Cowra Guardian

A beginner's guide to exploring Australia's iconic reefs and oceans

A beginner's guide to exploring Australia's iconic reefs and oceans
A beginner's guide to exploring Australia's iconic reefs and oceans

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Being a nation that's garnered a global reputation for its stunning coastline, ocean exploration is a quintessential summer activity here in Australia.

Whether you head to the coast for a surf, a snorkel, sandcastle construction, or just to get some summer sun, it's well worth taking in your wider surroundings and exploring all that the rich Aussie coastline has to offer.

If you're a first-time ocean adventurer, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed about knowing just how to get started in your explorations of the great, big blue Pacific.

We'll be exploring some of the most popular adventurous seaside activities below so that you'll know just what you'll need to do to make your next coastal getaway a truly memorable one.

Get acquainted with your snorkelling gear

Whilst there are many ways that you can go about your own ocean explorations, getting up close and personal with reefs is best achieved through donning some snorkelling gear.

Sturdy flippers and a full-face snorkel mask are your main investment here, alongside maybe waterproof casing for your phone or action camera.

Feeling comfortable in your snorkel and flippers is vital to ensuring that your snorkelling expeditions stay enjoyable and most importantly, that you stay present throughout your snorkelling experiences rather than preoccupied with adjusting and readjusting your gear.

It may well be worth breaking your flippers and other snorkelling gear in at a public pool so that you can get the hang of both using and caring for all of your equipment in a controlled environment.

It's also highly recommended that you test out your protective gear for companion technologies like phones and cameras in a controlled freshwater environment like a pool, a lake, or even just in the bath.

In doing so, you'll be able to identify any potential cracks or other faults that may put your personal tech at risk of exposure to seawater.

Find the perfect coastal sights to see via paddleboard

If you're more of a seafarer than a diver but still want to get relatively close to the water's edge, then why not try paddleboarding?

Stand up paddleboarding is a relatively simple sport to get to grips with on softer waves, which are often a characteristic of coastal areas that are home to coral reefs, as reefs have been known to absorb wave energy.

Simply head out on the waters surrounding a reef area if you'd like to observe the reef's habitats up close without necessarily submerging yourself.

Standing on your paddleboard may grant you an intimate 'bird's eye view' of sorts, but if you do find yourself befriending any fish that flick past you in the shimmering water, then you can absolutely take a seat on your paddleboard and enjoy just watching the ocean life dart here and there beneath you.

If stand up paddleboarding isn't really your thing either, then heading out on the open water in a kayak may be just as enjoyable, alongside being a fantastic core and upper body workout.

With a kayak, you can essentially enjoy all the perks of stand up paddleboarding with the added benefit of feeling safe and secure in a buoyant vessel rather than just on a board.

Of course, the primary disadvantage here is that the kayak itself may keep you particularly more separate from the reef than you would be when snorkelling or stand up paddleboarding.

Set sail to explore the wider Australian coastline

It's worth noting too that not all of Australia's must-see coral reefs are attached to the mainland. In fact, many of the Great Barrier Reef's most breathtaking areas are scattered across the Whitsundays and other islands within the Coral Sea.

Similarly, the best coral atolls and other coastal areas to go exploring in and around Perth aren't actually attached to the Western Australian coastline either, but rather along the region's surrounding islands, such as the quintessential Rottnest Island amongst many others.

So how can you ensure that you won't miss out on seeing some of these breathtaking coral reefs? All you really need to do is either hire a boat or just cut out the middleman and learn to sail yourself!

Knowledge on how to steer either a powered or wind vessel can never go amiss if you're an avid Aussie explorer, and with warm weather across the nation, there's no better time than now to get your boat licence.

In doing so, you'll be able to open up a world of travel possibilities that you'll be able to enjoy not just over your next getaway, but likely for many many more to come.

Take your explorations one step further with scuba certification

Finally, if you've had a go at snorkelling and found it to be a highly enjoyable experience, then you may opt to take your underwater explorations to the next level by obtaining your scuba certification.

Yes, there are a handful of preliminary courses and safety training seminars that you'll need to take well before you even get to head out in open water with your scuba gear, but once you do become a divemaster, you'll essentially have granted yourself access to a world that very few ever really get to see: the wonders of the ocean floor.

It's also worth noting that you are working with highly technical equipment every time you dive, and the potential dangers of scuba diving increase the deeper you go.

For this reason, it's imperative that you gain a thorough understanding of how to act if your oxygen tank malfunctions, your microphone or speakers lose their signal, or any other issues arise that may require your expedition to be brought to a prompt end.

Exploring all that Australia's most iconic reefs and surrounding seas have to offer is really all about finding the right exploration methods for you.

Feel free to experiment with the activities we've outlined above so that you can find the ideal method for adding an extra touch of adventure to your next great Aussie coastal getaway!