3 Night Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef Trip
DIVE LEVEL: We recommend this Great Barrier Reef liveaboard dive trip for Open Water to Experienced divers, or divers with minimum 10 ocean dives, including 5 dives in the last 12 months.
DEPARTS: Cairns 12:00 noon Thursday RETURNS: Cairns 12:00 noon Sunday
DIVES: 11 (including one night dive)
Liveaboard Dive Trip Overview
Stepping aboard the sleek and spacious ‘Spirit of Freedom’, our 3-night liveaboard dive trip departs every Thursday from Cairns, and travels along the rarely visited Ribbon Reefs, finishing 240 km to the north at the world-famous Cod Hole.
Along the ‘Ribbons’ you will have the opportunity to complete up to 11 dives as you encounter clouds of colourful tropical fish, an incredible variety of vibrant healthy corals, giant clams, anemones, huge schools of cruising pelagic fish, and a family of giant potato cod.
On Saturday, we will make our way to the remote Lizard Island (Jiigurru), some 90km off the Queensland coast, for an overnight stay in the secluded Watson’s Bay where you will enjoy an evening BBQ dinner on the top deck.
Sunday morning, you will have time to explore Lizard Island before boarding a one-hour scenic flight back to Cairns.
See the full itinerary below for more details.
This trip includes daily cabin service and chef-prepared gourmet meals (see our sample menu for details). Complimentary Australian wine or soft drinks are served with evening meals.
Special Expeditions: In June/July, this liveaboard dive trip regularly encounters Dwarf Minke Whales.
For longer duration trips, check out our 7-night liveaboard dive expedition, which adds an extra 4 days on the Coral Sea to this trip.
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Cabins & Rates
Liveaboard Dive Trip Prices are AUD$ per person and include:
- Chef prepared meals & snacks, wine and soft drink are included with the evening meal.
- Tanks, air fills, Nautilus Lifeline and weight belt. Full equipment rental available.
- Daily cabin service.
- Cairns hotel or Airport transfers.
- GST and all reef levies and fees.
Located on the top deck with internal stairwell access to the main deck, as well as external access to the top deck and dive deck, the Ocean View Deluxe Cabin boats a 10.5m² area with 3 large windows overlooking the starboard side of the vessel.
A comfy double bed will ensure you are well rest for a full day of diving. The room features bedside tables, wardrobe and 26″ flat screen TV.
The cabin is fully air-conditioned and has its own private bathroom.
Double or Sole occupancy only.
Our Ocean View cabin is located on the top deck with internal stairwell access to the main deck, as well as external access to the top deck and dive deck.
As the name suggests, you will enjoy stunning views from this air conditioned 7.2m² cabin, which contains a double bed, private bathroom, a wardrobe and 26” flat screen TV.
Double or Sole Occupancy only.
The largest of all cabins onboard the vessel, The Stateroom cabin is located in a private area on the lower deck, close to the dive deck and dining saloon.
Fully air-conditioned, this spacious 12m² cabin contains a queen size bed, a private bathroom, extra shelving, wardrobe, bedside tables and 26″ flat screen TV.
Double or Sole Occupancy only: no twin share option available.
Spirit of Freedom has seven standard double or twin share cabins. Five of these cabins contain a double bed with a single bed over the top, bunk style. One cabin contains just a double bed and one cabin has two single beds.
These cabins are all located on the lower deck, with easy access to the main deck and have an average area of 10m² square metres in area.
Fully air-conditioned, the cabins have an ensuite bathroom and also contain a wardrobe, personal reading light and a bedside table.
Please advise your preference for double or twin share when placing your booking. Sole occupancy also available.
Located midships on the lower deck, the quad share cabin containing four single beds, bunk style and is a great options for groups or families as you explore the Great Barrier Reef on your epic dive adventure.
This 9m² cabin has easy access to the main deck and includes a private ensuite bathroom and personal reading lights for each bed.
The cabin is fully air-conditioned and also contains a wardrobe, as well as storage under the bottom two bunks.
Itinerary
The Spirit of Freedom courtesy bus will pick you up from your Cairns hotel around 11:00 am to transfer you to Trinity Wharf. There you will be greeted by the Spirit of Freedom crew, who will give you an orientation of the vessel before on you depart on your 3-night liveaboard dive trip at 12 noon.
Enjoy lunch on board while we cruise to the outer Great Barrier Reef for an afternoon check-out dive and a twilight dive.
After dinner we cruise north to dive the Ribbon Reefs.
These two days are spent diving along the Ribbon Reefs, from Number 3 to Number 10 Ribbon Reefs.
Dive sites and sequence may vary depending on the weather conditions, but will always include at least one dive at the Cod Hole, where you encounter a family of massive and very friendly Potato Cod. Other sites may include Wonder-wall, Pixie Pinnacle, Challenger Bay, Two Towers, Lighthouse Bommie, and the Snake Pit, just to name a few.
If the current is right, you may also take a drift dive at Dynamite Pass, well know as a channel for sharks to pass through. See the Ribbon Reef page for site selection of some of our dive sites on the Ribbon Reefs. 4 to 5 dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Friday. On Saturday evening we overnight at Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island, and enjoy a sunset BBQ dinner on the top deck.
This morning after breakfast you will disembark and say farewell to Spirit of Freedom.
On shore, at Lizard Island, you can take the guided walk from Watson’s Beach to Mary Watson’s cottage over Chinaman’s Ridge and back to the air-strip.
Following a picnic of a Breakfast Roll and drinks you will board a light aircraft for your flight back to Cairns. The one-hour flight arrives at Hinterland Aviation, Cairns General Aviation Airport around 11.15 to 11:45 am, where the Spirit of Freedom courtesy coach will meet you for your transfer back to your Cairns city hotel at the end of your liveaboard dive trip.
Trip Map
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
As our guest, you are free to enjoy your own diving style, within the boundaries of safe and responsible diving. As such we set no limits on time, depth or style of diving outside of normal safe diving practices. You and your buddy are in charge, planning your own dive and diving your own plan. Buddy teams may follow one of our inexperienced groups, led by a Safety Diver, and come and go as you please.
Every dive begins with a detailed dive briefing. The dive staff are on deck providing surface support including a safety lookout. When available, dive staff may be in-water offering support with photography and critter spotting. Spirit of Freedom does not offer a full guided dive service. Our Safety Divers are assigned to those divers who are at risk or to assist students.
Spirit of Freedom can accommodate a maximum of 24 guests during a liveaboard dive trip, and operates with a minimum of 12 crew members.
Yes, Travel Insurance is strongly recommended. You can get a free quote for liveaboard dive insurance here.
In the event the trip is cancelled due to inclement weather, deeming it unsafe to travel, the company does not offer refunds for cancellations for reasons beyond the company’s control (Force Majeure). Comprehensive Travel Insurance covering trip cancellation due to poor weather is strongly recommended in this case, particularly during the Australian summer months (November to May) when cyclones and high winds can affect our trips.
We strongly recommend travel insurance to cover you against any unforeseen eventuality, as our policies do not allow for refunds on cancellations within 60 days.
Also, should you experience any flight delays or cancellations, lost luggage, etc which may result in you missing the vessel departure, Travel Insurance should cover these issues.
We strongly recommend all passengers (divers and snorkellers) have evacuation and medical cover for scuba diving. Please be aware that scuba diving and in-water activities are not covered by all Travel Insurance Companies, and it is advisable to check with your insurance agent regarding your cover for scuba diving. It is important to note that in a medical emergency the costs involved for an evacuation, vessel relocation or medical expenses are the responsibility of that diver.
Spirit of Freedom provides divers with a mask, snorkel, boots, fins, tanks, weights, and weight belts. We also supply safety equipment including surface marker buoys, whistles, and Nautilus LifeLine Marine GPS. Cyalume sticks and torches will also be provided for night diving.
For more detail on what equipment is available aboard Spirit of Freedom, visit our equipment rental page.
Diving the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea is great year-round! During Cairns’ winter (May to August) the water is a little cooler and offers great visibility and beautiful clear days, but sometimes can bring stronger winds. During this season it’s a great opportunity to swim with minke whales.
From September through December the water warms up a little, and generally, conditions are clear with light winds. Many coral reef species breed at this time.
January through April is considered our wetter season, with amazing feeding and marine action following the breeding season. Refer to our Great Barrier Reed Diving Seasons and Weather page for more information on when is the best time to do a liveaboard dive trip.
Booking direct with Spirit of Freedom means you should always pay the lowest price on our trips. If you find any Spirit of Freedom trip advertised under the same terms and conditions (brand, date, number of people, availability, inclusions) and at a lower price online, we’ll credit you the difference between the price paid and the lower price found. All special offers and promotional campaigns are marked as such. Simply email us with details. See terms for full details.
Yes, guests need to be a minimum of 16 years of age at the time of departure.
Testimonials
Don’t just take our word for it, here are just some recent reviews for this trip.
What an experience! Thank you Spirit of Freedom team, including Scottie, Jared, James, Anne, Gio and all for an incredible trip.
The food was great, accommodation and arrangements organised like clockwork and dive sites were phenomenal.
So good to see that Australia still has such a diverse and alive Great Barrier Reef. And the whale shark coming up to the boat to play was just magical to top it all off!!
7 Night Far East Expedition
5 Dec 2024 - 12 Dec 2024
Travel over 600km east of Cairns to explore the rarely visited Lihou Reefs. With the opportunity for up to 25 dives including one incredible night dive.
Book now to secure your spot on this unique exploration of one of the reef's last frontiers!