Nelson Bay, NSW
About 2.5hours north of Sydney along the coast is Port Stephens and the wonderful diving sites within Nelson Bay.
You can't go wrong here - we have stayed in the main town, in the suburbs and out the way in the quiet areas, and no matter where we try we are always happy to visit! The best thing is that no matter the weather, you should be able to get at least one successful dive since there are both boat dives and shore dives here. |
I fully recommend Feet First Dive Centre. Trudi is one of the nicest people you will meet and will definitely look after you and give you tips about the area - its lovely when somebody genuinely is still excited and passionate about their local dives even after hundreds upon hundreds of dives at the same site! Lets Go Adventures are a good alternative and have larger boats to fill and they have some very informative books and dive maps at their shop.
Fly Point
Fly Point is one of my all time favourite dive sites and is accessible in almost all conditions since it is a shore dive. Definitely a major selling point of Nelson Bay! You just need to be careful with tide times because if you get in on an outgoing or incoming tide it can be very dangerous (aim to dive at slack tide - roughly getting in about 30mins before high or low tide).
If you love nudibranchs you will love what Fly Point has to offer! Watch out the MASSIVE sea hares in the shallows too. At this site you should spot some octopus, moray eels, Blind sharks, Dwarf Ornate Wobbegong sharks, crabs, butterflyfish, nudibranchs, sea fans and if you are lucky you can see turtles too. Dolphins are often swimming overhead too!
Parking is at the top of the overlook and getting in and out is super easy - just follow the steps to the ocean and enjoy yourself. If you are inexperienced book at trip with the dive shops. Dive Centre Bondi often arranges weekends away to Nelson Bay too and that way you can dive in the safety of experienced staff.
If you love nudibranchs you will love what Fly Point has to offer! Watch out the MASSIVE sea hares in the shallows too. At this site you should spot some octopus, moray eels, Blind sharks, Dwarf Ornate Wobbegong sharks, crabs, butterflyfish, nudibranchs, sea fans and if you are lucky you can see turtles too. Dolphins are often swimming overhead too!
Parking is at the top of the overlook and getting in and out is super easy - just follow the steps to the ocean and enjoy yourself. If you are inexperienced book at trip with the dive shops. Dive Centre Bondi often arranges weekends away to Nelson Bay too and that way you can dive in the safety of experienced staff.
Pipeline
Pipeline is another good shore diving option in Nelson Bay. It is a great spot to find seahorses - I think its especially fantastic at night.
Broughton Island
The boat diving at Nelson Bay will most likely take you to several sites around Broughton Island - the Looking Glass is definitely the best. Often you will see Grey Nurse Sharks along with the other usual suspects and one of my friends has even spotted a Great White Shark here! Its beautiful and worth the visit.