What’s not to love about diving in Australia? This gargantuan continent has underwater landscapes like coral reefs, seagrass fields, caves, and more all hosting a variety of diverse wildlife. Think parrotfish highways, migrating whales, miniature nudibranchs, and much more. Of course, the best way to experience the versatility of this country’s underwater landscape is from a liveaboard boat. Of course, a great way to experience the versatility of this country’s underwater landscape is on one of the best Australia liveaboard trips.
No matter what type of diving you’re into, you’ll find it between the Great Barrier Reef on Australia’s east coast and the Ningaloo Reef outlining the west. If you’re looking to dive with large underwater life like Humpback whales, dolphins, and whale sharks, the coast of Western Australia is best for you. If you crave the brightness and life around technicolor coral, head to the Great Barrier Reef. Anywhere in between is sure to offer a unique dive experience seen by few others around the globe.
THE BEST AUSTRALIA LIVEABOARD BOATS – A COMPARISON
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN DIVING WITH A LIVEABOARD IN AUSTRALIA
1. WHAT LANDSCAPE AND MARINE LIFE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?
The Great Barrier Reef hosts six of the seven species of sea turtles, Minke whales, hundreds of species of nudibranch, fish, and corals. It is the world’s largest reef system and can even be seen from outer space. It is also the site of the S.S. Yongala, one of our favorite wrecks featured in our article about the best wreck dives in the world.
The Ningaloo Reef, on the other hand, is renowned for its healthy population of whale sharks, Humpback whales, sea turtles, and it is hundreds of miles long. Due to its remoteness, it is rarely crowded and gives a truly adventurous experience. Who knows, you might even spot one of the animals featured on our Big Ocean Creatures Bucket-List. Since the reef is so accessible from land, liveaboard boats only service this area every now and then.
There’s also one of the most pristine and remote dive sites in the world, Rowley Shoals, that is only accessible via liveaboard boat. Here, marine wildlife flourishes around three incredible coral atolls and it’s common to see all types of creatures.
Most liveaboards only service one region of Australia, so that will likely be a major deciding factor when choosing which one to go on.
2. WHAT’S YOUR COMFORT LEVEL?
Some Australia liveaboard boats have Wi-Fi, private bathrooms, and onboard salons. Others do not. Can you sacrifice a few amenities to go on a liveaboard that cruises the region of Australia you want to see most? Or is having a private bathroom a must for you? Make a list of criteria that you need to have met to easily filter out the liveaboard boats you’d like best.
3. WHAT’S YOUR BUDGET?
Liveaboard boats in Australia generally range from $200 AUD to $400 AUD per day and up. You can always extend or shorten your trip to adapt to your budget. For example, if you only have a budget of $1000 AUD for the entire trip, you could likely go on a three-day luxury liveaboard or a five day basic one. You can also save money by reserving the smaller rooms without an ocean view – you’re likely to spend most of your time in the ocean or lounging in the communal areas, anyways!
VIDEO: SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA – ROWLEY SHOALS
AUSTRALIA LIVEABOARD REVIEWS
THE BEST 6 AUSTRALIA LIVEABOARD BOATS OF THE YEAR
SPOILSPORT
Photo Credit: Photo by Mike Ball Expeditions, used through Spoilsport Liveaboard
This beautiful 30-meter liveaboard boat takes divers around the world-famous Great Barrier Reef nearly all-year-around. Spoilsport frequently goes to incredible sites like Cod Hole, Goggle Gardens, the Snake Pit, and many more hard-to-reach sites.
Guests can enjoy spending their surface intervals in the communal lounge room with a large screen TV and free movies, bar, and sun deck. The liveaboard has 14 rooms ranging from standard to premium. All rooms have private bathroom access, hot shower, and daily housekeeping. All meals are served buffet style to fuel unlimited dives.
The vessel’s double-hull design mutes motion and decreases seasickness.
Check The Latest Price At:
Liveaboard.com | Diviac
SPIRIT OF FREEDOM
Photo Credit: Spirit of Freedom Liveaboard
Spirit of Freedom is a 37-meter vessel that cruises around the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea reefs, primarily around the more remote sites. Divers can spend their time in the air-conditioned entertainment room and bar or on-deck whale watching. There is also an onboard shop in case you’ve forgotten any essentials.
The boat has six types of cabins ranging from deluxe to bunkbed cabins, though all have their own bathroom and beach-style decor. Spirit of Freedom is spacious, modern, and has every amenity you’d need for an awesome liveaboard experience.
Check The Latest Price At:
Liveaboard.com | Diviac
ODYSSEY
Photo Credit: Odyssey Liveaboard
This 24-meter catamaran is one of the only liveaboard boats that services Rowley Shoals, a remote marine park that’s over 170 nautical miles from Broome, the nearest Australian coastal town. The site is even listed in Skyscanner’s Top Dive Sites in Australia because of its location, most trips are at least five days long.
Odyssey has ten cabins each with air-conditioning, bar fridges, and storage space. You can choose to dine on either the open air upper deck or down below in the dining area. The entertainment room has a large screen TV, free DVDs, and surround system. For an adventurous yet comfortable dive trip, the Odyssey is the perfect liveaboard.
Check The Latest Price At:
Liveaboard.com
SCUBAPRO I
Photo Credit: Scubapro I Liveaboard
The ScubaPro I was built specifically to explore the Great Barrier Reef and is the sister to vessels ScubaPro II and ScubaPro III. ScubaPro I has 16 air-conditioned cabins and all passengers three generous meals per day. Divers can dry off on the spacious sun deck or hide from the heat inside the entertainment room.
Though the boat is basic, it offers everything a diver needs to have an incredible trip. Overall, the ScubaPro I is the best Australia liveaboard boat for divers wanting a great value for money.
Check The Latest Price At:
Liveaboard.com
CORAL SEA DREAMING
Photo Credit: Coral Sea Dreaming Liveaboard
This 16-meter sailing yacht explores the Great Barrier Reef with two day, one night excursions catered to both divers and snorkelers. Guests will sleep on single bunkbeds in a quad share air-conditioned cabin for the night. There is also an outdoor hot shower to heat up after a day of diving. Divers can eat as much as they’d like three times a day as all meals are served buffet style. For divers wanting to experience the Great Barrier Reef on a time constraint, the Coral Sea Dreaming is a perfect choice.
Check The Latest Price At:
Diviac
GREAT ESCAPE
Photo Credit: Great Escape Liveaboard
For divers who want to see what’s known as the world’s most remote underwater aquarium from a luxury liveaboard, there’s no better option than the 26-meter Great Escape. This liveaboard cruises along the Kimberly Coastline to Rowley Shoals, Australia’s untouched coral gardens. There are 7 cabins each with a private bathroom, plush beds, bar-fridges, flat screen TVs, and air conditioning. All meals are large, catered to satiate even the hungriest of divers. With an onboard hot tub, there’s a good chance you’ll feel more relaxed on the Great Escape than inside your own home.
Check The Latest Price At:
Diviac
OTHER DIVING LIVEABOARDS
Which One Do You Think Is The Best Australia Liveaboard Trip?
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost for you. Regardless, we do not partner with any specific brand and nobody pays us to write about their product. We use programs like Amazon, REI, LeisurePro and others to keep our site independent. You can read more about how do we review here.
The post The 6 Best Australia Liveaboard Trips appeared first on The Adventure Junkies.
from The Adventure Junkies http://ift.tt/2g3I9YP
No comments:
Post a Comment