Regions / Oceania / Australia / Spirit of Freedom

Spirit of Freedom

$3445 USD / $4770 AUD / 7 nights Coral Sea Expedition

Built: 1992

Construction: Steel hull, aluminum superstructure

Length: 37 meters / 122 feet

Beam: 71 meters / 24 feet

Draft: 2.2 meters / 7.26 feet

Cruise: 11 knots

Divers: 26

Fresh Water: 20,000 liters

Engine: 2 x Yanmar 500 HP

Generators: 2 x Cummings 90 kVA

Nitrox $

WIFI Available

The Spirit of Freedom is one of Australia’s most comfortable and well-appointed liveaboard dive vessels. At 37-metres in length, with three decks of living space, generous cabins with private bathroom, the Spirit of Freedom offers all the amenities of a hotel, complimented by first class meals and outstanding service. A large dive deck with nitrox and photo facilities, houses every convenience to ensure comfort, safety and freedom in your diving. The ship features 11 guest cabins, all with ensuite bathrooms. There are different cabin styles to best suit your requirements. All cabins are air-conditioned and are cleaned each day. All cabins contain a wardrobe and under-bed storage, while some may have additional shelving. Dive bags can be stowed in a storage area in aft lazarette. Additional luggage can be stored while you are on tour at the Spirit of Freedom’s main office.

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 roomy and has a double bed, bed side tables, writing desk, wardrobe, and 26" flat screen TV & DVD player.

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 has a double bed, a wardrobe, and 26” flat screen TV & DVD player.

he stateroom is located in a private area on the lower deck, close to the dive deck and dining saloon. It is a spacious cabin and has a queen size bed, extra shelving, wardrobe, bed side tables and 26" flat screen TV & DVD player.

There are six 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. These cabins are located on the lower deck, with easy access to the main deck. They have a wardrobe and bed side table.

There are two quad share cabins, each containing four single beds, bunk style. These cabins are located mid ships on the lower deck, with easy access to the main deck. They each have a wardrobe.

Spirit of Freedom liveaboard charters depart from Cairns in the tropical north of Australia and offer 3, 4 and 7-night dive expeditions. The Spirit of Freedom offers the best in liveaboard cruises to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and remote Coral Sea reefs. Tours of 3, 4 and 7-day duration depart from Cairns to iconic dive sites such as the Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs and North Horn, Osprey Reef. Shark dives, Potato Cod feeding, sheer walls laced with massive soft corals, manta-rays, minke whales, and abundant healthy tropical reefs, rich with marine biodiversity are just some of the high-lights.

The Spirit of Freedom offers nitrox but does not support technical diving or rebreathers.

Text and photographs courtesy of the Spirit of Freedom.

Dive Conditions

Australia offers some of the best diving in the world, famous primarily for the amazing Great Barrier Reef in Queensland. This is the biggest reef on Earth and stretches over 2000km. It is home to a whole array of amazing biodiversity and here you can spot various species of sharks, sea turtles, giant groupers, whales and dolphins. As the Great Barrier Reef is so huge, there are endless places to discover. The most popular is the beautiful city of Cairns where most of the liveaboard trips to the Great Barrier Reef start.

Ningaloo Reef fringes Western Australia's coast from Shark Bay north to the Cape Range peninsula. Diving activities center around Exmouth (1300 km from Perth) and Coral Bay (100 km south of Exmouth). Both towns provide a range of accommodation from 2 or 3-star motels, caravan parks, campsites, and backpacker accommodation.

The ‘wet’ season is self-explanatory. This is the time of year Cairns receives most of its annual rainfall and has quite high day time temperatures and humidity. For visitors, the ‘wet’ season (December – May) is generally considered the low season (which means there are more likely to be some great diving specials available!).

The ‘dry’ season (June – November) has lower day time temperatures, humidity and generally, much less rainfall: this is the high season, so there are more visitors and less availability on the dive boats (best to book ahead at this time of year!).

Great Barrier Reef water temperature varies throughout the year, from a comfortable 29 degrees in summer (December – February) to 22 degrees in winter (June – August). While wind and visibility fluctuate daily, pending season and prevailing weather conditions, the marine life on the Great Barrier Reef does not, offering memorable diving all year round.

One of the best dives in Australia, indeed in the world, is the wreck of the Yongala in Queensland. She is full of life, from sea snakes to potato cod. If you see a sea snake keep calm and don't touch it. Australia has five marine World Heritage Sites, more than any other country. The first to be inscribed by UNESCO was the Great Barrier Reef and the latest is Ningaloo Coast.

The Yongala is a shipwreck in Queensland. She sank during a cyclone in 1911 killing 122 people, a racehorse called Moonshine and a red Lincolnshire bull. She had no telegraph facilities and so could not be warned of the weather ahead. In 1981 the Yongala was given official protection under the Historic Shipwrecks Act. The ship is 90 km southeast of Townsville, 10 km away from Cape Bowling Green. She is arguably the best dive in the world. The ship 109 meters long, the bow points north and the ship lists to starboard.

The vessel was named after a small town in South Australia. In the local Aboriginal language, 'Yongala' (originally pronounced Yonggluh) meant 'broad water', or 'broad wide watering place.' It was launched on the 29 April 1903, and left Southampton on 9th October. Carrying passengers bound for Australia, it arrived in Sydney on 6 December 1903. The ship is full of marine life and divers see manta rays, sea snakes, octopuses, turtles, bull sharks, tiger sharks, clouds of fish and spectacular coral. Divers are forbidden from entering the ship: divers have been arrested and fined for doing so.