Some Advice Pls: Ningaloo Vs GBR

[Wobbegong]

Howdy folks,

Gonna be in Australia for the next 6 weeks or so & are planning where to head. It's a pretty big place so only gonna be able to visit some of the centre & then either the east or West coasts.

Obviously whilst I'm here want to fit some dives in - My choices are the Great Barrier Reef or the Ningaloo Reef. Has anyone had any experience of both & if so how did they compare, which would you choose if you could only re-visit one?

If anyone has visited either at all and have some recommendations re dive sites/dive shops etc that would be great.

Cheers

[Iain Topliss]

It depends what you want - they both have their advantages and disdvantages. GBR has a more developed tourist industry so has more to do onshore in the evenings and probably has more varied diving (there's a lot of reef to choose from!). Ningaloo (well Exmouth, anyway) has more of a backwater feel and generally laid back and the reefs are less dived - it also has as close to guaranteed whalesharks as you can get (although you can only snorkel with them). Personally I found the GBR a bit 'samey' after going to a few diving spots around the globe and I liked Ningaloo because of the whalesharks (an awesome experience). Other's views may differ, however.

I'm sure you'll have a great time wherever you go - I'm jealous already!

Iain

[James - Narked@50]

Hi Wobygong

As what Ian says above, but just watch out for the seasons of the whale sharks, one you will get then, the other you won't. Do a google on ningaloo and the local dive operators will keep you right.

James

[Graham_Pettett]

Hi

Both are good, but it depends what you like. The soft corals at Ningaloo are fantastic, but there seemed to be more 'big' marine life (whale sharks excluded of course!) at GBR. Ningaloo is however VERY remote. Coral Bay is tiny, a few hundred people, and I think one dive operator (very helpful though, did a couple of reasonable dives with them). Exmouth is about 2000 people with only 3 dive operators (2 years ago anyway) The navy pier is an excellent dive loads of white tips and wobigongs. You can only dive that with Ningaloo Dive. I also dives with Dive Exmouth, also very good. Do be aware though, Coral Bay/Exmouth are a good 2 day (better 3) drive from Perth, through not much more than desert. It is a fantastic experience though. Both Coral Bay and Exmouth are very basic, B&B/caravan type accommodation.

GBR is very different. I found the day boat diving from Cairns rather disappointing, the reef was rather beaten up. I would strongly recommend doing a short liveaboard trip North from Cairns to Cod Hole. The reef was healthy with lots of fish life. Several operators do similar trips typically 11 dives over 3 days. I used Mike Ball and can highly recommend them.

Whichever you do I'm sure you will enjoy. Let us know what you find.

[Wobbegong]

Cheers for the advice folks, will definitely help me make up my mind... from the sounds of it it should be great either way.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks again for the info

John

[Matt (fourmonkeyfeet)]

I snorkelled at Coral Bay - fantastic; dived at Navy Pier - the sheer variety and quantity was unlike anything else I've experienced (until I got to Tutukaka in New Zealand which was just as good). I did a 3 day liveaboard on Mike Ball which did the outer reefs of the GBR. Excellent diving and a belting operator to boot. Only wish I could go back again.......enjoy anyway!!

Off the diving front, the Karajini National Park is sensational. Look for a town called 'Tom Price' to the east of Geraldton I think it was. Well worth a visit.