reef, then August through November is your best bet, with October being after tourist season, and the air and water temps excellent.

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is considered by most divers to be the best dive location in the world with its reef being the largest. The diving is really great all year, with warm water and air between September and December. However, the clarity and visibility of the cooler water between May thru August may attract you, as may the rainy season between January and April, when the waters are full of marine life following the breeding season. One concern is the stinging jellyfish, sometimes present in waters between November and May, however remember you do have protection with wetsuit.

Australia is a truly exceptional place which can bring you close to 30 species of dolphin and whale, over 1,400 fish species including sharks and manta’s, sea turtles and over 2,800 individual reefs to explore.

The average depth of your dives can run anywhere from 9m (30ft) – 36m (120ft) with visibility of the same distances. Water temperatures can run up to 32°C (90°F) during summer months to mid to upper teens in Celsius and 60’s Fahrenheit during winter.

As for getting to the best dive sites, you really need to research the dive boats, both daily and multi-day charters, with word of mouth and the dive community. Some charters bring you to the best sites, without crowds, and here you will have experiences of a lifetime. Multi -day dive boats you will get to dive the best outer most dive sites with the best experiences.

One last thing, if someone in your party has yet to take the step to Scuba, there are excellent opportunities for snorkeling off the dive boats, so encourage these friends and relatives to go along.

There are direct flights from the U.S and many major airports in Asia, however expect to connect somewhere from flights from Europe. Again, using the Internet for best flights, times and price is the way to go.

Traveling all the way to Australia there are some things that must be experienced if time allows, besides diving of course. Experiences the Aboriginal people, customs and maybe a festival can be a lifetime memory. You will find some of the best bungy jumping and whitewater rafting anywhere here in Australia. One spectacular experience is a helicopter tour of the Great Barrier Reef, giving you an amazing understanding of its size and beauty. While there you must experience the wines of Australia, which over the past few years have really shown the world that they too produce world-class vintages. Then there is always an adventure on horseback like the “Man from Snowy River”, or on a 4 wheel vehicle in the outback.

Australia takes considerable time to reach from Europe and U.S. So to do this country justice will take at least 2 weeks.