As one of the worlds most sparsely populated landmasses, Australia can lay claim to more remote places on its home soil than any other developed nation.
There are many options for those looking for scuba diving holidays who want to get off the beaten track, away from the strips of chain stores and neon signs… In fact there are so many places you can explore in Australia that many Australians sometimes wonder if they know their country at all…!
When you think of remote destinations in Australia to take scuba diving holidays, you cannot ignore the Rowley Shoals and those thousands and thousands of kilometres across the top end, from Broome to Darwin and east to The Kimberley and Cairns… and while Broome, located on the north-west coast of Western Australia, could no longer be thought of as ‘remote’ with direct flights making the town more accessible to the southern and eastern states, you can certainly access truly remote locations offshore from Broome and into The Kimberley’s.
Getting to the Rowley Shoals
Unless you are undertaking a cross country driving or bus trip through Western Australia or exploring the Kimberley with your own vehicle, flying to Broome is the fastest and easiest way to get there. Broome is approximately 2300 km (1500 miles) north of Perth and 1900 km (1200 miles) from Darwin. Note that isolated Broome and the Kimberley are closer to Indonesia than to Perth or Sydney – an important factor is Broome’s history and cultural evolution. Broome has a modern airport with daily service to and from all major destinations in Australia and the Kimberleys... Qantas/Airlink offers direct flights to Kununurra, Darwin, Alice Springs, Port Hedland and Perth.
The Rowley Shoals National Marine Park... a days cruise and 250 km (155 miles) west of Broome you find the Rowley Shoals, a scuba diving site that must rank among the most ‘remote’ and pristine marine areas in the world... these Shoals are the remains of three volcanoes that rose out of the ocean, the tops of which became colonised by coral to form a chain of three spectacular and pristine coral atolls, each covering approximately 80 sq km (32 sq m)... these three pear-shaped atolls have shallow lagoons inhabited by corals and abundant marine life... and all three atolls are strikingly similar in dimension, shape, orientation and distance apart. Each atoll is north-south orientated, pear-shaped, with the narrow end towards the north... the Rowley Shoals rise with nearly vertical sides from very deep water. Mermaid Reef, the most northerly, rises from about 440 metres, Clerke from 390 metres and Imperieuse from about 230 metres.
These atolls have, over the centuries, been used by the Indonesians to collect trochin shells and trepang or beche-de-mer an Asian delicacy... and even though the Rowley Shoals are Australian territory, the Indonesians are still allowed to fish by traditional means, many still dive using wooden goggles and an unusual ‘egg-beater’ style of kicking when diving.
Pearling luggers working out of Cossack from the mid1800s to about 1930 regularly called at the Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef to the north, to collect beche-de-mer and fish, before returning their Indonesian pearl divers to Kupang in Timor.
From about 1977 charter boats operating from Broome began promoting deep sea fishing and scuba diving expeditions to the area. Since this time interest has expanded enormously and the Rowley Shoals is fast gaining a reputation for offering some of the best scuba diving in Australia... Today the Rowley Shoals rank among the most remote and pristine marine areas in the world where you can enjoy scuba diving holidays in a diverse and exciting diving environment... Lying on the very edge of Australia’s continental shelf, the Rowley Shoals are regarded as the best example of shelf atolls in Australian waters, and this is one of the reasons many consider the Rowley Shoals to be a scuba diving experience unmatched anywhere else in the world... The Rowley Shoals are subjected to a high tidal range, with 4 metre plus tides, flowing into and out of the reefs. The ebb and flow of these large volumes of water has helped to sculpt the reefs into dramatic formations... Due to their remoteness, their pristine condition has been impeccably preserved and so precious and unique are the Rowley Shoals, that they have been declared a marine reserve.
The coral atolls of the Rowley Shoals are famed for their almost untouched coral gardens, giant clams and other shell fish. Giant potato cod and maori wrasse wait to be hand fed and follow scuba divers around, while colourful reef fish show little fear, and trevally, mackerel and tuna hover in schools... Over 200 species of coral and 650 species of fish inhabit the Rowley Shoals – including many species not found on nearshore coral reefs as well as humpback whales, manta rays, hammerhead sharks and other large reef species... There are at least 28 species of staghorn coral alone... The coral and fish communities of the Rowley Shoals are unique in their composition, and relative abundance... and the species themselves are more characteristic of south-east Asian reefs than other Western Australian reefs.
The outside walls of the Rowley Shoals are alive with soft corals in every imaginable colour. At low tide the water becomes ponded within the reef walls with the water flowing over the atoll walls like waterfalls... At high tide, the reefs disappear beneath the sea, with only the sandy islands of Clerke and Imperieuse visible… the Rowley Shoals give you the opportunity to experience a diverse array of scuba diving environments including, lagoons, canyons, high speed drift dives and sheer outer reef wall dives. Often touted as the world’s last great ‘underwater wilderness’, the Rowley Shoals offer some of the most remote scuba diving within Australia. Scuba diving holidays and expeditions to this pristine location operate several times a year. The best time of year for a scuba diving holiday will be from October to December... Charter operators usually depart from Broome at sunset and arrive at the Rowley Shoals around sunrise... for scuba dive bookings to this fascinating diving destination just contact us.
Scuba diving, snorkelling and swimming are the most popular activities... Fishing is not permitted at Mermaid Reef... You can however fish at Clerke and Imperieuse Reefs, although potato cod, maori wrasse, coral trout, Queensland cod (groper) and all shellfish within 1.6 km (1600 metres) of the reefs are fully protected. You should throw these species back immediately... Bag limits also apply for most other species. You may land on the sand cays, but you should not walk on the exposed reef, as these fragile areas are easily damaged.
The Wreck of the Lively on Mermaid Atoll... in the 1980’s maritime archaeologists found two anchors three and a half metres long, lying together on the reef top. Near by were seen iron knees used to fasten a ship’s deck to the walls of wooden sailing ships... further pieces of wreckage were found strewn around, including two whaler trypots, once used to boil down whale blubber for whale oil; five iron cannon; and a third anchor among other artefacts... The wreck is believed to be the 240 tonne ship the 'Lively’, armed with 10 cannons, which embarked on a whaling voyage to the southern hemisphere around 1808-09.
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