Southeast Queensland Snorkelling & Scuba diving sites.

All information by aandtsociety.

These spots are no more than fifty feet in depth that are featured here. The dive sites near these areas that are deeper will be mentioned.

1) Tweed River.

There are two main spots here in the river.

These are at there clearest after westerly or south direction winds for at least two days, but not in big swells.

The tweed river is very susceptible to freshwater flushes. If the rains in the area exceed 100 mils in a twenty four hour period it will kill off a lot of life mainly inverts and aquarium species, above one hundred and fifty mils in the same time it normally wipes out all life with the exception of brackish species only.

The popular spot

The first one is the most dived site, this area is either a walk in and dive with the concrete steps provided near the opening to the harbour or a drift dive from the small cove-beach a hundred yards or so along the public foot path towards the open ocean, the deepest along this area is around 35 feet deep.

This spot is in Coral street Coolangatta at the ocean end of the Jack evens boat harbour and is great for snorkelling and shallow scuba diving. Probably the nicest area here would have to be, directly out towards the bar from the southern side of the harbour entrance around sixty feet out from the end of the rock wall, in thirty plus depth of water, this a coffee rock area, from here a drift along with the incoming current is a nice dive at the base of the rock wall until the tide changes and head back with the current, just be conscious of the current and dirty water coming out of the harbour opening ,it can be a bit daunting.

The tide here at the popular spot is about 20 minutes earlier than the Brisbane bar tide.

The coffee rock cliffs area

There are two ways to dive this spot. The tide here is the same as the Brisbane tide time.

You can enter from the popular spot and do a drift dive along the wall past the two openings to the jack evens boat harbour, as the coffee rock walls begin just after the second opening.

Or, you could drive to the end of bay street Coolangatta, walk to the edge of the river and turn left and walk until you reach the beach access area and get in there and swim into the river and turn right and the coffee rock walls begin almost immediately, or just get in anywhere here as it is all good.

The cliff areas are not near the bottom, they are slightly shallower.

There are many formations of interest here, both at the beginning of the coffee rocks and at the end of the main section and has the most life to appreciate in the tweed river.

There is more coffee rock area further along, but the life does diminish a little here.

There is a small wreck towards the other side of the tweed opposite the centre of the coffee rock wall, as previously typed; there are many formations in the tweed to dive on.

If you have a boat, the rock wall that contains kerosene inlet on the eastern side of the tweed that begins again opposite the hospital is good and by boat or a hard unsafe swim to the Ukerebagh Island wall visible off Ebenezer park is a favourite, when the tweed has had no freshwater flushes for a year or two, excellent snorkelling at the eastern end and along the front of the island as is on scuba as it gets down to forty feet deep here. Park the boat just around the corner at the eastern end.

The coffee rock area tide is roughly the same as the Brisbane bar.

Open ocean dives

These of course are by boat through the tweed river and to the right at varying distances, firstly there is a wreck in the end of the bar, though not normally visible, than you can see Cook Island to the right in the distance for snorkelling and scuba, than a short drive out to sea from Cook is Fidos reef which has some good spearing as well nine mile, than a little further out is Nine mile reef, these can be a little current affected, all very good deepish (free dive) snorkelling and top scuba sites, nine mile is the deepest.

Any life extracted from NSW waters requires a fishing permit and any aquarium collecting on tank requires both a license and the permit. Cook Island is a protected zone.

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Currumbin creek

This area offers an average bar wall to snorkel on and a rocky point, plus some scary dark snorkelling or scuba under the bridges pylons in the cavities.

Under the bridge there is a small shallow rock wall and than around and under the pylons are for the utmost experienced and confident and not a safe spot to carry out underwater sports.

The Currumbin point area over all is a very good surfing, jet skiing, wind surfing, safe family beach outing and a little basic fishing spot that becomes obvious when looking at it from the highway bridge.

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2).Tallebudgera creek.

There are only two spots here.

This area also boasts two separate boat ramps, one on each side of the lake, plus salt water lake water skiing and further up stream, quiet tidal fishing and crabbing.

These are at there clearest after no less than two days of westerly or south-direction winds and smallish swell.

Heavy rains to one hundred and fifty mils in twenty four hours or greater will wipe out most life here, leaving only brackish water species.

Bridge spot

Firstly there is under the highway bridge, where the depth is no more than 28 feet deep and if there has not been much rain around for a while than the life here is good for a safe simple dive.

The chance for learners to get in and out easily and observe some interesting life is very good here, as the rock formations go half way across under the bridge on the bar side of the bridge.

The tide here is an hour and thirty minutes earlier than the Brisbane bar time. You should get in on the southern side from the path under the bridge around three quarters of an hour before high tide.

Bar rock wall

Here is more suited to snorkelling as there is a reasonable walk to near the rock walls end where you are best to do a drift snorkel with the incoming tide on a small variation between high and low to reduce current and sediment is less disturbed.

It is a good safe spot to have an average snorkel getting in around an hour before high tide and than enjoy the beach, both surf and calm waters on either side of the wall. The depth is no deeper than 25 feet deep here and the tide is an hour and a half earlier than the Brisbane bar.

For a safe family swim, fishing and snorkelling, the score is high.

Palm Beach reef

Out through the bar or from the Currumbin bar is an extremely good scuba dive and free diving site called Palm Beach reef. This reef is at its best from 30 to 50 feet deep for intense amounts of mainly invert life, but does come up to 25 feet deep towards shore.

The best way to find this reef is to find a depth of 40 to 50 feet deep once out through the bar and use the sounder to find it by going south from Tallebudgera or north from Currumbin at that depth until you pick it up, or just look for all the other boats on a calm day.

This reef is open to most activities including spearing.

There is another small reef area called Miami Beach reef north of this and is roughly in 70 feet deep of water out off Jupiter’s casino, not a great reef.

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3).Southport seaway.

From this spot there are several areas to enjoy.

These areas are best after two to three days of south-easterly winds and a mild swell and it the water will become dirty after the second day of winds varying from the north.

Anywhere in the seaway where there is a rock wall will offer a dive of some kind.

As you get closer to the bar the life lives a little deeper down, but the life increases a great deal.

Concrete platform

This spot is one of the most popular spots and is virtually in the centre of the southern wall of the seaway.

To find this area, you travel directly past sea world on the spit and at the very end of the road, turn left for thirty metres and you will see the concrete platform for access to the ocean, on scuba or snorkel, both are great here.

Here the water is thirty to forty feet deep.

The tide here is fifty minutes earlier than the Brisbane bar.

Drift dive or snorkel

Just a few hundred yards past the air sea rescue tower towards the open ocean is the best spot for a drift snorkel or dive with the incoming tide.

Try to make sure it has a small variation between high and low tide for the slightest current and clearest conditions.

There are heaps of large schooling fish along here and some colourful ones as well.

This area is fifty to thirty five feet deep.

Wave Break Island

This spot is accessed by boat and is best at high tide and the next two hours after the high tide as it is protected from the out going tide and not the incoming. You can see it North West from the platform.

Northern wall

The same as the rest of the seaway walls though never any deeper than thirty feet and the vis is always half to less of what is at the southern wall because the way the currents affect this area.

You need a boat to get here, but because of the bad vis and need for a boat the life is normally good.

Near to the end of the north wall at the bar more or less, a little south into the channel is a deepish area of around 50 feet and large fish and a few sharks can be dived with here for the more experienced divers.

Scottish Prince Wreck

This is a basic dive via boat out to the right through the seaway.

There is not much of a wreck left these days.

Out to sea from the seaway are a couple of lines of reefs, but are very affected by silt.

Jumping pin bar

This is more an area for fishing and boating, though there is a trawler wreck off the bar and some very basic soft coffee rock to dive on just in the bar if you don’t mind the very dirty water and the sharky aspect of the area.

The wreck out here is in roughly 24 metres of water, around two kilometres to the north of the bar. This was sunk as a mistake as it was being towed and rolled over in the eighties and went down.

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4).North Stradbroke Island

All reefs here are open to all activities except Flat rock; it is a no anchoring-green zone.

The northern end of this island has quite a few reefs and only two are accessible easily from the shore.

This area is best after two to three days of south-easterly winds and not much swell, lengthy westerly winds and winds from north variations over a prolonged period of time are the worst here!

Flat rock

This reef is one of the best snorkelling and especially scuba diving sites in SEQ and is a no take green zone.

The tide here is an hour and thirty earlier than the Brisbane bar

Inside the eastern end of Flat rock at a calm small low tide is the most amazing rock pool possible, as it has most of the creatures you would see on the Great Barrier Reef in a very safe pool and flat rock has several other smaller pools with heaps of life in them.

The northern waters of flat rock right up to the edge of the reef is more or less the centre of Flat rock and on a calm day is a top snorkel as is all of the southern side of it as well, right out to the bomie.

The bomie has a hollow top, a crater affect so to speak and on a very calm day is a very interesting snorkel.

The northwest corner from 50 to 80 feet is a great scuba dive with a cave or two and prolific fish life, the south east side around to the south west edge of the bomie from 45 to 90 feet is a very good area, the area between the bomie and Flat rock it self, between south east to east out to where it comes up to around 38 feet deep as you head out to sea is a very, very beautiful dive all around this depth, down to 80 feet, out just a little further flat rock finishes at a wall affect to sand, there is never current over this edge, you just have to get down there through it when it is on.

The shark gutters are either side of this spot, north and south of the 38 foot rise in the reef, to the north is the more consistent grey nurse spot and the south edge has a more cliff defined formation for a swim through to observe the life on the walls..

The current around most of flat rock on the wrong day can be very intense, the only consistent relief from the current that hits from the west-northwest normally is the eastern end of flat rock, there is also a very good dive behind the bomie as it starts in a low lying area of around fifty feet as rises a little to the south and than starts the drop off in steps of firstly around seventy feet, than around ninety feet and the last around a hundred feet, this is a great spot!.

The eastern end is the most reliable for protection from the current as is the eastern side of the bomie on the straddie side of flat rock.

Leopard sharks are best viewed in the shallows on the southern side and to some degree the North West area.

The most coral is in 30 to 70 feet in the shallows on the northwest corner and the centre of the northern side just behind the wave that appears out of nowhere sometimes on a shallow reef area, than there is between the shark gutters and the south-south west corner, just out of the strong current.

Boat rock

This spot is for scuba mainly though spearing here can be very good, it is at its best from 50 to 100 feet deep and is very exposed and current affected.

The reef does come up out of the water, but can be a bit barren in the shallows unless on the eastern side.

We do spend a bit of time here on scuba and snorkel and know the spot very well and there is a lot of life in certain spots.

From roughly 50 feet due east of the rock a reef section starts with a crater type of affect and is the best spot here for a good scuba dive or the strong swimming free diver.

There is reef for scuba all around the rock, out to a few hundred metres of this reef and the depths average 80 to 105 feet deep.

The back of the exposed rock virtually drops straight down to around 90 feet and can give a little relief to the sometimes extreme current found at this spot.

On a bad current day there can be white water similar to river rapids running around this reef and than out to sea. In whale season the creatures come very close to this reef and can be quite deafening with there sounds and may come to have a look at you or the boat.

Manta ray bomies

This spot is made up of three main reefs and is a very good snorkelling and spearing spot, shallow scuba diving and they are at the north east end of the island and the close in parts are accessible from the shore at deadman’s beach.

The depth varies from 15 feet to 30, than out to 50 feet and boasts a lot of manta rays in season.

There is a deeper area as it heads towards boat rock and large fish species start to increase there.

The life here is a little sparse compared to the other close by reefs because of the current and wave disturbance, but for a snorkel or dive with a some of the larger ocean creatures, like manta rays, you would find it hard to get a better spot.

Shag rock

This is the jewel of the areas off Stradbroke Island in that it is safe, has heaps of life and a very diverse area to look at.

For snorkelling and spearing at a 55 feet max scuba dive as well you could not get a better spot for simplicity and safety, there is a place for everything here.

The two best areas here are firstly the north east corner to the east of the most northern rock and across the gap between the two rocks of the two that make up the shag rock reef.

The next is at the bar side of the reef, directly west of the northern end of the largest part of shag, the reef goes out gradually to a depth of approximately 50 feet before it comes up to 18 feet deep on top of what is nicknamed little Aires rock, with its drop off and cave is easily the best spot at the shag rock area.

Middle half way and middle reef

Looking from shag rock towards the very eastern end of flat rock beginning from over little Aires rock, you go directly towards the eastern end of flat rock and a few hundred meters off shag rock towards flat rock you pick up on your sounder a reef called middle half way and than approximately 40 percent of the way to flat rock on that line you will pick up middle reef that has a pinnacle top at around thirty feet down to a hundred feet, when there is no current can be free dived on and this a very good scuba dive site.

Stradbroke island point

At the front of the island where the main beach meets the point is a very nice area for snorkelling on a calm day.

If you start from the surf club side of the point and swim around it and in to what is called the gorge, you have just had a very nice snorkel.

This area rarely has dirty water and at the end of the point there is a swim through cave and access down to the water at the point if you wish.

Amity point

This area is close to the bar which can attract high shark content.

For swimming,(there is a netted area) snorkelling, scuba diving and general smooth water activities, it is perfect and the tide at the boat ramps here is 50 minutes earlier than the Brisbane bar tide.

The best spots are, at the end of Birch Street where you can drive your car and comfortably get into the water.

The next access point is via the lane way on the left of to the amity general store, the water at these spots averages 30 to 45 feet deep at the deepest.

The jetty is a fun dive and the boat ramps area out to 45 feet, for ease and interesting life variations is the best spot.

In line with fence on the northern side of the park next the boat ramps there is a pinnacle reef out there that starts at around 45 feet out from where the rock wall and sand slope finish.

Moreton Island

Most reefs here are closed to any extraction activities bar a few.

The tides here are roughly one and a half hours before the Brisbane bar time.

All these reefs are current affected, with the exception of yellow patch!

Coffee rock reefs.

These extend most of the front of Moreton Island in two depths mostly. The first at roughly 25 feet and the next at roughly 40 feet, the most northern part of the 40 feet deep area is by far the best. Just drive along in water around 30 to 40 feet deep and off the sand hill called tempest the better areas begin.

Some of this area is now a green zone, though from just south of the middle of the island it becomes open to most activities.

China wall-Cherubs cave-Henderson’s shoal.

These to name a few are in front of Moreton Island and are mostly concentrated in front of the highest peak of moreton called tempest and a little to the north. These reefs are in water of roughly 100 feet, they are current and thermo cline affected and there can be quite a lot of kelp in these spots.

The rock formation can make it very hard to get an anchor up as it seems to be of a volcanic origin. At cherubs there are swim throughs as with china wall and both Henderson’s and cherubs cave can be both quite an extensive area and may allow you to come up in the wrong spot.

Northern Moreton Island

From the light house point, honey moon bay and the point itself is very good snorkelling and spearing, not so much for life forms,though but for ease of getting in. All activities are allowed here.

Yellow patch

This is probably one of the best no deeper than 30 feet scuba and snorkelling and spearing spots at Moreton. The reefs are small and scattered but offer heaps of life to appreciate, by boat or from the shore line if camping or on a day trip.

Flinders reef

This reef is around five kilometres north-north east of the northern end of Moreton. The activities here are limited except on the northern third of the reef, where with some limitations you can collect and spear, so check current regs on this green zone in the clubs (snorkelling-boating-collecting----) part of its forums for current regs.

This reef could be simply described as far better than anywhere you can imagine, maybe this comment is a bit over the top, you would have to see it for yourself to form your own opinion on that. Whether it be snorkelling or scuba, it is all good. The best spot to leave from in your own boat is from Bribie Island for the shortest trip there.

Hutchison shoal

This reef is roughly 3 to 5 kilometres north of flinders reef and offers far more life than flinders, though it is quite a bit deeper at the shallowest point of 12 metres down to 40 metres.

Excellent fishing, spearing and diving on this very current affected beautiful reef.

Bulwa drop offs and car bodies

Approximately three hundred meters south of the bulwa township and wreck on the beach are the car bodies in forty to fifty feet of water and then the drop offs are a little further east as a short swim under the water to the first drop offs begin and can get to around a hundred feet deep and this is not a dive for the faint hearted.

You can access these spots quite easily from the beach, though the car bodies can be a bit hard to find, the drop are certainly easy.

Curtain artificial reef

This purely for scuba only, as it is quite deep, sixty to eighty plus feet in depth and can be current affected, this is a wreck dive and by boat only!

This spot is in an average of eighty feet and is between bulwa and Tangalooma.

Tangalooma wrecks

This is very good for the day trippers or campers. A short swim from the beach at a slight tide as it is current affected can result in a leisurely snorkel appreciating heaps of fish life.

This is also a good spot for a shallow scuba dive. Under the Tangalooma jetty can be a bit of fun as well.

Sunshine coast

Caloundra to Dickies reef

This sunshine coast area has a few places to enjoy and it is very hard to get clear water at them as the canal developments and subsequent general development has made it very hard for the ocean to process the areas massive amounts of silt.

This is a major problem for all the shore dive/snorkelling spots on this portion of the coast, from noosa to Bribie Island. The best ways to find the clearest water on the sunshine coast is to have had either westerly, north westerly, northerly or north-easterly winds for no less than two to three days consistently and little to no swell to allow some clear water to be exchanged for the dirty water here.

Caloundra has several possible dive/snorkel sites; firstly at the board walk along from bullcock beach in the Caloundra channel, it has the rock wall and some coffee rock formations and is the same time tide as the Brisbane bar time.

Out to sea from the Caloundra bar there is a pinnacle formation almost due east, to slightly north east from the bar out to 80 feet of water in depth near the main marker for the shipping channel..

Than the area between the surf life saving club on the northern end of kings beach to the reef just out from the end off the point called brays rock, this has some nice basic diving and snorkelling.

The point to brays rock boasts some top rock formations but should not be swum as it is a shark area.

Brays rock is a very good spear fishing spot and a nice scuba site as well.

There are reefs all around brays rock and to the north as well.

Around the end of the point there are reefs aplenty off the beach area called Shelley beach in depths of ten to thirty five feet deep a short swim out off the beaches, all the way to moffats headland.

Directly in line with this point, just four hundreds yards to the north of moffats headland is dickies reef, a very good reef for, snorkelling, spear fishing, fishing or scuba diving. there is a very renowned pipeline style left hand wave on this reef to show where it is and it is a good snorkel out to it from Dickies beach at the car park at the end of Neill road, as there is some basic bits of reef all the way out to it to enjoy.

The southern edge of dickies reef drops off to around 35 feet and is a good safe scuba or spear fishing spot.

All non estuary spots here are roughly one and a half hour before the Brisbane bar tide time.

Ann street-reef.

The name of this spot is a surf site called Ann street, the spot is at the end of Buderim Street you park at the end of the street nearest to the ocean and walk over the grass slope in front of the car park and it is slightly to the right, this is the next spot alongside dickies beach.

On the waters edge here is a very popular surfing spot and if the winds have been favourable and there is no swell, this reef is ideal for spear fishing and basic snorkelling as there are sometimes crayfish here when the water is cool. Most life is in 8 to 20 feet of water.

Currumundi-reef.

Approximately three hundred yards due north from Currumundi creek just a kilometre or two north of Dickies beach and a few hundred yards out from the beach is where this reef begins. It is at its shallowest at twelve feet and can get to seventy feet deep out to sea. This would have to be one of the best dive/snorkel sites on the sunshine coast second only to old woman island, when the water is clear.

The best ways to get to this spot is via Mooloolaba or Caloundra channel launching near the caravan park or the boat ramp into the open ocean and it’s partly protected from the surf, it is half way from the king’s beach surf club to the end of the point along Headland esplanade near to the right of Margaret Street.

Boat or surf ski access only to this reef, it’s a long swim any other way!

Mooloolaba

The picture shown is from Alexandra head land and the point in the distance and it is point Cartwright, at this spot there are Mooloolaba rock groins and channel entrance and bay area.

From the open ocean eastern side of this point around to the western side of the closest rock groin, it is all very good snorkelling

From the ocean end of the point to the first rock groin on small seas and winds for no less than three days from the north west to north east, can be a very good snorkel and the reef section goes out quite a ways to the north out to sea in some areas here and is open to all activities

The eastern rock walls in the channel are quite nice, (except for the bay area, its quite shallow), all the way in to la Balsa Park and than at the first red beacon a reef goes all the way out to it under the water to it and can be an easy walk in from the steps at that end of the park, snorkel or shallow dive and the next red beacon out off the middle of the park offers some nice coffee rock area to snorkel on or shallow scuba and a small beach beside it.

In clear water and a nice day, you could not find a better spot for some diving practise or teach some one some skills with ease and safety.

There is a not well known area out from the middle of the sand gap between the two markers, just swim out under the water and you will pick up a ledge than rock to the south, the ledge is a very pretty and convenient dive.

The western rock wall from the open ocean is extremely good at the end of it as it has the best gorgonian gardens you will see in such an easily accessible spot, you walk to it and step in,litteraly.

Along the eastern side of this wall and out a hundred yards in some palaces is some very shallow(1 to 8 feet deep) coral rich coffee rock reef areas, in the swimming reserve area, a wonderful snorkel on the right day for all to enjoy very safely. From the wall out to a hundred feet off the wall is the best, the further you go the less of everything.

Inner and outer nearing

This video begins in the direction of old woman island (Mudjimba Island) and than sweeps to Mooloolaba.

Just a few kilometres to the east south east out from the island is the wreck of the Brisbane and half way through the video out to sea there is the inner nearing and just out further is the outer nearing shoals all easily accessible from the mouth of the Mooloolah river bar groins.

Just head north east from the bar mouth and you will start to pick it up a few kilometres out to sea; it varies fro 35 feet to 70 feet in depth.

There is a marker north east of the bar entrance on the horizon, just before this is the shallowest of the outer nearing shoals.

There is a spot to the south of this marker, but it is quite deep and not a great dive.

Spot x

There are two areas that bear this description, though one is the best and shallowest of the two.

The one closest to shore is directly out from the Maroochy river mouths sand stone structure.

The reef begins in roughly 45 feet of water east of the rock formation and boasts a rarely dived site, just sound around at this description and you will find it.

There are sections of reef just out the back of the surf from the Maroochy bar to Alexandra Headland.

Old Woman Island

The best area here to dive or snorkel is the eastern end of the reef, where the left hander and the right hander wave meets, more or less.

The depth here is 15 to 35 feet deep and the 25 to 35 is normally very coral rich and boasts heaps of fish life.

All around the island after no rain for months, near to no swell and winds from the west to north east for no less than three days, more so five days, you will get the it at its best for visibility.

On the northern side of the island is a tiny cove where you can fit a dingy or surf ski in when calm and have a snorkel in the pool area there.

From the south west to due east of the island under the water is a boulder wall from 20 to 40 feet deep and can offer a very nice snorkel or dive and at the northern end of this wall it rises a little and to the right is the most prolific coral area around the island.

The best basic snorkelling here is the southern side around the west to the northern side; the open ocean area is not that great.

The island has had many major die backs in recent times due to the bay design from moreton island to noosa point and this can tend to hold any major rains that come out of Maroochy and Mooloolah rivers for a time reducing the salinity and holding al large sediment content in the area as it has done in the late seventies, eighties and ninties, wiping out ninety percent of the island in the 70s and 80s and the island has never fully recovered from those left over rain depressions at the ends of spent cyclones.

Either a paddle out by surf ski or by boat, on the right day it is lovely day out at the island.

Coolum reefs

The points here can offer some fun snorkelling on the right day and where the beach meets the point on the southern end there are reefs just off shore and a lot of reefs that begin a few hundred yards out and are prolific all the way to sunshine beach out to sea from 35 feet deep to 70 feet deep, all colourful invert infested, very nice reefs.

Sunshine reefs

These are more so for the scuba diver or very strong fee diver, still very nice reefs with heaps of invert life on them.

Noosa points

These points offer some easy and shallow snorkelling if you don’t mind a long walk.

The last point is the best to catch aquarium life and visibility normally.

The water here is best after some north south direction winds than southerlies for a day or two if the swell is calm.

Noosa reef

This is a scuba reef directly due north of the last point of the noosa national parks points, roughly just under a kilometre north from there.

Not a great dive down to 80 or 90 feet as it can be very silty and murky.