- This trip is now full but you can register to be on the waiting list -

We will explore the North Solitary Islands with Wooli Dive Centre, which is only seven nautical miles away from the islands. The trip is open for Experienced Advanced Divers with a minimum of 50 dives, so we all have the necessary skills to dive the famous Pimpernel Rock if the conditions are good. 

"The Islands are just a short 20 minute ride away and will provide you with some absolutely world class diving. The Islands are not only home to the temperate species, but being the southern most limit of permanent colonies of tropical species, you are certain to be amazed by the diversity of sealife. The gardens at Anemone Bay are home to myriads of Anemone Fish including the now famous Clownfish, and anywhere you are likely to see turtles, rays, and Grey Nurse Sharks as well as smaller macro life such as the numerous species of Nudis."

The proposed plan is:

• Drive on Friday 16th (approximately 4 hours + dinner break on the way)
• Triple dive Saturday 17th
• Double dive Sunday 18th
• Drive back to Brisbane on Sunday 18th after diving (approximately 4 hours + dinner break on the way)

The group will meet before the trip (date TBC) to finalise the plan and organise the food and transport.

Accommodation:

We will stay in a comfortable self-contained unit on the banks of the Wooli River, with everything we need to relax, have fun and cook great food after one day of diving. There is even a dive gear wash area. Check out the photos here!

There are rooms with double beds and others with bunk beds. We will have to bring our own linen and towels.

Diving:

We will try to dive the most famous sites in the Solitary Islands (and the best ones on the day):

• Bay of Anemones: "The boulder strewn site is carpeted with anemones and numerous anemonefish, cowries, rays, turtles and hard and soft corals"
• Fish Soup: "Renowned for a variety of larger fish species such as Black Cod, Mangrove Jack’s, Jewfish, Spangled Emperor, Snapper, Red Morwong, Tarwhine just to name a few"
• Pimpernel Rock: “an enormous cavern, approximately 12m high and 15m wide, in the centre of the vast main structure some 40 meters from the surface. All manner of sea life including sharks inhabit the giant shelter. Sponge gardens decorate a reef spreading from the base of each of the three pinnacles. Large rocky boulders, small trenches and overhangs, flat areas and step overs host seafans, seawhips and anemones.” – this dive can only go ahead if conditions are good

You can read more about the many other dive sites here.

Every diver is responsible for bringing his/her diving gear. Wooli Dive Centre will provide tanks.

Budget:

The estimated budget is for five dives (including tanks) and two nights in the self-contained accommodation if we are 14 people on the trip is $385 per person. The price will increase if we are less than 14 divers. We will have to add food and transport on top of this (we'll be aiming at going with three cars).

More information about deposit and payment date will be sent once we confirm there are a few interested members and we can lock the date with the dive shop.

If you have any questions, please email Eloise at mii.eloise@gmail.com

Where are we going?