Dive the Great Barrier Reef, Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea
For experienced divers, few adventures compare to spending seven days exploring the remote reaches of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. The Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition is more than a liveaboard holiday, it’s an opportunity to experience some of the world’s most celebrated dive sites, from the famous Cod Hole and the pristine Ribbon Reefs to the dramatic walls of Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.
An Expedition Designed for Passionate Divers
Designed for certified divers seeking exceptional underwater adventures, this expedition combines spectacular diving with the comfort of one of Australia’s premier liveaboard vessels. Over seven unforgettable days, you’ll explore vibrant coral gardens, drift along towering reef walls, encounter giant potato cod, reef sharks, turtles and colourful tropical marine life, while enjoying the convenience of living aboard a purpose-built dive vessel.
Discover World-Class Dive Sites
Each expedition is carefully planned by the experienced captain and crew, with the itinerary adapted to weather and sea conditions to ensure guests enjoy the best possible diving throughout the journey. Whether you’re photographing sharks at North Horn, watching giant potato cod glide effortlessly through the clear waters of Cod Hole, or drifting over untouched coral gardens at the Ribbon Reefs, every day brings a new underwater adventure.
Experience the Beauty of the Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is unlike anywhere else on the Great Barrier Reef. Its deep blue waters, dramatic drop-offs and remote reef systems create an environment that attracts larger pelagic species and offers an entirely different style of diving. Combined with the extraordinary biodiversity of the Ribbon Reefs, this expedition showcases two of Australia’s most iconic marine environments in one remarkable journey.
Relax Between Incredible Dives
Life aboard Spirit of Freedom is designed to maximise your time in the water while providing a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere between dives. Spacious accommodation, freshly prepared meals, professional dive briefings and a passionate crew allow you to focus on what you’ve come to experience, some of the finest diving Australia has to offer.
A Bucket List Diving Adventure
Whether this expedition has been on your bucket list for years or you’re searching for the ultimate Great Barrier Reef liveaboard adventure, the Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition offers an unforgettable opportunity to explore world-renowned dive sites that many divers only dream of visiting.
Why Trust the Hot Getaways Guide?
At Hot Getaways, we’ve researched this expedition carefully to help you understand exactly what makes it so highly regarded by divers from around the world. Our goal is to provide honest, detailed information so you can decide whether this is the right expedition for your next diving adventure.
Our goal is simple:
We earn trust before we earn bookings.
We hope this guide answers your questions, inspires your next adventure and helps you decide whether the Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition is the right experience for you.
At a Glance
| Tour Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration | 7 Days / 7 Nights |
| Departure | Cairns, Queensland |
| Destination | Great Barrier Reef, Ribbon Reefs & Coral Sea |
| Experience Level | Certified divers |
| Accommodation | Air-conditioned cabins with private or shared facilities (depending on cabin selected) |
| Diving | Up to 26 dives, including night dives (conditions permitting) |
| Highlights | Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs, Osprey Reef, North Horn, Coral Sea |
| Meals | Freshly prepared meals included onboard |
| Best For | Divers seeking a premium liveaboard expedition to Australia’s most iconic dive sites |
Why Divers Choose This Expedition
Some dive holidays are about ticking destinations off a list.
The Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition is different.
This is an expedition designed for divers who want to experience some of Australia’s most celebrated underwater environments in a single journey. From the giant potato cod of Cod Hole to the dramatic walls of Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea, every dive has the potential to become a highlight of your diving life.
If you’re looking for a relaxing cruise, this may not be the right trip.
If you’re dreaming of multiple dives each day, incredible marine life and exploring reefs that many divers spend years hoping to visit, you’re in exactly the right place.
Why You’ll Love the Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition
The Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition combines three extraordinary diving experiences into one unforgettable journey. From the colourful coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef’s Ribbon Reefs to the world-famous Cod Hole and the dramatic walls of the Coral Sea, every day offers something new to discover.
Whether you’re hoping to photograph giant potato cod, drift beside spectacular reef walls, encounter sharks in the Coral Sea or simply spend a week immersed in Australia’s underwater world, this expedition has earned its reputation as one of the country’s premier liveaboard dive adventures.
Dive Some of Australia’s Most Famous Dive Sites
Explore internationally recognised locations including the Ribbon Reefs, Cod Hole, Osprey Reef and North Horn. These legendary dive sites attract experienced divers from around the world thanks to their exceptional visibility, healthy coral reefs and remarkable marine life.
Experience the Best of Two Marine Worlds
Few dive expeditions combine the colourful biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef with the dramatic deep-water environments of the Coral Sea. This unique itinerary allows you to experience both during a single seven-day adventure.
Meet the Famous Giant Potato Cod
One of the expedition’s most unforgettable highlights is diving at the legendary Cod Hole. Here, giant potato cod have become accustomed to divers over many years, creating one of Australia’s most iconic underwater encounters.
Explore Remote Coral Sea Reefs
The Coral Sea is renowned for its crystal-clear water, dramatic walls and exciting pelagic marine life. Weather permitting, you’ll dive remote reefs that are far beyond the reach of most day trips.
Enjoy Up to 26 Incredible Dives
With multiple dives scheduled throughout the expedition, you’ll spend more time underwater exploring some of Australia’s finest reefs than almost any other holiday can offer.
Relax Between Dives in Comfort
Spirit of Freedom is purpose-built for extended dive expeditions, offering comfortable cabins, spacious relaxation areas, freshly prepared meals and an experienced crew dedicated to making your journey enjoyable from beginning to end.
Share the Adventure with Fellow Divers
One of the unexpected pleasures of a liveaboard expedition is the friendships formed along the way. Guests often arrive as strangers but leave having shared a remarkable adventure with divers who share the same passion for exploring the underwater world.
Is This Expedition Right for You?
The Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition is designed for divers who want to experience some of Australia’s most celebrated underwater environments. It’s an ideal choice if you’re looking for an immersive dive holiday where the focus is on spending as much time as possible exploring world-class reefs.
This expedition is perfect for:
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- Certified divers looking for a premium liveaboard experience.
- Divers wanting to explore both the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.
- Underwater photographers seeking exceptional marine life encounters.
- Divers with the time to enjoy a full week at sea.
- Adventure travellers searching for a true bucket-list experience.
- Repeat visitors to Cairns wanting to explore beyond the reefs visited by most day trips.
- International visitors looking to experience Australia’s most iconic dive locations.
You may prefer another option if:
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- You’re learning to dive for the first time.
- You’re travelling with non-divers who won’t be participating in the dive program.
- You only have a day or two available in Cairns.
- You’re looking for a relaxed sightseeing cruise rather than an active dive expedition.
🌿 Nature Note
Did you know giant potato cod can live for decades and grow to well over a metre in length? Despite their impressive size, they are naturally curious fish and have become one of the Great Barrier Reef’s most iconic marine encounters at Cod Hole.
📷 Photography Tip
Wide-angle lenses are ideal for photographing giant potato cod and reef walls, while a macro lens reveals the tiny details of nudibranchs, shrimps and colourful reef fish. Don’t forget to pause and enjoy the moment too—sometimes the best memory isn’t the one you photograph.
If This Expedition Has Been On Your Bucket List…
There are some journeys you remember because of the hotel.
Others because of the destination.
The Spirit of Freedom 7-Day Dive Expedition is remembered because of the moments.
The first time a giant potato cod swims towards you.
The silence of descending along a Coral Sea wall.
The excitement of a night dive beneath a sky filled with stars.
The friendships formed with people who share your passion for diving.
And the quiet satisfaction of knowing you’ve experienced some of Australia’s most extraordinary underwater landscapes.
Long after the final dive and the journey back to Cairns, those memories are the ones that stay with you.
Highlights
Tour Highlights
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- Seven-day premium liveaboard expedition departing from Cairns.
- Dive the spectacular Ribbon Reefs on the Great Barrier Reef.
- Experience the world-famous Cod Hole and its giant potato cod.
- Explore the remote Coral Sea, including Osprey Reef when conditions allow.
- Dive North Horn, one of Australia’s most celebrated shark dive locations.
- Enjoy up to 26 dives, including exciting night dives where conditions permit.
- Discover colourful coral gardens, dramatic walls and fascinating swim-throughs.
- Encounter reef sharks, turtles, giant trevally, barracuda, schools of tropical fish and countless other marine species.
- Travel aboard one of Australia’s most respected liveaboard dive vessels.
- Relax in comfortable air-conditioned accommodation between dives.
- Enjoy freshly prepared meals, snacks and refreshments throughout your expedition.
- Learn from experienced dive professionals with extensive local knowledge.
- Experience breathtaking sunrises and sunsets on the Coral Sea.
- Capture incredible underwater photography opportunities at every stage of the journey.
- Create memories that will stay with you long after you’ve surfaced from your final dive.
Itinerary
Thursday
Pick you up from your Cairns hotel around 11:00 am to transfer you to Trinity Wharf.
You will be greeted by the Spirit of Freedom crew, who will give you an orientation of the vessel before a 12noon departure. Enjoy lunch on board while we cruise to the outer Great Barrier Reef for an afternoon check-out dive and a twilight or even night dive. So once we have dinner it’s time to bunker down while we travel north to the Ribbon Reefs.
Friday and Saturday
These two days are spent diving at the most northern Ribbon Reefs, Number 9 & 10 Ribbon Reefs. With this in mind, dive sites and sequences may vary depending on the weather conditions.
You will certainly get a dive at the Cod Hole, where you can look forward to an encounter with a family of massive and very friendly Potato Cod. But other sites we visit may include Wonder-wall, Pixie Pinnacle, Challenger Bay, Two Towers, Lighthouse Bommie, and the Snake Pit, to name a few.
If the current is right, you can also take a drift dive at Dynamite Pass. This dive site is certainly well known as a channel for sharks to pass through. You will have 4-5 dives available each day, including a night dive on Friday.
On Saturday evening, we anchor at Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island, and enjoy a sunset BBQ dinner on the top deck.
Sunday
After breakfast, you will have the opportunity to go ashore at Lizard Island. A good chance to stretch your legs on land at this halfway point! Take part in the guided walk from Watson’s Beach to Mary Watson’s cottage over Chinaman’s Ridge and up to the lookout over the bay.
Around 11.00 am, we will cruise back to Ribbon Reef Number 10 for two dives at a choice of sites, including the Snake Pit, Cod Hole, Challenger Bay, Lighthouse Bommie, Pixie Wall, and Pixie Pinnacle. If the tide permits, we may repeat a dive at the Cod Hole or visit new sites. We depart in the evening for a 10-hour crossing to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea.
Monday and Tuesday
Two days will be spent diving Osprey Reef (weather permitting). Australia’s Coral Sea reefs are well known for crystal clear water with visibility ranging from 30 to 100 metres. The landscape is fantastic, with sheer walls laced with gorgonians, sea whips, as well as bright yellow soft corals rising from the ocean floor thousands of feet below.
‘North Horn’ is a dive site at the tip of Osprey where grey reef sharks, Silvertips, and the occasional oceanic congregate. Experience a close encounter with the Spirit of Freedom shark attraction dive. 4 to 5 dives will be available each day, including a night dive on Monday.
On Tuesday night, we will depart Osprey Reef for overnight travel to back to the Ribbon Reefs.
Wednesday
At Ribbon Reefs Number 3 we will dive such sites as the sensational Steve’s Bommie, Temple of Doom, and Flare Point. Then again, if we are lucky to have great weather conditions, we will head south from Osprey to Bougainville Reef. This stunning Reef has unusual underwater landscapes and caverns, as well as a partially submerged wreck. On Wednesday evening, we will cruise overnight back to Cairns.
Thursday
Just as the sun rises, we arrive back in Cairns around 6:30 am. Before our trip is complete, it’s time for a quick light breakfast on board. As well as a quick group photo with your new friends! But now it’s time to say goodbye, as we travel back to our Cairns hotels around 8:00 am.
This Itinerary is a sample only and sites may vary or change. Access to Cod Hole and the Coral Sea is tide and weather conditional.
Included
what is included?
- 7 days 7 nights liveaboard accommodation onboard ‘Spirit of Freedom’.
- Up to 26 scuba dives including Night Dives
- Time ashore at the beautiful Lizard Island
- Bus transfers to and from Cairns City accommodation
- GST and all reef levies and fees
- Wonderful chef-prepared meals daily
- Complimentary wine and soft drinks with evening meals
- Air-conditioned, en-suite cabins with daily service
- Tanks and Weights
- Snorkelling Equipment
Optional Extras
what is not included?
- Full Equipment Hire
- Regulator and Dive computer
- Dive computer only
- Buoyancy Control Device
- Torch and Cyalume sticks
- Wetsuits 3mm and 5mm full Length
- PADI Advanced Course
- PADI Nitrox Course
- 7 Day Nitrox Fills Package
- Onboard purchases (drinks and souvenirs)
What to bring
And what will I need to bring?
- Personal luggage, clothes, toiletries etc
- Excess baggage secure storage available upon request
- Personal Dive Equipment – Also available for hire upon booking if required.
- (Snorkel-only passengers snorkel equipment provided free of charge)
- Certification card or divers logbook
- Dive Insurance
- Cash or credit card for onboard purchases
How to get there
But how will I get there?
Hotel pickups are included from Cairns and Northern Beaches accommodation.
Important Information
Safety Comes First!
- Advanced Diver Certification with a minimum of 20 ocean dives including five dives in the last 12 months.
- Less experience may result in limited diving due to environmental conditions and remote isolation of dive sites.
- We recommend a Scuba diver Refresher course before your trip.
- Because we do not provide a full guided diving service, buddy teams are responsible for arranging and performing their own dives.
- Diver Health. If you have a medical condition or are currently taking prescription medication, you will need a Dive Medical clearance under the Australian standard AS. 4005.1. Before being allowed to Scuba Dive.
- Please inform of any specific dietary or other requirements upon booking
- Scuba diving is only available to Certified Divers with Open Water level qualification or higher.
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