If you have your advanced open water ticket definatly do the Youngala just outside of Townsville or if you only have your open water you can take your advanced with SSI at the BASE on Magnetic Island and get the Youngala included. Its one of the Worlds top 4 dive sites, and is super pretty and you get to see all sorts of things. The West coust is also really good to dive if you go and do the Nigaloo reef by exmouth. Its much less touristy then the east coast which is always a bonus. And if your lucky you can dive with the whale sharks or manta rays.

u have the choice between great barriere reef in cairn or u are going to exmouth bay west side not that busy but perfect diving with the big stuff

depends or whether you're interested in coral or big fish. The great barrier reef has suffered extensive coral bleaching in recent years (at least at the most visited dive sites) so the coral there is nothing like some dive sites in SE Asia. I'm not sure on the state of coral in Ningaloo (Exmouth, WA) but as the world's biggest fringing reef it is rated in the top ten reefs to dive on and if you go in the right time of year you will dive with whale sharks. Plus it is no where near as touristy as the Great Barrier Reef (e.g. you won't see 100 divers all diving the same spot). If you do Ningaloo you will might go through Perth where a dive over on Rottnest island can be quite good (might spot a Great White!) and cheap too.

The best is a wreck dive near Townsville at the east coast. The wreck is called Yongala. It is amazing and for me one of the best dives ever... lots of manta rays, queensland grouper, morays, turtles, sharks and other fish... simply great! Otherwise I would recommend the Ningaloo Reef on the west coast. I think it is way better than the crowded Barrier reef and you see the most beautiful fishes... Especially in Exmouth it is very worth to dive Ningaloo the visibility is 30meters...

U have to go to the greet Reef ! Your base will be Cairns. From there you can go to townsville then to magnetic island or go south to Airlie Beach and the beautiful whitesundays island... You have so much solutions everywhere

Hey, i've been diving on Rottnest island, was awesome. You can also go around exmouth, it's nice, lot's of fish and i also saw a small shark was exciting.. On the great barrier reef, it was nice but i thought there was too many people. And the whitesundays are beautiful as well.. hope it will help u. have a good dive.

Outer Reef on the Great Barrier, Ningaloo Reef (West coast) and Adelaide.

West Coast: Coral Bay and Exmouth, absolutely gorgous swimming with a turtle, whaleshark, rays...

i went scuba diving on the great barrier reef. the weather was not that good these days so the visibility was not perfect anyway, i had a good time i strongly suggest you to spend two or three nights on a boat dedicated to diving. you can go to cairns and find out whart company fit you the most i stayed a couple of day at asylum guesthouse, very cheep and good parties