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Michael McFadyen`s Scuba Diving

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Company description Welcome to Michael McFadyen`s Scuba Diving site. It contains articles on dive sites, ship wrecks, book reviews, clubs in Sydney and NSW.
You are welcome to contact me on any matter related to this Web Site, scuba diving in general or for what ever reason you want. I will try to help you in any way I can, with information, advice or even maybe to take you for a dive if you are visiting Sydney. I promise to reply to each and every e-mail, although bear in mind that I may be on holidays when you e-mail and so it may take me a week or two at times to answer.
I am not a dive shop or an instructor I live in Sydney Australia.
Over the years I have met many divers who told me that there are no dive sites in Sydney worth diving and that they would never consider diving the waters off Australia`s largest city. These people have declared to me solemnly that they are only prepared to dive overseas or on the Great Barrier Reef. This is a source of constant astonishment to me, as some of the best dives I have ever done have been within a few kilometres of the centre of Sydney.
While it is true that we do not have the coral reefs of Queensland, a massive shipwreck like the SS President Coolidge or the water clarity of Papua New Guinea, what we do have is an amazing multitude of dive sites that are enormously different from each other but still carry a distinct Sydney flavour.
Since 1988 I have averaged just under 100 dives a year in Sydney waters. Therefore, I think I am well qualified to comment on the quality and availability of diving in the Sydney area. I am yet to meet someone who has dived Sydney (real dives, not instructing) more than me over this period, although I am sure that they exist. Despite claims by some, people do not laugh at my comments on Sydney dive sites (I have had more than 100 articles published about Sydney diving) and in fact I receive many favourable comments about my views and articles and very few, if any, adverse comments.
I do not dive Sydney to have 40 metre visibility, for the average diver will never be able to experience this on a reef dive. Even 25 metre visibility is not all that common, although it does occur a couple of times a year on reef dive sites but in 2000 and 2001 we got it a lot (we do get it often on some deeper - >45 metres - wrecks). Nor do I dive the wrecks to be able to find some trinket. Why do I dive Sydney?
Firstly, I do it because I enjoy diving, whether it is in a swimming pool (not that I ever do this) or in a dirty estuary. I can gain a great deal of pleasure from relaxing while underwater. I have been known to spend minutes laying on my back watching the exhaust bubbles rise to the surface. Try it sometime, you will find it good therapy.
Secondly, Sydney has some of the most colourful sponge life you will ever see. Whether it is in the shallow estuary waters of Shiprock in Port Hacking, the shore dive of Shark Point in the Eastern Suburbs or the deep ocean site called The Wanderers off Cronulla, the sponges are prolific and colourful and harbour a wealth of life.
Thirdly, you can find copious amounts of fishlife at some dive sites. These include Marley Point and The Balcony off Cronulla,The Apartments (The Wall) at Long Reef, Pistol Crack off Botany Bay and Shiprock as well as the southern wrecks of the SS Tuggerah and SS Undola. Even dive sites in Sydney Harbour can have huge amounts of fishlife. I have even dived (well, snorkelled) with a southern right whale and her calf off Manly Beach!
Fourthly, some sites have incredible macro life, especially Camp Cove, Parsley Bay and Clifton Gardens in Sydney Harbour and Shiprock in Port Hacking. These sites have such amazing life they can keep you fully occupied for more than 60 minutes every dive.
Finally, the terrain of the dive sites can be fascinating.
Location description: Some words from my article:
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Introduction
The Cook Islands are located North East of New Zealand just east of the International Date Line. It is composed of 15 small islands/atolls. It is on line with Mackay in Australia and is further south than countries such as Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. It is level with New Caledonia and Fiji. The Cook Islands is an independent nation, but with a close association with NZ. It was a former British colony and as such, has a similar political setup to Australia and NZ. It is certainly not a Third World country, and in fact it is quite sophisicated in its own way. More about this later.
The main island is called Rarotonga, with more than half of the population living there. This is a basically round island, just over 32 kilometres in circumference, with a mountainous and jungle interior that rises to over 600 metres. It is surrounded almost the whole way by a fringing coral reef. This reef is located as close as a few dozen metres but at times extends perhaps one kilometre off shore. Rarotonga has the only major town in the country and also its international airport. This has a very long runway capable of handling Boeing-747 jets. The terminal is quite good, about the best I have seen in the Pacific in terms of facilities and cleanliness.
Money
The New Zealand dollar is used in the Cook Islands, although they also have Cook Island dollars. They are interchangeable. There are two ATMs in Avarua, on at the Westpac Bank and the other at the ANZ Bank. This is by far the best way to get money if you are not from NZ. It flies from Christchurch once a week (more about this later). Since Rarotonga is on the Air New Zealand NZ/US route and the airline is part of a global network, a lot of backpackers (mostly British or European) who have round the World tickets stop off in Rarotonga on the way to or from NZ.
Getting There
Only two international airlines fly to the Cook Islands. The main one is Air New Zealand which has over a dozen flights a week into Rarotonga. These come from Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand (one a week from Christchurch) and Los Angeles, USA via Papeete, French Polynesia. The other airline is Pacific Blue, an off-shoot of Virgin Blue...
Summary
Rarotonga is one of the nicest places I have ever visited. It is a relaxed location, typical of the Pacific, but with excellent infrastructure to make your visit very enjoyable. However, it is not a place to visit for scuba diving, there are numerous better places to go (say Sydney and Melbourne for two) to have good or great diving.
Michael McFadyen
More information on web site. http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/

Website: Preview http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/ by Thumbshots.org http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/
Articles on hundreds of dive sites, ship wrecks and clubs in Sydney and NSW. Includes book reviews and personal incidents.

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