Meet the site
Kirribilli Point is the most improbable dive in this file: a night dive in the inner harbour directly opposite the Opera House, below the Governor-General's Admiralty House and the Prime Minister's Kirribilli House, with the Harbour Bridge lit up a few hundred metres to the west. Michael McFadyen documented it as a site for the nights when the weather rules out everything else, and it has stayed obscure. The entry is easy – stairs from Lady Gowrie Lookout at the end of Kirribilli Avenue lead to a rock platform usable in nearly all weather – and the bottom is a mixture of sand and mud with outcrops of kelp, sections of rock wall and a cable or pipe that loops across the site, in 3–8 m. The mud is the defining feature: it stirs at the slightest touch, so the dive is conducted with careful buoyancy at eight metres or less, close to the shore, and the route is a simple rectangle east, north, west and south along the wall. What lives there is more than one might expect: leatherjackets in profusion – pygmy, fan-bellied, velvet, mosaic, rough and yellow-finned – old wives, cuttlefish, small octopus, flathead and the occasional seahorse on the kelp. The lights of the Prime Minister's residence serve as a navigation mark on the return. The overwhelming consideration is the ferries, which run between Kirribilli wharf and Circular Quay and pass over the site; divers are safe beneath them but must stay tight to the shoreline and surface only at the rocks, and McFadyen recommends the site 'only at night'. It is a dive for the curious and the experienced, for collectors of Sydney's odd corners, and for the night when a week of southerlies has closed the coast. Nobody guides it, and nobody should attempt it who is not comfortable in two metres of visibility under a ferry.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Kirribilli Point is recorded as Shore/Rock Platform in Sydney Harbour. The listed access is shore. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
- Overhead environments
- Ask whether the plan stays entirely in open water. A wreck or cave listing is not permission or training to enter.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Kirribilli Point suitable for my certification?
The record lists Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Kirribilli Point through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Pygmy, fan-bellied, velvet, mosaic, rough and yellow-finned leatherjackets, old wives, cuttlefish, octopus, flathead, seahorses (occasional), bream
Location
Inner-harbour night dive off the Lady Gowrie Lookout at the eastern end of Kirribilli Avenue, below Admiralty House and Kirribilli House, over sand and mud with kelp outcrops, rock walls and a looping cable or pipe in 3–8 m, beneath the Kirribilli–Circular Quay ferry route.
Facilities nearby
Residential street parking only; no facilities at the lookout; Kirribilli cafes and Milsons Point station nearby; air fills at Dive 2000 (Neutral Bay).
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.