A Guide to Diving the Gold Coast – Part 2: Cook Island, Nine Mile Reef & Beyond

In the second of this two-part guide, Nigel Marsh is diving the Gold Coast’s far-flung dive sites, this time focusing his attention on the southern portion of this divers’ paradise

Read part one of this guide.

Diving the Southern Gold Coast – From Tweed Heads to Cook Island

Tweed Heads is located at the southern end of the Gold Coast and sits right on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The town is a lovely holiday destination, much more low-key than the Gold Coast, and for the diver, it presents endless opportunities for underwater exploration.

Located off Tweed Head are numerous rocky reefs covered in corals and home to a fascinating variety of subtropical species. While most dive sites are only accessible by boat, with several charter boats operating in the area, this coastline also has a wonderful shore diving site in the Tweed River. However, the area’s most-famous dive site is a small rocky outcrop called Cook Island.

Every dive destination needs a dive site that can be visited no matter what the prevailing conditions are like, and this site off Tweed Heads is Cook Island. Many of these all-weather sites are a little average and generally avoided if conditions allow you to go anywhere else.

Cook Island Marine Sanctuary – A Diver’s Paradise

However, Cook Island is brilliant at any time of the year and never disappoints. Cook Island is the most-popular dive site in this area, and for good reason. The rocky reefs around the island are protected as a marine sanctuary as they abound with a diverse array of subtropical marine life.

There are around a dozen dive sites around the island, in depths from 6m to 22m, with one of the best all-weather sites being the Northern Ledge. This site has it all; in the shallows are boulders covered in hard and soft corals, these tumble down to a sandy plain and beyond this are numerous rocky outcrops that are always packed with life.

Most divers only explore the boulder wall, and it is easy to see why, as they will see prolific reef fish, numerous pelagic fish, wobbegongs, nudibranchs, sea stars and many sea anemones that are home to anemonefish and porcelain crabs. But a close look between the boulders will reveal lionfish, scorpionfish, leopard blennies, moray eels, octopus, cuttlefish and even Australian pineapplefish. Turtles are a special feature at Cook Island, with dozens often seen on a dive. Many hang out on the top of wall and get cleaned by surgeonfish, but they also use the boulders to tuck under for a sleep and to rub their bellies.

The sandy plain at the base of this wall is always worth a look, as many stingrays, flatheads, grubfish, goatfish and other sand-dwelling fish are found here. Over the warmer months, leopard sharks and whitespotted wedgefish gather here, and can be lined up in rows, almost like they are waiting for you to take their picture. If you have time, heading across the sand to the many rocky outcrops in depths from 15m to 18m can be very rewarding. Between these outcrops can be found stingrays, wobbegongs, turtles and the occasional blue groper, but it is the critters that gather in this area that make it special. Nudibranchs, sea stars, velvetfish, lionfish, dragonets, gobies, pipefish and if you are lucky maybe a ghostpipefish or frogfish.

At other sites around Cook Island there are ledges, caves and walls to explore that are just as packed with colourful corals and great range of marine life. Cook Island is the kind of place where you are likely to see anything. Grey nurse sharks visit here in winter; divers also see eagle rays, manta rays, groper and thick schools of pelagic fish.

Humpback whales are known to cruise around the island on their winter migration, and while underwater encounters are rare, you are likely to hear them singing their haunting melodies. There are dozens of other great dive sites in the Tweed Heads area, both north and south of the border.

Exploring Tweed River – Diving The Gold Coast’s Best Shore Dive

Another popular spot is the Tweed River, which can be explored from the shore. Each weekend dozens of divers can be seen entering the water, on the high tide, to explore the rocky reef here in depths to 12m. The marine life found in the river can be very surprising, especially the variety and abundance of reef fishes, including leatherjackets, butterflyfish, goatfish, surgeonfish, snapper, scorpionfish, angelfish, damsels, morwongs, wrasse and moray eels. Divers have also had dolphins swim past them while exploring the river, as a large population reside in the area. The Tweed River is also a great place to see frogfish and other muck critters like shrimp gobies, oyster gobies, blennies, nudibranchs, octopus, shrimps, crabs and ghostpipefish.

South of Tweed Heads is an extensive rocky reef known as Fido’s Reef. This reef varies in depth from 10m to 22m and the rugged rocky terrain here is a joy to swim around. This reef is covered in corals and sponges, and home to a diverse range of species; including turtles, wobbegongs, groper and leopard sharks over summer. This reef was named after the screw steamer Fido that smashed into the reef in 1907 and became a complete loss. Parts of the wreck can still be keen scattered across the reef.

Gold Coast Dive Adventures

Gold Coast Dive Adventures run regular trips out to Cook Islands throughout the year. They also run regular trips out to Nine Mile Reef however this is for more advanced divers only and trips to this reef are mainly conducted in the winter months. Both Cook Island and Nine Mile Reef are about a 45-minute boat ride away. goldcoastdiveadventures.com.au

Nine Mile Reef – Queensland’s Legendary Shark Site

Other wonderful reefs in the area include Five Mile Reef, Kingscliff Reef and Kirra Reef. But one of the best dive sites in this area is located way off the coast, nine miles to be precise, and is simply called Nine Mile Reef. Trips to Nine Mile Reef are regularly planned and regularly cancelled, as this is a site for experienced divers only and reasonably calm conditions are needed. However, even with calm conditions you may not get to dive as the reef often has strong currents, sometimes ripping by at three knots!

Nine Mile Reef varies in depth from 12m to 30m and the site is dominated by a large ridge of rock, but also has ledges, gutters and bommies to explore. The corals at Nine Mile Reef are lovely; black coral trees, gorgonians, soft corals, hard corals, sponges and ascidians. The reef also has a good population of reef fish and invertebrates, but divers don’t come to Nine Mile Reef to look at coral and small stuff, as this is a legendary shark site.

When first dived in the 1960s divers use to see bronze whales and mako sharks quite regularly, especially if they were spearfishing. Today there are still sharks at the site, including the odd bronzie, but divers are more likely to encounter wobbegongs, grey nurse sharks and leopard sharks. The grey nurse shark are seen over winter and hang out in a gutter known as the ‘shark pit.’ The number of sharks seen can vary from a few to several dozens, however a few years ago we did a wonderful dive at Nine Mile Reef and counted over 100 grey nurse sharks!

Leopard sharks invade the reef over summer and are seen resting on the bottom by day. These lovely sharks feed at night, so are very docile and sleepy by day, and easy to approach for photos. Also seen at Nine Mile Reef are stingrays, wedgefish, eagle rays, schools of cownose rays, three species of wobbegongs, bamboo sharks, turtles, schools of pelagic fish and giant Queensland groper. On its day, if you can get out there, Nine Mile Reef is one of the best dives in Australia.

Diving Conditions, Visibility, and When to Go

Visibility on the reefs off Tweed Heads is generally around 12 metres, with clearer water always found at Nine Mile Reef. The Tweed River can be surprisingly clear at times, but eight metre visibility is around average on the high tide. The visibility is always best after a week or so of southerly winds, and you can dive Tweed Heads at any time of the year.

Accommodation and Dive Charters

Broadwater Tourist Park is located on the picturesque and sheltered shores of the Gold Coast Broadwater and offers powered camping sites and cabins. All cabins are air-conditioned and are clean comfortable and well-appointed with a full kitchen and outdoor BBQ facilities. The Tourist Park is a great place to be based for its proximity to Gold Coast Dive Adventures and for the surrounding attractions. goldcoasttouristparks.com.au/parks/broadwater

Frequently Asked Questions