THE 12 UNMISSABLE DIVING EXPERIENCES FOR YOUR 2022 BUCKET-LIST

Hold your breath travellers, the world’s leader in scuba diving training has revealed 12 totally unmissable diving locations around Australia.

PADI Marketing Manager Andrew Jenkins said: “Australia is home to some of the most amazing dive experiences you’ll find anywhere in the world. We’re truly lucky to have world-class diving in our very own backyard, obviously with the Great Barrier Reef, but also with other epic dive sites around the country that include giant kelp forests, shipwrecks and a stunning diversity of marine life. PADI has a network of more than 128,000 professional divers worldwide, and you can bet most of them would tell you that Australia is one of the top dive destinations on the planet.”

So at a time when domestic travel is nearly opening up Australia-wide, PADI has unveiled 12 unmissable homegrown dive destinations Aussies will want on their 2022 bucket lists.

Diving novice? No worries! The full list below spans all dive levels and interests.

With a nation of individuals more eager than ever to travel, explore, and seek adventure amongst some of the most beautiful things life has to offer, we thought this could be an underwater-winner with your readers.

1. SS Yongala, Ayr, QLD: brimming with the magical marine life and coral of the Great Barrier Reef, this was once a passenger and cargo ship that some refer to as Australia’s very own Titanic. Just off the coast of Townsville, book this beauty with Yongala Dive.

2. Osprey Reef, Great Barrier Reef, QLD: another Great Barrier Reef gem, this is considered best-in-class by many of the professionals within PADI because of its incredible 1,000m wall drop offs. Closest to Cairns, secure your spot with Pro Dive Cairns.

3. Fish Rock Cave, South West Rocks, NSW: one of diving’s best kept secrets, this deep abyss will see you up close and personal with grey nurse sharks, schools of fish and more marine life than you’ve ever seen before. You can find out more with the Fish Rock Dive Centre .

4. The Steps, Sydney, NSW: Sydney may not be the first place you think of for diving, but this sweet spot in Botany Bay is a popular hangout for weedy sea dragons and is suitable for all dive levels. Abyss Scuba Diving can get you sorted for this experience.

5. Edithburgh Jetty, Edithburgh, SA: an Instragrammer’s paradise, this might be one of the nation’s most photographed dive sites, and rightly so - the colours and marine varieties are on another level. Just two short hours from the state’s capital, you can book in this bucket list with Diving Adelaide.

6. Rapid Bay Jetty, Rapid Bay, SA: this is a shore dive that is sure to amaze. It’s one of the rare spots where you can spot the leafy sea dragon. Pylons also provide plenty of cover to all sorts of fishy friends from corals and cowfish to sponges and leatherjackets. Find out more from the local specialist team at Adelaide Scuba.

7. Blairgowrie Pier, Mornington Peninsula, VIC: in typically calm and shallow waters is an abundance of colourful sponges, and countless species of nudibranch that hide under one of the longest piers you ever did see. Contact the team at Bayplay Dive Resort to see what else the Portsea favourite has on offer.

8. Flinders Pier, Flinders, VIC: this favourite PADI dive spot shot to fame when it featured in the BBC’s Blue Planet II. As the weedy seadragon capital of the world, it is a must-do experience that stretches hundreds of metres in length. Academy of Scuba are the local experts on this experience.

9. Shark Cave, Rottnest Island, WA: Rottnest Island may be renowned for its land-living wildlife but anyone who has dived Shark Cave knows that’s not all Rottnest is made up of. This is a deep cave dive where you’ll be surrounded by the stunning grey nurse sharks. It’s an experience of a lifetime so secure a chance to explore with Perth Scuba.

10. Navy Pier, Ningaloo, WA: up there amongst some of the world’s most amazing dive locations, make sure you pack a camera. As a still-operational Navy Pier, no fishing and limited access means there is an unimaginable abundance of colour and creatures - it also means you will need to go with a dive group so contact Exmouth Dive & Whalesharks Ningaloo before you go.

11. Governor Island Marine Reserve, TAS: with over 35 recognised dive sites, this is worthy of an extended trip. The top three dive experiences around the Island include The Hairy Wall cliff-face plunge, the two massive granite boulders that make up The Castle, and two 10m high pinnacles they call the Golden Bommies. Chat with Tasmiania Tasmanian Divers (North) for the best local knowledge.

12. Fortesque Bay, TAS: from this easy shore dive awaits an underwater kelp forest brimming with schools of fish, sponges, seahorses and seadragons. It’s a unique dive experience that will take the breath away for both experienced divers and first-timers alike. Enquire with Eaglehawk Dive Centre for local advice.