Introduction

Australia’s great and diverse land is equally matched by its spectacular underwater environments.

I have been a scuba instructor for 40 years and during that time have met some awesome people and experienced many spectacular dives all over the World.

But, believe it or not, most of my best diving has been in Australia.

When talking to people, particularly other scuba divers, the most common question I get asked is “How good is the Great Barrier Reef?” This question disappoints me because, although the Great Barrier Reef offers some fantastic diving, most divers are simply not aware of the great diving other parts of Australia has to offer.

‘50 Great Australian Dives’ have been chosen to best represent Australia’s amazing underwater diversity.

As the Australian National Anthem says – “Our home is girt by sea”. Whether you regard Australia as the World’s smallest continent or the World’s largest island, Australia’s mainland coastline is nearly 36,000 kilometres (24,000 miles) long. And, if you include the numerous off shore islands the coastline extends nearly 60,000 kilometres (40,000 miles).

That’s a lot of diving!

Most Australians live on the coast and along with the thousands tourists who visit Australia each year it is easy to understand why Australia is one of the most dived countries in the World.

Aside from the fantastic diving on Great Barrier Reef which stretches for almost 2,300 kilometres (15,000 miles), Australia offers divers hundreds of ship wrecks, including the second largest diveable shipwreck in the World; incredible jetty dives, including the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere; exhilarating animal interactions with great white sharks, whale sharks, grey nurse sharks, manta rays, green turtles, huge potato Cod, burrunan dolphins and dwarf minke whales; excellent sinkhole and cave diving, giant kelp forests; and superb temperate water diving.

Australian waters also have an absolutely bazaar collection of exquisite marine creatures such as the leafy sea dragon, found nowhere else on earth.

I hope ‘50 Great Australian Dives’ inspires divers from around the world, including Australians, to venture beyond the Great Barrier Reef to discover the other great secrets found beneath our waves.

Safely enjoy your diving adventures!

Steve Sinclair

PS My great Australian dive? The Shaft!