Mike Ball Dive CNS SYD Thur 7N [DiveMB9]

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Great Barrier Reef, Australia Mike Ball Dive, Australia 14 Days / 12 Nights - Cairns, Live-Aboard Diving Expedition and Sydney

This itinerary departs from the USA on Monday evening. Stay in Cairns for one night before you board the diving vessel the next evening (Thursday). After disembarking from the dive vessel stay in Cairns for one more night then travel to Sydney for 3 nights. Your arrival day back into the USA will be on Monday morning.

Australia's north eastern town of tropical Cairns is the gateway for two of the world's greatest diving icons, the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.

The dive vessel departs Cairns 7:00 pm Thursday and returns 8:00 am the following Thursday. You will be transferred to and from your accommodation in Cairns.

Travel Package Features

[DiveMB9] Mike Ball Dive CNS SYD Thur 7N
  • Accommodation - Cairns (2 Nights)
  • Accommodation - Live-Aboard Diving Expedition (7 Nights)
  • Accommodation - Sydney (3 Nights)
  • International Flights - Los Angeles to Cairns, Sydney to Los Angeles
  • Australian Domestic Flights - Cairns to Sydney
  • Day Tour - Cairns: Live-Aboard Diving Expedition
  • Shuttle Transfers - Cairns Airport to Accommodation (return), Cairns Accommodation to Live-Aboard Dive Boat (return), Sydney Airport to Accommodation (return)
  • All Other Day Tours are Optional and not included
  • Visa Issuance for entry into Australia (US$15.00 per person)
  • F.I.T. (Free & Independent Travel, i.e. this is not an Organized Group Tour)
  • All Taxes and Fuel Levies (Except where noted)
  • Itinerary is flexible and can be tailored to suit your needs.

Travel Package Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - International Flight - Los Angeles to Cairns
From USA to Australia Shortly after departing Los Angeles you will be served dinner and you will be given breakfast before landing.

Relax, watch some movies, and try to get some sleep!


Please confirm with the airlines at Check-in that they have all your Frequent Flyer information on record.
Day 2 - Shuttle Transfer Cairns Airport to Accommodation
Cairns, Australia Travel by shuttle from the Cairns Airport to your vacation accommodation in Cairns, Australia.

<b>Need to Know</b>
Luggage Restrictions: 1 checked bag and 1 hand luggage is free of charge per person in the shuttle. Additional luggage is 10$ each. Strollers are free. Bikes need to be in a bike bag. Fishing rods need to be broken down and in a container.
Days 2 to 3 - 1 Night Accommodation in Cairns
Cairns, Australia Travel to your accommodation Cairns, Australia, where you will be staying whilst on vacation for 1 night.

Your 4 Star vacation accommodation is located on the waterfront, overlooking Trinity Bay and the extensive parklands of Cairns, Australia. Elegantly appointed rooms with private balconies offer panoramic views to the Coral Sea or to Australia's majestic rainforest clad mountains. The hotel facilities include a restaurant, wine bar, and swimming pool. Travel and experience Australia's nature and culture by visiting the Great Barrier Reef or Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. Or travel along Captain Cook Highway and visit picturesque Mossman Gorge.
Days 3 to 10 - 8 Days Live-Aboard Diving Expedition
The azure and fathomless water of the Coral Sea is a playground for sharks and big fish action in exceptional visibility. Huge soft coral trees, sea fans, and otherworldly marine life will impress on this 5-night Coral Sea & Cod Hole Expedition aboard the award-winning <i>Spoilsport</i> vessel. Experience up to 18 dives in the Coral Sea with superb Great Barrier Reef marine biodiversity.

<h3>Day 1: Check-in and Departure </h3>
Check in and make your way to Hemingway's Brewery Cairns Wharf to meet your fellow passengers and prepare to board <i>Spoilsport.</i> Enjoy a glass of champagne and light snacks while your Trip Director provides a full briefing. Depart Cairns and begin your Coral Sea Safari!

<h3>Day 2: Coral Sea - Bougainville Reef</h3>
Start your day with a light breakfast before a briefing, then don on your gear and dive into the waters of the Coral Sea. Explore the wondrous sights at Bougainville Reef, where the Crystal Plateau reef top descends to a spectacular terrace of hard corals at 20-30m before edging over into an abyss hundreds of meters deep. Sea fans and soft corals adorn the reef wall where (friendly) sharks also patrol.

<h3>Days 3 & 4: Coral Sea - Osprey Reef</h3>
Cruise 100 miles overnight to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. This site never disappoints with exciting fish action alongside colorful gorgonian fans, whips and soft corals. Resident barracuda and schooling big eye trevally make for great photo opportunities, and keep an eye out for cruising hammerheads out in the blue. At North Horn, you'll watch a controlled shark feed with 10-30 gray reef, white-tip, and other friendly sharks. Then, enjoy a maze of huge towering bommies at Admiralty Anchor, home to plenty of fish and a delight to explore.

<h3>Day 5: Great Barrier Reef - Lizard Island & Ribbon Reefs</h3>
Enjoy diving at Ribbon Reefs before mooring off Lizard Island for the evening. The potato cod grouper at the Cod Hole are a highlight, however it is the rich biodiversity of fish species and coral that make this section of the Great Barrier Reef so incredible. Mid expedition you'll disembark at Lizard Island, where you will have a few hours to relax. Step back in time at the ruins of Mrs. Watsons Cottage, or walk through the mangrove swamp on a boardwalk where a stroll up Chinaman’s Ridge yields magnificent views of the island and reefs below.

<h3>Day 6: Great Barrier Reef - Ribbon Reefs</h3>
Circumnavigate renowned dive sites at Ribbon Reefs including Pixie Pinnacle and Lighthouse Bommie, shrouded in fusilier baitfish. Fluorescent purple and orange anthias attract predatory fish to these photogenic sites. Majestic Minke whales are seen here in June and July. Rising from 80 meters the pinnacle of Andy's Postcard is encrusted in corals, lion fish, nudibranchs, octopus, schooling trevally and barracuda. See spectacular giant clams at Clam Beds as well as caves, canyons and coral encrusted bommies awaiting exploration. Sheer walls covered in whip corals and sea fans brim the natural amphitheater of Vertical Gardens. Marine life varies from the many colorful nudibranchs to large schooling bump head parrotfish.

<h3>Day 7: Ribbon Reefs</h3>
Explore even more incredible underwater waters of Ribbon Reefs at Coral Kingdom and Steve's Bommie. Spiral majestic coral pinnacles teeming with diverse marine life. Bump headed parrotfish and inquisitive barracuda cruise the site along with schools of other reef fish, gliding above vast beds of staghorn and colorful giant clams. At Steve's Bommie, hunt out such creatures as stonefish, scorpionfish, octopus, clown anemone fish and turtles, not to mention the many schools of fish that call this place home.

<h3>Day 8: Dock</h3>
Wake up with a light breakfast before disembarking at Cairns, where courtesy transfers await to take you to your next destination.

<b>Operates</b>
Departs every Thursday.

<b>Need to Know</b>
If weather forces an itinerary change, the crew will divert to the best, ‘safe, accessible sites’ to ensure you get the best scuba diving available. The Coral Sea may not be accessible in strong winds.

Hire gear is available at additional expense, however it is recommended to bring your own wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and fins.

Divers who have completed less than 15 dives, less than 5 ocean dives or less than 5 dives in the last 12 months are required to complete a complimentary onboard orientation dive. In addition, divers over 65 years old, who have completed less than 50 dives are required to complete the complimentary onboard orientation dive.

Diver Health: If you have a medical condition or are currently taking prescription medication, you will need a medical clearance. For further details refer to our Diver Information form or contact our Reservations team.

Room Types Available are: Premium - queen or double bed, private bathroom, ocean views. Standard - twin beds, private bathroom, ocean views. Club - twin bunk beds, private bathroom, no ocean view. Budget - twin bunk beds, share bathroom, no ocean view.

<b>Note: Itinerary subject to change. Specific marine life sighting cannot be guaranteed.</b>
Days 10 to 11 - 1 Night Accommodation in Cairns
Cairns, Australia Travel to your accommodation Cairns, Australia, where you will be staying whilst on vacation for 1 night.

Your 4 Star vacation accommodation is located on the waterfront, overlooking Trinity Bay and the extensive parklands of Cairns, Australia. Elegantly appointed rooms with private balconies offer panoramic views to the Coral Sea or to Australia's majestic rainforest clad mountains. The hotel facilities include a restaurant, wine bar, and swimming pool. Travel and experience Australia's nature and culture by visiting the Great Barrier Reef or Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. Or travel along Captain Cook Highway and visit picturesque Mossman Gorge.
Day 11 - Shuttle Transfer Cairns Accommodation to Airport
Travel by shuttle from your Cairns vacation accommodation to the Airport in Cairns, Australia.

<b>Need to Know</b>
Luggage Restrictions: 1 checked bag and 1 hand luggage is free of charge per person in the shuttle. Additional luggage is 10$ each. Strollers are free. Bikes need to be in a bike bag. Fishing rods need to be broken down and in a container.
Day 11 cont - Australian Domestic Flight - Cairns to Sydney
Travel within Australia by domestic air from Cairns to Sydney.

Day 11 cont - Shuttle Transfer Sydney Airport to Accommodation
Sydney, Australia Travel by shuttle from the Airport to your vacation accommodation in Sydney, Australia.

Travel via shuttle to your vacation accommodation in Sydney, Australia.
Days 11 to 14 - 3 Nights Accommodation in Sydney
Travel to your accommodation in Sydney, Australia, where you will be staying whilst on vacation for 3 nights in your studio room apartment.

Just 30 minutes from Sydney Airport, your accommodation is conveniently located between Darling Harbour and the Sydney CBD.

The friendly staff at your accommodation can attend to your every need with 24 hour guest reception. Enjoy a scrumptious breakfast at their signature restaurant.

Relax in a stylish and comfortable haven whilst being in close proximity to shopping at Westfield's Pitt St Mall and Darling Harbour. Don't forget to take a stroll down Pitt St towards Circular Quay to take in more of Sydney's world famous sites- like the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Day 14 - Shuttle Transfer Sydney Accommodation to Airport
Sydney, Australia Travel by shuttle from your vacation accommodation in Sydney, Australia, to the Airport.

Day 14 cont - International Flight - Sydney to Los Angeles
From Australia to USA Depart Sydney from the International Airport and fly to Los Angeles. Note: You will be traveling back across the International Date line so you will gain a day. You actually arrive in the USA on the same day you leave Australia.

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[DiveMB9] Mike Ball Dive CNS SYD Thur 7N

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