7 Day Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea Stateroom ( Monday Departure )

Location(s):

Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Cod Hole.

Description:

Spirit of Freedom is Australia’s most comfortable live aboard diving vessel offering the best dive cruising to the Great Barrier Reef and remote Coral Sea reefs out of Cairns in tropical north Queensland. During your dive trip you will be treated to first class chef prepared meals and complimentary wine with your evening meal after an amazing day of diving or snorkelling. There are three decks on Spirit of Freedom with a separate lounge, dining and under cover top deck providing plenty of space for up to 26 guests. The 11 generous air-conditioned cabins all containing private bathrooms make for a very comfortable live aboard diving adventure to the Great Barrier Reef.

The Stateroom contains one Queen size bed.

7 DAY ITINERARY, MONDAY DEPARTURE
Departing: Cairns 12:00 noon Monday
Returning: Cairns 07:00 am Monday

Sample Itinerary

Thursday: Courtesy coach transfer from Cairns city hotels to Cairns airport will commence at 07:30am. Your twin-engine light aircraft will depart at 08:30am for your scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef to Lizard Island, where you board Spirit of Freedom. This afternoon we will have the opportunity for two dives at a choice of sites such as the Cod Hole, Pixie Pinnacle and Challenger Bay before departing in the evening for the Coral Sea.

Friday & Saturday: Osprey Reef. Australia’s Coral Sea reefs are renowned for crystal clear water with an average visibility in excess of 100 feet. Two days can be spent diving at Osprey Reef, including North Horn, well known for its shark action. You can expect to see grey whalers, silvertips, reef sharks, occasional hammerheads, schooling barracuda, trevally, and other pelagics. The landscape is amazing with sheer walls laced with gorgonians, sea whips, and bright yellow soft corals rising from thousands of feet below.

Sunday:
Option 1: Still in the Coral Sea , weather depending we will dive Bougainville Reef.
Option 2: Today we return to the Ribbon Reefs # 3 to 5 to dive sites such as the sensational Steve’s Bommie, Temple of Doom, and Flare Point. Sunday evening we will cruise overnight back to Cairns.

Monday: Arrive in Cairns approximately 06:30am. Enjoy breakfast aboard, followed by around 4 hours at your leisure in Cairns. Reboard Spirit of Freedom at Trinity Wharf for a 12 noon departure. This afternoon we dive the Great Barrier Reef to the north of Cairns.

Tuesday: Today we may dive the amazing Steve’s Bommie, Clam gardens, Flare Point and the beautiful Gorgonia Wall and other sites on the middle Ribbon Reefs.

Wednesday: This morning we will dive the Cod Hole. This is a popular dive site famous for resident family of large Potato Cod. We may also dive Dynamite Pass, Lighthouse Bommie, Challenger Bay, and Pixie Wall. This evening we overnight at Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island.

Thursday: This morning you have the opportunity to go ashore and explore Lizard Island. At 10:00am you will board a twin-engine light aircraft at Lizard Island for your low level flight over the Great Barrier Reef back to Cairns. Arriving back at Cairns airport at approximately 11:00am, the Spirit of Freedom courtesy coach will transfer back to your Cairns city hotel.

Due to light aircraft weight restrictions, your total luggage weight is limited to 20 kilograms/ 45 lb per person. We request that bags be soft sided.

Please note that above itinerary is a sample only and sites may vary or the sequence may change. Access to the Cod Hole and the Coral Sea is weather conditional and while every attempt will be made to keep to the advertised itinerary, the Coral Sea and specific sites on the Great Barrier Reef are not guaranteed.

Operator Name:

Spirit of Freedom

Operator Description:

The tropical waters of the Great Barrier Reef harbour an ecosystem rich in marine diversity and exquisite natural beauty. Join Spirit of Freedom for your choice of a 3 to 7 night expedition to world renown diving destinations of the Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs, and Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea. These unique ecosystems showcase an amazing diversity from picturesque coral gardens crowned with delicate anemones and colorful reef fish to the 1000 metre walls of the volcanic atolls of the Coral Sea, home territory for reef sharks, whalers, schooling hammerheads, mantas, schools of barracuda and mackeral, and massive red and yellow soft corals. Spirit of Freedom is one of Australia’s most comfortably appointed live-aboard dive vessels, with three decks of living space, generous cabins with private bathroom, and all the amenities of a hotel, complimented by first class meals and outstanding service. 3 Day Cod Hole and 4 Day Coral Sea tours include a one way low level flight over the reef between Cairns and Lizard Island.

Additional Info:

MONDAY DEPARTURE Special note: The 7 day itinerary, Monday departure does not return to Cairns for the full 7 days. Flights are not included, and therefore there are no limitations on weight. A Marine Park entry fee and Fuel levy is payable on board. Stateroom is a double bed only, suitable for 2 passengers, singles are required to pay sole occupancy