The island continent of Australia, located between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean, combines a wide variety of landscapes. These include deserts, hills and mountains, tropical rainforests, and heavily-populated coastal strips with long beaches and coral reefs off the shoreline.

The country is undoubtedly unique. With over 35,000km’s of magnificent coastline, scuba diving in the tropical waters of the world renowned Great Barrier Reef and northern Western Australia is amazing. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is probably the most well known natural wonder of the world. “World Heritage” listed in 1981, it’s a truly magnificent marine wilderness and nature reserve, unlike anything else, anywhere else in the world.

The barrier Reef stretches from Papua New Guinea more than 2300km’s southwards down the Queensland coast to Lady Elliot Island. There are over 500 islands in the Barrier Reef system which is home to 1500 species of fish, 400 species of coral, 450 of seaweed, over 4000 species of mollusk and 200 species of birds. It is little wonder that this natural wonder draws people from all over the world.

With 2000 km of coastline and a superb climate from tropical in the north to temperate in the south New South Wales has much to offer the scuba diver. The fact that the state also has the largest of the countries state populations has ensured that there is a large scuba diving infrastructure within the state catering for divers needs.

With a coast line more than one third the total of Australia Western Australia has a large number of tremendously varied and exciting dive locations. It has dive sites in both tropical and temperate waters with much of the diving being centered in or around Perth. From large wrecks such as the Swan, to reefs and large pelagic action this state boasts sites to entertain all divers.

The Northern Territories have good and varied diving as well. There are many offshore islands within easy reach of Darwin. Marine life particularly invertebrates are prolific. The Vernon Islands just north of Darwin, regions of Melville Island, off the remote Coburg Peninsual, the remote Bathurst and Wessel Islands to the east of Darwin and Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria all offer much to scuba divers.