By Lizzie Le Breton
I was down south for a wedding the day the Augusta trip email popped into my inbox. I’d been thinking how great it would be to dive in the area earlier in the day so I booked immediately. I was unsure if I’d know anyone on the trip but I’ve generally found people who dive are the best sorts.
I took a leisurely drive down stopping at wineries on the way. Many of the other divers chose to stop in Canal Rocks to hunt for weedy sea dragons. I’ve been told they found quite a few as well as some octopus and a wobbegong. I’ll be sure to join them next year.
On Saturday we all woke up bright and early for an excellent BBQ breakfast. We split into two groups and group one headed out for a morning of diving.
Our lovely skipper Alistair took Doris out to one of the bommies in Flinders Bay. The water was chilly but it was worth being cold for. I was surprised at the variety and quality of the coral down there. The topography made for interesting diving with many peaks, valleys, walls and small caves. We saw a great array of fish and nudibranch. Two members of our group also saw a large grey nurse while the other three of us were totally oblivious to it cruising past right behind us. This event really makes me wonder what other amazing things I’ve missed above and behind me on dives over the years.
We returned at about lunch time and told the second group what to expect. The second group also completed the most important job of the trip, bringing the skipper his bakery lunch.
With our free time some chose to do extra shore dives, others went for walks through the beautiful Leeuwin National Park and others feasted and the bakery and indulged in naps. We reconvened in the evening for spaghetti bolognaise, wine, beers and the sharing of dive videos and stories.
The following morning was again started with a fantastic BBQ breakfast. The conditions had become very stormy and there was a real fear we may not be able to dive. Michael bravely headed out into the weather to check the conditions at Hamelin Bay. It was still blowing a gale but the water was calm and perfect for diving. We quickly hopped in our cars to get there before the weather changed its mind.
We instantly saw the bays most famous residents cruising the shore looking to get some pats from tourists. It was amazing to see how friendly they were! The rays were quite interested in us divers hanging out in the slightly deeper water. This interest drew them away from the shallows and the shore bound tourists did not look as pleased as the rays were with our arrival.
The boat ramp was sadly not big enough to accommodate Doris but we all headed out for a shore dive. We followed the old jetty pylons for what felt like miles but in reality was probably about one kilometre. The topography was flat and shallow with large swathes of seagrass and weed intermixed with sandy patches. I hoped to see my first sea dragon amongst all the swaying seagrass but sadly I did not (I’ve since learned they are much more likely to be found at night). Between the old jetty pylons we saw enormous schools of old wife fish, smaller schools of what I think may be western king wrasse, the occasional fox fish, nudibranch, cuttlefish and more.
After a bit of a break, some snacks and some dreadful coffee from the kiosk (next trip someone should bring a thermos) the majority of people went out for a second dive in the bay.
For the last night of the trip we had an early BBQ dinner so that the night dive group would be able to get to Cowaramup Bay for a sea dragon hunt. This was to be my first night dive and I was very lucky that one of our trip members who is a certified instructor agreed to buddy with me. I cannot express how grateful I am for this because the night dive was AMAZING! Within minutes we’d found weedy sea dragons. We also saw heaps of gigantic crayfish. The crays did not appreciate me getting close to film them. They would rear up aggressively and then remember they have no claws or anything to attack with, when they remembered they had no defences other than their shell and speed in the water they would curl up and shoot off into the distance. We saw squid both tiny and regular sized, several types of nudibranch, a Port Jackson shark and lots of sea dragons.
On the final morning we all had a lie in before packing up our gear to make our way back to Perth.
I was really impressed with the quality of diving in Augusta. It’s a shame the weather turned against us on the second day but Hamelin Bay was still a great sport for diving. I’d be very keen to return to Augusta for a dive trip. The combination of excellent diving, great company, close to Perth and near so many other attractions makes Augusta a trip worth putting in your calendar for Labour Day long weekend 2021.