Need Sydney/Great Barrier Reef Info ASAP

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JerryC - 31 Jul 2006 17:00 GMT

I just got told to schedule travel to Sydney Australia to teach a class
from 8/21 to 8/24 and then must teach in bejing china the next week
(probably monday, maybe i could negotiate tues start). so i was told to
book travel today and get my visa apps in. traveling from PA, US.

so i'm scrambling through my rodale's and the web but have little time.
i'm wondering if anyone with experience could tell me if it's doable to
dive the barrier reef. i've never been anywhere near there but i'm an
advanced certified diver with plenty of experience in my 20 years of
diving, we take at least one advanced trip a year to coz, hawaii, etc.

so, should i try to get the the GBR since i'll finish up teaching my
class thurs afternoon sometime and have to be in bejing monday? or is
there sufficient diving around sydney that i should just do that
instead? any recommendations on itinerary/operator/logistics
appreciated, thanks.

Bill

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Dillon Pyron - 01 Aug 2006 17:18 GMT

>I just got told to schedule travel to Sydney Australia to teach a class
>from 8/21 to 8/24 and then must teach in bejing china the next week
>(probably monday, maybe i could negotiate tues start). so i was told to
>book travel today and get my visa apps in. traveling from PA, US.

The visa will take all of three minutes. It's electronic.

>so i'm scrambling through my rodale's and the web but have little time.
>i'm wondering if anyone with experience could tell me if it's doable to
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>instead? any recommendations on itinerary/operator/logistics
>appreciated, thanks.

Getting there from Sydney will chew up most of a day, depending on
when and with whom you fly. When I was there, there was an early
evening flight that got in rather late. Getting back is more
problematic. You'll have to stay a day after the dives, then blow the
moring and early afternoon getting back to Sydney, then a long assed
flight to Beijing.

Remember, Australia is a f.cking continent. Distances between the
pocket of civilzation can be decieving. Look at a globe, not a map,
to get an idea of relative distance.

I decided it wasn't worth it to do all the traveling involved for two
days of diving. Next time we go, we'll spend a week there.

The diving around Sydney was so-so from the gent at a dive shop I
talked to from Austin (Skype is my friend). I didn't bring any of my
gear. Almost made a trip south from Adelaide to do a couple of dives
on a former Australian destoyer escort (name escapes me, Grumman will
have the answer in about two minutes).

Sadly, my advice is to not go. Take the three days to tour Sydney. Go
to the Blue Mountains. Spend a day at the zoo and an afternoon at the
aquarium. Spend an eveing in the Rock. Check out the babes at Bondi
Beach. Plenty to do in Sydney.

>Bill

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dillon

JAFO

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Grumman-581 - 01 Aug 2006 18:44 GMT

> The diving around Sydney was so-so from the gent at a dive shop I
> talked to from Austin (Skype is my friend). I didn't bring any of my
> gear. Almost made a trip south from Adelaide to do a couple of dives
> on a former Australian destoyer escort (name escapes me, Grumman will
> have the answer in about two minutes).

HMAS Swan, perhaps?

http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/articles/hmasswan.htm

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dechucka - 03 Aug 2006 02:42 GMT

>I just got told to schedule travel to Sydney Australia to teach a class
> from 8/21 to 8/24 and then must teach in bejing china the next week
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> Bill

Don't try to get to GBR it is a long way you will only be able to stay or 2
and it would be a pity if the weather was crap.

There is good diving around Sydney both N and S or wreck dives offshore
but remember it is winter down here and the water temp is only about 18C or
so. If you really want to get wet do an early morning dive ( I'd suggest
around N Head, short boat ride ) and than spend the rest of the day sight
seeing. If you want to see GBR fish the Sydney Aquarium at Darling harbour
has a good display

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JerryC - 08 Aug 2006 21:40 GMT

Thanks for the replies. Beijing was now canceled so now i can wrap up in
Sydney thurs and then hang around and fly out monday or so. even still
based on what you guys say I'm not going to try to run up to Queensland
to do the GBR. I'll save it for when I can savor it. I'll hit some of
these great Sydney sites both above and below the water. Bondi Beach
babes sound excellent.

In article <44d15479$0$21300$5a62ac22@per-qv1-newsreader-
01.iinet.net.au>, dechucka@vomithotmail.com.au says...

> Don't try to get to GBR it is a long way you will only be able to stay or 2
> and it would be a pity if the weather was crap.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> seeing. If you want to see GBR fish the Sydney Aquarium at Darling harbour
> has a good display

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dechucka - 08 Aug 2006 23:20 GMT

> Thanks for the replies. Beijing was now canceled so now i can wrap up in
> Sydney thurs and then hang around and fly out monday or so. even still
> based on what you guys say I'm not going to try to run up to Queensland
> to do the GBR. I'll save it for when I can savor it. I'll hit some of
> these great Sydney sites both above and below the water. Bondi Beach
> babes sound excellent.

remember it is winter here

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