I'm very familiar with bait reef if you would like info?

Ok bob , unfortantly I never made it to hook reef pnly to Bait reef which is the closest reef to Airlie beach .....

Bait is a small atoll with a large extending reef out to the south.....the entrance is by means of a orange/green/dirty float....the original cardinal marker is laying 10 mtrs below the water damaged and not replaced from past cyclones.

So when you enter make sure you keep that float to your starboard as this mark is the start of a line of 12 bommies running roughly south..... Once you enter there are 5 public mornings.

The water is deep and clear inside the atoll at 10 Mtrs. If you are keen for a dip you can tie your tender of on the entrance float and snorkel over and around the first bommies providing no other boats are on the approach. Try to snorkel on slack tides as there can be a bit of ripping around the bommies mostly on the seaward side,inside the atoll it's mostly up and down movement.

I have spent many magic nights and days out there....and dived all the bommies... It's truly amazing place 2nd best from lizard island and ribbons.

Navionics .....from Ipad it's all I use now everything else is just back ups!

I have dived all 12 stepping stones they lay south....there is one or two to the north but the entrance with my track is around 10 metes wide and the depth is also 10 to 15 clear...and it's marked with a bouy. Nothing to really worry about... I have not come across a chart yet that shows bommies in the exact way they lay . I did see a small yacht come between the stepping stones a year or so ago perhaps maybe that's how you know nsw sailor!

Wow yes and I would have been out there 2011 in July. Um what where you doing?

G'day Southace,

Had a great stay at Hook Reef. The weather was light NE to calm and was clearly the best time to be there. Bait Reef moorings were all taken and this was confirmed about 4 mile out. Simple course change to Hook , using the Cardinal on the W end of the Reef.
Viz. is good and it is easy to stay out of trouble. There is a significant shoaling , in sand , along the S inner arm of the reef. Progressed in about a mile and anchored in clean sand 20 feet. Great snokelling within half a mile and clear dinghy access to the outer lee edge of the Reef for a spot of fishing.
After 4 days the wind picked up to 10/15 and whilst the anchorage was secure ,the chop masked the colourful coral and the magic was lost.
This , in my opinion, is a safe place to visit and especially safe to exit at night in emergency, due to a clear and wide exit path which is easily plotted. Unlike Musgrave which I had the honour of widening a little !!!
Plan to visit again , soon and try for a mooring at Bait. Cheers, Bob