Diving in New South Wales should feature high on any diver's bucket list: 2000km of rugged coastline and six committed marine parks span the entire stretch of its coastline.
Warm currents melt into the cool waters of New South Wales, creating opportunities to mingle with grey nurse sharks, turtles, fur seals and manta rays.
Drift through one of the southern hemisphere's longest ocean caverns (125m) to marvel at a hundred resident nurse sharks hanging in the 'shark gutters': an experience you don't want to miss.
With over 74 breath-taking dive locations to discover, New South Wales scuba diving offers something for new and experienced divers alike.
This beautiful coastline can be dived year-round. When scuba diving in New South Wales, consider what marine life you'd most like to see and what sea temperature you're comfortable diving in. Each season comes with its own perks.
During summer, water temperature can be anywhere between 68-86˚F (20-30˚C). In winter, especially to the south, water temperatures dip to 50˚F (10˚C) - experienced cold water divers love it. The highlight of diving in cooler temps is the super clear water. Less algae blooms when it's cold so visibility reaches 25m.
New South Wales diving offers marine life that moves with the seasons. This creates a good variety of ever-changing underwater encounters: fur seals from September to November, humpbacks in May to November, and sea turtles year-round.
New South Wales is a southeastern Australian state. The easiest way to reach it is via Sydney Airport. To access some of the best dive sites in New South Wales, you can take a connecting flight from Sydney to Byron Bay (1h 15m) or Lord Howe Island in as little as two hours.
Ground transport is also a good option to get you from Sydney to the diving hot spots of New South Wales. Greyhound Australia runs coaches from Sydney Airport to Byron Bay several times a day (10h 25m). Bus and train networks in New South Wales are reliable and car rental is widely available.
Better yet, hire a car in Sydney and plan an epic coastal road trip: an unforgettable journey sandwiched between lush hinterland and crashing ocean. Plot your route along the Mid-North Coast for whale spotting and pitstops to swim with dolphins.
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