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Spirit of Freedom

All Levels

Year Round

Sharks

Great Barrier Reef

UD Rating – 4 Star

Spirit of Freedom

The best way to reach the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef

Enjoy some of the best diving the Great Barrier Reef has to offer on this luxury liveaboard. Roughly the size of Italy, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the best known and most complex natural systems on Earth.

  • 3/4/7 night trips available
  • Ribbon Reefs/Coral Sea/Cod Hole
  • Nitrox available on board
  • 3-4 dives per day
  • Choice of cabins to suit budget
  • Itinerary to suit all levels

The Spirit of Freedom was custom built for long range cruising and is one of Australia’s largest Liveaboards that offers various itineraries to Northern Australia and the remote coral sea reefs. The boat provides space, comfort, and stability for cruising the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef. She’s 37m (124ft) in length, with a steel hull and electronic stabilisers, providing the most comfortable ride possible in the conditions. The dining saloon in the centre of the vessel serves as an eating area, briefing area, theatre room and general meeting place for all guests. The lounge is a great place for chilling and relaxing as it has comfortable couches and beanbags along with coffee and tea machines, library, flat screens TV & DVD and a camera work station for photographers. The top deck has open and undercover areas containing tables, chairs, comfortable lounge seating and sun lounges where you can relax, snooze and sunbathe. The bar contains a good range of Australian and New Zealand wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks all at reasonable prices. The chefs deliver 3 meals each day including a continental and cooked breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks between dives.

The dive deck contains individual stations for 24 guests with dry storage above and a storage box under every two divers. Air and Nitrox whips allow tanks to remain in their rack whilst supplying air and Nitrox at 32%. There is a camera wash tub, camera table and air gun for photographers as well as fresh water showers and deck towels which are provided after each dive. All diving activities are overseen by the trip director who is supported by 3 other instructors and a divemaster, who make up the dive team on board the Spirit of Freedom.

Standard Twin/Double

Spirit of Freedom has 6 standard double or twin share cabins. Five of these cabins contain a double bed with a single bed over the top, bunk style, however one cabin contains just a double bed, so be sure to advise your preference for double or twin share when placing your booking. These cabins are located on the lower deck, with easy access to the main deck. They contain a wardrobe and bed side table.

  • Double bed (most with additional single bed)
  • Private ensuite bathroom
  • Air conditioning

Quad

Spirit of Freedom has 2 quad share cabins, each containing four single beds, bunk style as well as a wardrobe. These cabins are located mid ship on the lower deck, with easy access to the main deck.

  • Four single beds bunk style
  • Private ensuite bathroom
  • Air conditioning

Ocean View Stateroom

The Ocean View Standard 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. It contains a double bed and a wardrobe. Double Occupancy only.

  • Double bed
  • Private ensuite bathroom
  • Air conditioning
  • 26" flat screen TV

Ocean View Deluxe

The Ocean View Deluxe 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. It is spacious and contains a double bed, bed side tables, writing desk and wardrobe. Double Occupancy only.

  • Double bed
  • Private ensuite bathroom
  • Air conditioning
  • 26" flat screen TV

Route Options

Encounter a fantastic variety of fish, colourful corals and sharks on this awesome Australian trip!

Over the 3 days of this trip you will have the opportunity for up to 11 dives and will 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. 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, 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 known as a channel for sharks to pass through.

Sample itinerary

Day One:
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 you cruise to the outer Great Barrier Reef for an afternoon check-out dive and a twilight dive.

Day Two & Three:
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 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 the boat will moor overnight at Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island, where you can enjoy a sunset BBQ dinner on the top deck.

Day Four:
This morning after breakfast you will disembark and say farewell to Spirit of Freedom.

Spirit Of Freedom
Dive deck
Dinning Area
Reef aerial image
Boat stern
Spirit of Freedom stern
Top deck
Boat
Vessel and reef aerial image
Reef and vessel
Reef and vessel
deckplan
profile
bridgeandmain
Lounge
Dining
Dive Deck

Gallery

Vessel Details

Year Built / Refurbished 1992
Guest Numbers 24
Length & Width 37 meters long and 7.1 meter beam
Engines 2 x Yanmar 500hp 368 kw diesel
Generators 2 x Cummings 6BTs, 90KVA each
Number of Cabins 11 cabins
Communication & Navigation Systems JRC 72 mile radar/ Transas plotter/ Satellite phone & email/ Icom HF radio/ Icom VHF radio, Sea wave satellite communications and Tsunami GPS system
Salon & Dining Area Air conditioned Salon and Dining area
Entertainment Wide screen TV, projector unit and DVD movie library
Emergency Equipment Oxygen system /Medic First Aid Kit
Air Compressors 2 x CFM Bauer air compressors
NITROX Available on board, DNA Nitrox membrane system
Equipment Rental Scuba diving equipment rentals available on board
Dive Deck Dive deck equipped with diving gear
Tenders 2 x 4.8m Naiad Tender boats
Full Set of Equipment USD140 (3 Days)
Full Set of Equipment USD185 (4 Day)
Full Set of Equipment USD270 (7 Day)

Available Experiences

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

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The Sydney Tower Eye

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Daintree Rainforest

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ITINERARIES AVAILABLE IN THIS DESTINATION

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What Our Customers Have To Say

Reviews from our Clients, Journalists, Photo Pro's and our own Experts

Our reviews and blogs are an additional guide to evaluate of the holiday is exactley what you are looking for or not. Some love an Eco-Resort, some love air-con and a flat screen TV, we aim to ensure you get what you are looking for, at great value for money.

Clam Gardens

Queensland, Australia

This dive site is located on Ribbon number five and it offers guests the opportunity to see giant clams in abundance.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Flare Point

Queensland, Australia

The Flare Point has beautiful pristine coral gardens where cattle fish are regularly seen.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Lighthouse Bommie

Queensland, Australia

The Lighthouse Bommie is a pinnacle rising from the sand at 30 metres. In the months, of June to August you can enjoy whale sightings and longer encounters than elsewhere in the world. This site is also famous for its olive green sea snakes, turtles, schools of bream and large colonies of anemones.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 16m

Challenger Bay

Queensland, Australia

The Challenger Bay is the home of barracudas and many moray eels and clever lionfish, who, are very active at night and have learnt how to use the light of your torch to find their supper.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Pixie Wall

Queensland, Australia

The pixie wall has huge coral formations and neat canyons and caves. This site offers many huge giant clams in a variety of colours, big table coral and schools of goatfish. Other marine life included more batfish, the usual butterflies, angels, clownfish, spotted wrasse in the coral, and lots of triggerfish swimming in pairs.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Osprey Reef

Queensland, Australia

Osprey reef in the Coral Sea is one of the most spectacular dive sites in the world located nearly 350 km away from Cairns. The reef is roughly an oval shape and consists of a lagoon area at around 30 metres but within 1km the reef drops to 1000m making it ideal for huge amounts of pelagic action including Australia's famous shark feed dive at North Horn.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 30m

Bougainville Reef

Queensland, Australia

This dive site is located on Ribbon number five and it offers guests the opportunity to see giant clams in abundance. Huge gorgonians and large soft coral species are to be seen here and lots of sharks. Bougainville Reef is very different; it evolved from a volcano that rises up from several thousand metres almost to the surface. It offers some fantastic labyrinths with caves, tunnels, canyons, overhangs and some spectacular drop offs. Bougainville Reef is much smaller, than Holmes reef.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Pixie pinnacle

Queensland, Australia

Pixie Pinnacle is a coral bommie on the Southern end of Ribbon Reef No. 10 and boasts a spectacular species of pelagic fish, sheer wall diving with many corals and is great for night diving. 32 metres

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 32m

Cod Hole

Queensland, Australia

The Cod Hole is famous for its huge potato cods; they grow up to 3 meters. Here you can enjoy watching your dive master feeding the cods with fresh pilchards in front of your face! If feeding fish is not your favourite activity watch the whole spectacle from some distance. Here divers can also see how some big fish like barracudas are standing by in the back to wait for left over of the feeding. There are also beautiful coral and large schools of the beautiful yellow sweet lip fish.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 17m
Dates Duration Route Room Type Price
9 Jan 2025
12 Jan 2025
 3 Nights 3 Night Cod Hole & Ribbon Reef Quad £0