Saturday

Woolgoolga

We first met John & Steph on a liveaboard in the Galapagos a few years ago and discovered that they lived in the same tiny village in Oxfordshire as Andy’s parents! Last year they sold up, emigrated to Australia, and are now building a house in Corindi Beach north of Coffs Harbour, NSW.

John & Steph on their plot in Corindi Beach overlooking the ocean.

While their house is being built, they have rented a lovely beach house in Woolgoolga, so we stopped in for a good natter and to go diving together again. Their local dive shop took us out to the Solitary Islands marine reserve and since the seas were good we managed to get up to North Solitary Island.

The water temp was about 24C and we swam into a series of sinkholes with nudibranchs on the walls. When the schools of baitfish dispersed, a sleeping wobblegong was inside.

Our 2nd dive in Bubble Cave was also fantastic, and although only at about 6 metres, the sandy cave included a sleeping turtle and several Lionfish stalking the baitfish.