Which areas of Oz have the best spearfishing?!

[Janner]

Hiya guys, i am about to apply for a working holiday visa in Australia (i am a tree surgeon) and i am trying to find out if there are any particular areas of the country that have particulary good spearfishing.

If you guys can give me any advice it will be greatly appreciated. The sooner i get a list of places together the sooner i can start searching for tree work in those areas.

Many Thanks

Ian

 

[nigelr]

Hey Ian.
Depends what time of year you are here, in our winter the tropics would be best, in our summer/autumn the temperate regions also come into play. Our spring can be a bit of a lottery, due to winds.
Cheers.

 

[Janner]

Hiya Nigelr,

To be honest mate, at the minute i am planning in staying in Oz for as long as possible so i am not really restricted by seasons. I have just been told that Coffs Harbour has good diving, what do you think?

Ideally i would like somewhere that generally has at least 8/10meters vis and has 10+Celsius water temp with a reasonable amount of fish to shoot. I wouldn't want to be living somewhere where the sea is dead like the meditteranean and the water freezing like the baltic.

I look forward to hearing from you

Ian

 

[nigelr]

Yes Ian, it does at times have excellent spearfishing, weather dependent.
For example we have just (over the last 5 days) had 30 - 50cms of rain in this region, and it will be at least a month before visability to any extent returns to an acceptable condition.
Best time of year by far for diving here generally speaking would be April-July, during our late autumn and winter when weather conditions are generally less dynamic. Having said that, we are totally dependent on clear ocean currents being in the vicinity, cold dirty currents do nothing for the situation at all. Having an active swell window to the Pacific ocean means there is generally some swell running, with resultant inclement vis. So we are generally just taking advantage of any windows of opportunity that come our way, it just happens that there are more of these, and generally clearer water conditions, during the months I have indicated above.
Cheers.
Further north on the tropical Qld coast the season is longer, as it also is in Nthn. WA.
Depends where you can find regular work/your financial situation, I'd imagine.......
Cheers.

 

[Janner]

Thanks for the advice Nigel. I think i will start off in sydney and make my way up the coast to Cairns in that case. What thickness suit would you recommend, i have a 3mm and 5mm should i take both? And what size guns are worth taking over? I have a 75cm, 90cm, 1m, 1.2m reel , 1.4m band guns and a 90 mamba pnuematic

Cheers Ian

 

[DivingDane]

hey mat, i lve in cairns and have speared most of the australian coast. waters never get below 10 degrees even in the south but from sydney north you will never get below 16 degrees, of course the further north the warmer it gets, here in north queensland the water bnever drops below 22 degrees. in all reality in summer months a 3mm is ample and in queensland a 3mm is all you need, as ou go further south during winter 5mm becomes handy but only south so i would bring the following:

3mm 2 piece
1.2 reel gun for reef and general purpose
1.4 for bigger fish in clear water

the entire coast both east and west has good spearing just depends onwhat you are looking for.

when your in cairns give me a call and we'll get you in the water.

DD

 

[Janner]

Hi DD, Thanks for the advice mate. I will 100% guaranted take you up on that offer of a dive Is there a big spearing community in and around Cairns? and what sort of depths do you guys normally hunt at?

Cheers Ian

 

[nigelr]

Ian, if I were you I'd consider starting in Brisbane and heading north, over the 'top end' and then down to Perth. Sort of "Endless Summer" type deal!
Cheers.

 

[DivingDane]

hi janner

depths are very shallow here for spearing generally never below 15m however fir more exotic and larger fish deeper dive to 20m+ are often done, however very good fish can regularly be taken in waters of as little as 3m (5kg+)

DD

 

[Janner]

Thanks for the advice guys its appreciated. I will be arriving in Oz around the middle of June so i will be in touch around that time Im off to France for a couple of months before hand, planning to eat plenty of croissants and garlic.:t

Take Care

Ian

 

[BennyB]

Nigel where abouts are you located? I grew up on the Mid North Coast NSW, not far from Port Macquarie.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[nigelr]

Hey Ben. I live at Mylestom, or North Beach as it is known to the locals, just north of Urunga, on the northern side of the Bellinger river.
Cheers mate.

 

[Surfnsun]

We went for a holiday recently and we spent a week at Mylestom, I have to say its one of my favorite places in Oz, your lucky to live there.

 

[BennyB]

Lovely part of the world there Nigel, you're a lucky bloke!

Cheers,
Ben

 

[nigelr]

Thanks guys, it is a great spot and I am lucky.
My wife and I moved here in 1980, when we were in our early 20's, just upped and left Sydney with not much more than the clothes on our backs.
It was love at first sight, we have never wanted to live elsewhere!
Cheers.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Sure Janner wont mind me posting here as there doesn't seem to be much action "down under".

Hall of Fame. http://forums.deeperblue.com/australia-new-zealand-pacific-islands/82117-hall-fame.html#post755378








Dave

 

[Dogmatrix]

If you make it over to WA Port Hedland way give me a holla.

Cheers Rob