Region

Diving in Australia & New Zealand

29 curated dive destinations across Australia and New Zealand in Australia & New Zealand. Conditions peak around Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep.

Albany — King George Sound · photo Peter Southwood

Destinations: 29
Countries: 2
Peak season: Jun–Sep

Common encountersReef fish swarmsNudibranchsMacro crittersOctopus & cuttlefishStingrays

Diving by country

What is diving in Australia & New Zealand like?

Australian diving runs from tropical coral in the north to cold kelp in the south. The Great Barrier Reef is reached by day boat and liveaboard from Cairns, and dwarf minke whales approach divers on the Ribbon Reefs each June and July. Out in the Coral Sea, the walls of Osprey Reef hold reef shark numbers rarely seen inshore, and on the west coast whale sharks gather along Ningaloo Reef every autumn after the coral spawns.

The temperate south is seadragon country. Leafy seadragons drift among the jetty pylons at Rapid Bay, weedy seadragons live in the kelp at Eaglehawk Neck and over the sponge gardens at Nelson Bay, and grey nurse sharks gather in the gutters at Fish Rock. New Zealand is colder again: fish schools swirl through the archways of the Poor Knights Islands, and in Fiordland tannin-darkened water brings black coral up to diveable depths.

Best diving in Australia & New Zealand for wrecks, big animals, beginners, macro and liveaboards

One destination per theme, picked from the species, dive types, access and site records on each destination page.

Wrecks
Albany
Australia
Its dive sites take in 3 wrecks, including Cheynes III and HMAS Perth.
Big animals
North Stradbroke Island
Australia
Manta rays, sand tiger sharks, whales and 2 more big species are all on its species list, the most of any destination here.
Beginners
Goat Island
New Zealand
Rated for beginners, with mild current and shore diving. Best Dec–Mar.
Macro
Port Phillip
Australia
Muck and macro diving is one of its main dive types, with weedy seadragons, octopus & cuttlefish and macro critters on the species list.
Liveaboards
Osprey Reef
Australia
Dived only from liveaboards, best Sep–Nov; hammerheads and dolphins are on its species list.

When is the best time to dive Australia & New Zealand?

The busiest stretch is June–September: in July, 14 of the 29 destinations here are in peak season.

November is the leanest month, when Great Barrier Reef, Kaikōura and Osprey Reef are still at their best.

Exmouth Navy Pier, Jervis Bay, Julian Rocks and 6 more rate good or better in every month.

Destinations in prime seasonRated good

Destinations in Australia & New Zealand in prime and good season, by month
Month	Prime	Good
Jan	11	12
Feb	11	12
Mar	10	16
Apr	7	20
May	9	16
Jun	13	6
Jul	14	3
Aug	13	4
Sep	12	13
Oct	7	19
Nov	4	22
Dec	10	14

Compare every destination in Australia & New Zealand

Tap a column heading to sort.

Dive destinations in Australia & New Zealand: best months, water temperature, level, signature animal and access

Albany — King George Sound Australia	Dec–Mar	13.6–20.5°C	Intermediate	Seals & sea lions	Shore, Day boat
Bay of Islands New Zealand	Dec–Apr	14–22°C	Intermediate	Reef fish swarms	Day boat
Eaglehawk Neck Australia	Dec–Mar	12–18°C	Intermediate	Weedy seadragons	Shore, Day boat
Exmouth Navy Pier Australia	Apr–Oct	21–29°C	Intermediate	Wobbegongs	Shore
Fiordland New Zealand	Dec–Feb	8–16°C	Advanced	Dolphins	Day boat, Liveaboard
Goat Island — Leigh New Zealand	Dec–Mar	14–22°C	Beginner	Reef fish swarms	Shore, Day boat
Great Barrier Reef — Cairns & Ribbons Australia	Jun–Nov	23–29°C	Intermediate	Groupers	Day boat, Liveaboard
Jervis Bay Australia	Apr–Jul	14–22°C	Intermediate	Weedy seadragons	Shore, Day boat
Julian Rocks — Byron Bay Australia	Jun–Sep	19–26°C	Beginner	Sand tiger sharks	Day boat
Kaikōura New Zealand	Nov–Mar	10–17°C	Intermediate	Whales	Shore, Day boat
Lady Elliot Island Australia	May–Sep	21–27°C	Beginner	Manta rays	Shore, Day boat
Lord Howe Island Australia	Dec–Apr	18–26°C	Intermediate	Reef sharks	Shore, Day boat
Montague Island Australia	May–Sep	14–22°C	Intermediate	Seals & sea lions	Day boat
Mooloolaba Australia	Jul–Oct	19–27°C	Intermediate	Sand tiger sharks	Day boat
Mount Gambier — Limestone Coast Australia	Dec–Aug	10–17°C	Intermediate	Freshwater fish	Shore
Nelson Bay — Fly Point Australia	Apr–Aug	15–24°C	Beginner	Weedy seadragons	Shore, Day boat
Neptune Islands Australia	Sep–Apr	14–21°C	Intermediate	Great whites	Day boat, Liveaboard
Ningaloo Reef Australia	Apr–Sep	21–29°C	Beginner	Whale sharks	Shore, Day boat
North Stradbroke Island — Point Lookout Australia	Jun–Oct	19–26°C	Intermediate	Manta rays	Shore, Day boat
NSW Central Coast Australia	May–Aug	16–24°C	Intermediate	Sand tiger sharks	Shore, Day boat
Osprey Reef Australia	Sep–Nov	24–29°C	Advanced	Reef sharks	Liveaboard
Poor Knights Islands New Zealand	Jan–Apr	15–23°C	Intermediate	Reef fish swarms	Day boat
Port Phillip — Portsea & Blairgowrie Australia	May–Jul	11–20°C	Intermediate	Weedy seadragons	Shore, Day boat
Rapid Bay Australia	Dec–Mar	12–20°C	Intermediate	Leafy seadragons	Shore
Rowley Shoals Australia	Oct–Nov	24–29°C	Advanced	Reef sharks	Liveaboard
South West Rocks — Fish Rock Australia	Jun–Oct	17–25°C	Advanced	Sand tiger sharks	Day boat
SS Yongala Australia	Aug–Sep	22–29°C	Advanced	Groupers	Day boat
Stewart Island New Zealand	Dec–Mar	8–16°C	Advanced	Great whites	Day boat
Whitsundays Australia	May–Sep	22–28°C	Beginner	Sea turtles	Day boat, Liveaboard

Destination guides

29 guides

Best Dec–Mar
Albany — King George Sound
Australia
A 133 m destroyer scuttled off Seal Island, 20 minutes from the marina
13.6–20.5°C · 56–69°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Apr
Bay of Islands
New Zealand
The scuttled Rainbow Warrior under a coat of jewel anemones at 26 m
14–22°C · 57–72°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Mar
Eaglehawk Neck
Australia
Weedy seadragons drift through cold-water kelp forests off the Tasman Peninsula.
12–18°C · 54–64°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Apr–Oct
Exmouth Navy Pier
Australia
Wobbegongs stacked on the ledges of a permit-only naval pier
21–29°C · 70–84°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Feb
Fiordland
New Zealand
Tannin-darkened water tricks deep-water black coral into growing at diveable depths.
8–16°C · 46–61°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftadvanced
Best Dec–Mar
Goat Island — Leigh
New Zealand
New Zealand's first marine reserve, and the snapper have stopped running
14–22°C · 57–72°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Best Jun–Nov
Great Barrier Reef — Cairns & Ribbons
Australia
Giant Queensland grouper at Cod Hole and dwarf minke whales in winter.
23–29°C · 73–84°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Apr–Jul
Jervis Bay
Australia
White quartz sand lifts the light over temperate sponge gardens
14–22°C · 57–72°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Jun–Sep
Julian Rocks — Byron Bay
Australia
Tropical and temperate species overlap on one rock 2.5 km offshore
19–26°C · 66–79°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftbeginner
Best Nov–Mar
Kaikōura
New Zealand
A thousand-metre canyon reaches to within metres of the shore
10–17°C · 50–63°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best May–Sep
Lady Elliot Island
Australia
The highest reef manta density on the Great Barrier Reef, year-round
21–27°C · 70–81°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Dec–Apr
Lord Howe Island
Australia
The world's southernmost coral reef, with advanced diving at Balls Pyramid offshore.
18–26°C · 64–79°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best May–Sep
Montague Island
Australia
A thousand fur seals, and the juveniles come out to play with divers
14–22°C · 57–72°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best Jul–Oct
Mooloolaba
Australia
Grey nurse sharks in winter and a scuttled destroyer in 28 m
19–27°C · 66–81°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Aug
Mount Gambier — Limestone Coast
Australia
Spring-fed limestone ponds and sinkholes for Open Water and cave divers alike
10–17°C · 50–63°Fvis 80 m · 262 ftintermediate
Best Apr–Aug
Nelson Bay — Fly Point
Australia
Weedy seadragons over temperate sponge gardens, entered from a car park
15–24°C · 59–75°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftbeginner
Best Sep–Apr
Neptune Islands
Australia
Cage dive with great white sharks over a resident Australian sea lion colony.
14–21°C · 57–70°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Apr–Sep
Ningaloo Reef
Australia
Whale sharks gather along the reef edge every autumn after coral spawning.
21–29°C · 70–84°Fvis 25 m · 82 ftbeginner
Best Jun–Oct
North Stradbroke Island — Point Lookout
Australia
Manta cleaning stations Oct–Apr, grey nurse sharks through winter
19–26°C · 66–79°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best May–Aug
NSW Central Coast
Australia
Blue gropers, seagrass critters and deep collier wrecks an hour north of Sydney
16–24°C · 61–75°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftintermediate
Best Sep–Nov
Osprey Reef
Australia
Sheer Coral Sea walls with reef shark numbers rarely seen inshore.
24–29°C · 75–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftadvanced
Best Jan–Apr
Poor Knights Islands
New Zealand
Massive fish schools swirl through archways at one of the world's largest sea caves.
15–23°C · 59–73°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftintermediate
Best May–Jul
Port Phillip — Portsea & Blairgowrie
Australia
Thousands of spider crabs mass under a Melbourne pier each winter
11–20°C · 52–68°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftintermediate
Best Dec–Mar
Rapid Bay
Australia
Leafy seadragons drift among century-old jetty pylons a short swim from shore.
12–20°C · 54–68°Fvis 10 m · 33 ftintermediate
Best Oct–Nov
Rowley Shoals
Australia
Tidal channels through pristine atolls draw dense schools of sharks and pelagics.
24–29°C · 75–84°Fvis 40 m · 130 ftadvanced
Best Jun–Oct
South West Rocks — Fish Rock
Australia
A 125 m ocean through-cave, and grey nurse sharks in the gutters
17–25°C · 63–77°Fvis 30 m · 100 ftadvanced
Best Aug–Sep
SS Yongala
Australia
One hull swarming with groper, sea snakes and schooling trevally
22–29°C · 72–84°Fadvanced
Best Dec–Mar
Stewart Island
New Zealand
Great whites in the Foveaux Strait, cage-dived under permit at 47° south
8–16°C · 46–61°Fvis 20 m · 66 ftadvanced
Best May–Sep
Whitsundays
Australia
Tame Maori wrasse inshore, and the outer barrier sixty kilometres out
22–28°C · 72–82°Fvis 15 m · 50 ftbeginner