Best Diving in Australia - Top 10
REVIEW OF JULIAN ROCKS (BYRON BAY), NEW SOUTH WALES
Situated in Northern New South Wales (NSW), Byron Bay is the name of both a small town & Bay approximately 772 Kilometres North of the state capital of Sydney while only 165 Kilometres South of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland (QLD). Cape Byron at the South Eastern end of the Bay is the Eastern most point of the Australian mainland. The whole surrounding area is part of the 'Tweed Volcano', a shield Volcano that was once over 100 Kilometres in diameter. The remains of this ancient volcano are plainly visible on any raised-relief map and have provided fertile soil, mountains & rainforests to both Southern QLD & Northern NSW.
Famed for its relaxed atmosphere, alternative lifestyle pursuits and particularly for the quality of the surfing, Byron Bay has become a renowned tourist destination and essential stop off on the 'backpacker circuit' of East Australia.
Originally named Cavvanbah, meaning 'meeting place' by the local Aboriginal tribe, Captain Cook was the first European to encounter the bay in 1770 which he then named after British naval officer Vice Admiral Officer.
The focus of the scuba diving from Byron Bay is conducted on nearby Julian Rocks, a collection of sedimentary rocks that break the surface approximately 2.5 kilometres offshore from Cape Bryon. The Rocks are the remains of an ancient volcanic eruption and said to be a continuation of the mainland. The area was declared a part of the Julian Rocks Nature Reserve in 1961 with the immediate surrounds of the rocks being further progressed to a no-take sanctuary in 2006.
The waters around Julian Rocks host a meeting of tropical & temperate waters supporting a diverse mix of species allied to both. Life on the rocks follows two distinct seasons; Winter brings sub 20 degree temperatures, endangered Grey Nurse Sharks, migrating Humpback Whales and the odd Seal while in Summer the water warms to a maximum of 25 degrees and Leopard Sharks & Reef Mantas (Manta alfredi) are regularly encountered. Throughout the year you will find a cast of at least 2 types of Wobbegong, Green and Loggerhead Turtles; Schools of Red Snapper, Jew Fish (Mulloway) & hundreds of smaller fish. The substrate of the rocks host innumerable sessile species and amongst them an outstanding collection of invertebrates. Visibility tends to hover in the 8-15 Metre range with higher or lower possible but rare. The dive operators report clear visibility results in a lot of the fish life hiding from view and I can certainly offer a few anecdotes of Sharks and huge schools of fish suddenly appearing out of nowhere in low visibility. Best visibility is tide & swell dependant but a 'South Easterly' wind and swell is generally an indicator of good diving conditions. The local divers are rightly very proud of the environment in their backyard and host an invaluable website describing every possible species of life on the rocks -
http://www.julianrocks.net/index.php
The underwater environment is composed principally of rocky reef starting where the rock breaks the water line and gradually descending to a sandy floor of varying depths. The rock is laced through with dramatic canyons, trenches and boulders, all covered in a clover-like leaf - for which I cannot seem to find a name - and interspersed with any number of tunicates, corals, anemones & hydroids. As stated above, the meeting between tropical and temperate waters gives Julian Rocks a remarkably high level of diversity; I have seen it best described recently as a struggle in determining if it is a tropical location with touches of temperate life or vice versa.
Some of my favourite dives here are:
Hugo's Trench - a deep cut in a ridge of the rock that not only harbours an enormous school of 'Stripey', heaps of Pufferfish & the amusing, endemic, Pineapple Fish but also the most varied and populous collection of Nudibranchs I have witnessed anywhere. Yes, I am a Nudi tragic - guilty - and no, I have not had the pleasure of Anilao just yet, but I would say it even rivals Bali if you can convince the operator to leave you in the trench while they do the circuit of the sights on this particular dive. note: This is not how I like my diving to be carried out but it seems to be the prevalent way to lead a dive in Australia and is certainly necessary when the visibility is low.
Nursery - This site is on the North of the rocks and is shallower at an average of 10-15 metres. More about relaxing and watching than tearing through currents chasing fish or sharks, this site is where I've regularly encountered an enormous Loggerhead Turtle and is also home to some very large Snapper in mid-water.
Cod Hole - Best dived with current coming in from the South East I've always started this dive around the corner at depth. The sight when you do round the rock into the current is extraordinary; enormous schools of Jew Fish up to a metre in length, Snappers & all sorts of other large fish all pointing into the current. It was here, with visibility below 5 metres, that I suddenly came face to face with a charging 2 Metre+ Grey Nurse Shark while trying to work out where my group had gone. The side of a sharp rocky reef, facing the wrong way in the current, lost & only giant fish for company is unsettling at best. I've never had so much fun.
Dive trips are offered by a number of operators in the town. All trips are for 1 tank only and return back to base for surface interval if you are enjoying multiple dives in one day. The conditions in the bay are unsuitable to the construction of a permanent jetty with all operators using large RIB boats to launch out through a surf break at the East of 'Main Beach'. This involves launching the boat on the beach, diving into it and then firing a loud horn to scatter the surfers before powering through the surf. The surfers don't appreciate the interruption but it's great fun for us divers. I have encountered schools of Bottlenose Dolphins playing in less than 2 metres of water here, which is obviously a wonderful to start or end the trip. Once clear of the Cape the boat is immediately subjected to open ocean swells, and as such dive trips out can definitely be 'bouncy' though even in the worst conditions will not take longer that 25 minutes. There are great sites round the entirety of the rocks so regardless of the prevailing weather there is always a sheltered place to dive. Diving will rarely be cancelled, and only then when safety is endangered.
Finally, I cannot do justice to the broad topside options here. With the beauty of the rainforests inland, the wonderful food and the delightful accommodation options, Byron Bay is a genuine gem and a perennial favourite for locals and tourists. So much so that diving here is far from the primary reason to visit for the majority of visitors. Book a few extra days and stay to relax while you dry off.
