Spearfishing in Australia
Australia has no single spearfishing law — the rules are state-by-state (NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, SA, TAS, NT), and that's the first thing to get right: NSW and VIC need a recreational fishing licence, the others usually don't. The product core is the clear-water belt of two warm boundary currents: the East Australian Current (EAC) down the NSW/southern-QLD coast — blue water to 25 m — and the Leeuwin Current warming WA, plus the cold, clean gulfs of SA and the kelp of Tasmania.
The common thread is reading the water: a SW wind cleans the NSW coast, offshore reef clears after a rain plume, the Bonney upwelling (Nov–Apr) chills and clouds the SE, and warm-core EAC eddies carry clear water south to Victoria and Tasmania. There's no national closed season — bag/size limits and marine-park zoning do the work. This guide walks the states, north to south and across to the west, and links to a daily go / borderline / no-go forecast for every city.
Open the flagship — Sydney →Rules by state
There's no single rule set — each state's fisheries agency sets size/bag limits, gear rules and closures, under Commonwealth Marine Parks and, in QLD, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The constants across all states: no spearfishing on scuba, rock lobster may not be taken by speargun, and spearfishing is banned in all inland (fresh) waters. Summary:
| State | Rule for spearfishing |
|---|---|
| NSW | Recreational Fishing Licence required (~AUD 35/yr). Eastern blue groper (state fish) protected from spear since 1969; grey nurse shark, black cod no-take. Sanctuary zones = no-take. |
| QLD | No general licence. GBR zoning: spearing in General Use/Habitat Protection, banned in green (Marine National Park)/pink zones. No scuba. Potato cod, Qld groper, Maori wrasse no-take. |
| VIC | Recreational Fishing Licence required. Spear banned in/next to all inland waters. 13 Marine National Parks + 11 Marine Sanctuaries = full no-take. |
| WA | No shore licence; boat use needs the RFBL. Warm, clear Leeuwin water; iconic WA dhufish (demersal closure to spring 2027). Sanctuary zones no-take. |
| SA | No licence. Warm, clear gulfs; Adelaide-metro spearfishing closures (Port Noarlunga); no spearing within 200 m of some river mouths. Marine-park sanctuary zones no-take. |
| TAS | No licence to spear finfish; a Recreational Sea Fishing Licence is needed to dive-take rock lobster/abalone. Cold, clear kelp reef; marine nature reserves no-take. |
| NT | No licence, but croc country — shore/estuary spearing is effectively off-limits far north; stay ≥150 m from people. Offshore/dry-season only. |
Two warm currents, cold gulfs
Australia's viz story is two warm boundary currents. The EAC runs warm, low-plankton blue water down the NSW and southern-QLD coast (viz to 25 m), and its warm-core eddies pinch off and drift south, carrying clear warm water to Victoria and Tasmania (genuine good-viz windows). On the west the Leeuwin Current warms the WA coast, pushing tropical clarity and species further south than you'd expect, strongest in autumn/winter. Against them, the Bonney upwelling (SA/far-west VIC, Nov–Apr) is cold and plankton-rich — reduced viz in summer. After rain, river plumes (Brisbane, Fitzroy, Tweed/Clarence, Swan) knock the water down; work offshore reef until it clears. Tides matter in Victoria (dive the slack at Port Phillip Heads), and go macro in the far NW (King Sound/Broome) and SA's gulfs, where a 'dodge tide' barely moves the water.
No-take zones
Two layers of protection stack up. Commonwealth Marine Parks (National Park / Sanctuary zones) and, in Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, whose green (Marine National Park) and pink (Preservation) zones are full no-take — spearfishing is banned; only General Use and Habitat Protection allow it. On top sit each state's Marine National Parks / Sanctuary Zones (VIC's 13 parks + 11 sanctuaries, NSW sanctuary zones, WA/SA sanctuary zones), all no-take. Inside a hard zone the card will never show green. Check the zoning map — GBRMPA (QLD), NSW SEED, WA and SA all publish it.
Species and trophies
Targets vary by coast, but the staples are snapper and yellowtail kingfish nationwide, dusky flathead and luderick inshore on the east, and the west's prize — the WA dhufish. Sizes and limits are state-set (the table is a guide, not the law); the big no-takes are the eastern blue groper (NSW state fish, protected since 1969), potato cod, Queensland groper, humphead Maori wrasse and grey nurse shark. Rock lobster may never be speared.
| Species | Where / status |
|---|---|
| Yellowtail kingfish | nationwide reef & pinnacles; ~65 cm; prime pelagic |
| Snapper | NSW/VIC/SA/WA; ~30 cm; the reliable staple |
| Dusky flathead | east-coast inshore sand; an ambush target |
| WA dhufish | WA west coast; the prize; demersal closure to spring 2027 — check |
| Eastern blue groper | NSW; PROTECTED since 1969 — never target |
| Rock lobster | statewide; may NOT be speared (gear rule) |
Seasonal calendar
The season's core is the austral summer and its shoulders, but Australia spans the tropics to cold-temperate, so it reads by coast. On the NSW/QLD east the EAC brings the warmest, clearest water Dec–May; WA peaks with the Leeuwin in autumn/winter; the SA gulfs and Tasmania fish best in the summer calms; the tropical north (Cairns/NT/NW-WA) is capped by the wet/cyclone season and stingers. Month by month (southern hemisphere):
| Period | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Dec–Feb (summer) | Peak east & south: EAC blue water on NSW/QLD, warm gulfs in SA, Tasmania in the calms. Tropical north OFF — stingers (Nov–May) + wet/cyclone. |
| Mar–May (autumn) | Prime window: EAC eddies push clear warm water south to VIC/TAS; WA's Leeuwin strengthens; kingfish run. Best all-round months on the east. |
| Jun–Aug (winter) | WA peak (Leeuwin warm & clear); east coast cooler but clean on the calms; cold-water south for the hardy. Stingers gone but big swell. |
| Sep–Nov (spring) | Water warming, fish moving onto the reefs; the Bonney upwelling clouds the SE (Nov–Apr); stinger season opens in the tropics (from Nov). |
Safety
Never dive alone. Sharks: Australia is honest shark country — white, bull and tiger sharks are present; the SA gulfs and parts of WA carry higher risk (WA publishes a live shark-hazard feed, NSW SharkSmart alerts tagged sharks). Stingers: box jelly and Irukandji run Nov–May in the tropical north (QLD north of ~K'gari, all NT, WA north to Exmouth) — treat shore/estuary swimming there as off-limits in season. Crocodiles: 'croc country' starts around the Boyne River (south of Gladstone) and runs north across Cape York, the NT and WA north of Broome — no shore/estuary spearing there, boat/offshore only. Tides: dive the slack at Port Phillip Heads (VIC) and in the macro-tidal NW; in SA's gulfs watch the 'dodge tide'. Mark yourself with a float. The per-city forecast flags the hazard window.
Where to dive, by region
NSW North Coast
NSW North Coast (Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour) — warm East Australian Current, headlands and reefs, clearest on a SW wind.
- Byron Bay — Australia's easternmost point: The Pass tucks under Cape Byron on the sheltered northern side, and the rock at the south end of Tallow Beach holds drummer, bream and snapper.
- Ballina / Lennox Head — Boulder reef and rock platform between Lennox Head and Ballina — Boulder Beach, Flat Rock at Skennars Head, Shelly Beach.
- Yamba — The Clarence River mouth: twin breakwalls, a rock headland between Main Beach and Turners Beach, and Angourie's point 5 km south.
- Coffs Harbour — Coffs sits inside the Solitary Islands Marine Park — rocky corners at Diggers Beach and the Sawtell headland hold snapper, kingfish, drummer and bream in 3–8 m, exposed to easterly swell.
- South West Rocks — Trial Bay faces north behind Smoky Cape, so the reef below the old gaol stays diveable when the open coast is blown out — easy entry, snapper, bream and schooling kingfish, the best of the shore dives here.
- Port Macquarie — Rock and reef at the mouth of the Hastings — Nobbys Head off Shelly Beach, the Flynns Beach corner and the Town Beach breakwall, mostly 2–6 m for drummer, bream and snapper.
- Forster / Tuncurry — Twin towns either side of the Wallis Lake entrance: Bennetts Head north of Forster Main Beach gives kelp and boulders in 3–8 m with snapper and kingfish, and the Tuncurry training wall is sheltered rock for bream and snapper.
- Port Stephens (Nelson Bay) — Sheltered estuary and headland diving inside Port Stephens — the Nelson Bay sponge gardens at Fly Point and Halifax Park, and the Fingal Bay tombolo out to Shark Island.
NSW Central — Sydney/Newcastle/Illawarra
NSW Central (Sydney, Newcastle, Illawarra) — urban reefs and headlands; a window on an offshore breeze, lots of spots.
- Newcastle — A steel city with reef under its beaches: kelp gutters between Bar and Merewether run 3–8 m for snapper and drummer, and the wide platform south of Merewether Baths holds blackfish, bream and the odd kingfish.
- Sydney — Northern Beaches — Sydney's Northern Beaches — rock platforms and reef at North Curl Curl and Long Reef, ledges 2–6 m with drummer, bream and blackfish, best entered off the platform at low swell.
- Sydney — East (Maroubra) — Sydney's eastern beaches put reef within a bus ride: ledges 2–8 m off Maroubra's Mahon Pool and Malabar for drummer, bream and snapper, best on a small swell.
- Sydney — South (Cronulla) — Sydney's southern reefs — The Steps at Kurnell drops 4–10 m onto snapper, kingfish and blue gropers, Bare Island holds ledges and sand, and Oak Park is the easy Cronulla option.
- Wollongong / Port Kembla — The Illawarra's reef town: Bass Point's Gutter is the premier local spearfishing mark, ledges and kelp in 4–12 m for snapper, kingfish and crayfish with deep water straight off the point.
NSW South Coast
NSW South Coast (Jervis Bay, Merimbula) — cooler, clear bay water; best in the calms between southerly blows.
- Jervis Bay (Huskisson) — The clearest water on the NSW south coast — Plantation Point on the bay's sheltered southeast shore and Honeymoon Bay on the Beecroft Peninsula give boulder reef in 2–8 m with snapper, morwong and summer kingfish.
- Ulladulla / Batemans Bay — A South Coast fishing harbour with a headland either side: Warden Head south of the breakwater drops into ledges and kelp in 3–10 m for snapper, kingfish and drummer, and Bannister Head at Mollymook adds shallower reef for bream.
- Batemans Bay — The Clyde River mouth and the string of rock heads south of it: Observation Head, Denhams, Malua Bay, Guerilla Bay, Burrewarra Point.
- Merimbula / Eden — Far South Coast lake town: reef off the bar and Long Point runs 3–8 m for snapper, morwong and kingfish and stays sheltered under a southerly or westerly, while the rock platform out to Tura Head holds drummer, bream and blackfish.
QLD South-East
QLD South-East (Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast) — warm water, headlands and islands; murky after rain, clearing on the offshore reef.
- Gold Coast (Palm Beach) — Headland reef on an otherwise sandy coast — boulders 3–8 m off Burleigh Heads, around Elephant Rock at Currumbin and out to Snapper Rocks, holding snapper, bream and kingfish.
- Brisbane / Moreton Bay — Moreton Bay's western shore is flats and seagrass rather than reef — you can walk out to King Island off Wellington Point on a low tide, but it is shallow, muddy and low-visibility.
- North Stradbroke (Point Lookout) — Point Lookout is the best shore ground in southeast Queensland — Cylinder Beach the sheltered 2–6 m corner, the South Gorge gutters and Shag Rock running 3–10 m with snapper, sweetlip and trevally.
- Sunshine Coast (Mooloolaba) — Nine marks between the Mooloolah mouth and Noosa: Point Cartwright's ledges run 3–8 m for snapper, sweetlip and kingfish, and Point Perry under the Coolum lookout gives boulders in 2–6 m that clean up on a south-westerly.
- Noosa Heads — The rarest thing on the Queensland coast: a beach that faces north.
- Rainbow Beach — Coloured sands at the gateway to Fraser: Double Island Point's boulders and headland reef run 3–10 m for snapper, mackerel and trevally, reached by 4WD along the beach.
- Hervey Bay — Sheltered, shallow and murky — Point Vernon, Gatakers Bay and The Gables give rocky foreshore reef in 2–5 m with bream and the odd snapper.
QLD Capricorn Coast
QLD Capricorn Coast (Agnes Water, Yeppoon) — the southern gateway to the Great Barrier Reef; best water on the offshore reefs and cays.
- Bargara — Bundaberg's beach town on the Woongarra coast: basalt from an old lava flow runs out under fringing coral, which is why this 20 km of Queensland looks nothing like the sand either side of it.
- Agnes Water / 1770 — The southernmost easy reef access on the Great Barrier Reef coast — fringing reef off the south end of the main beach in 3–8 m, plus the Workmans Beach and Round Hill Head boulders in 2–6 m.
- Gladstone / Tannum — An industrial harbour where the shore marks are marginal: Rocky Point and Canoe Point at Tannum Sands are shallow, tidal and low-visibility, and the real reef is boat-only offshore.
- Yeppoon (Keppel Bay) — Keppel Bay headlands rather than reef proper — Double Head by Rosslyn Bay harbour and Bluff Point give boulders in 2–8 m with snapper, sweetlip, trevally and cod.
QLD Tropical North
QLD Tropical North (Cairns, Townsville) — offshore-only Great Barrier Reef, info cities; crocs and stingers inshore.
- Townsville — Tropical north Queensland: saltwater-croc country with a marine-stinger season (Nov–May, box jelly & Irukandji).
- Magnetic Island — Offshore island off Townsville: croc country and marine-stinger season (Nov–May).
- Cairns — GBR gateway on a turbid mangrove estuary (Trinity Inlet): saltwater crocs, marine stingers Nov–May, no clear-water shore diving.
- Port Douglas — Far-north Queensland reef town: croc country, marine-stinger season Nov–May, outer-reef access by boat only.
Victoria
Victoria (Port Phillip Bay, Mornington, Torquay) — cold Bass Strait water; dive the slack at the Port Phillip Heads race.
- Melbourne (Port Phillip Bay) — Bay diving inside the city: sheltered reef in 2–6 m off Black Rock and Brighton for snapper and whiting, with the HMVS Cerberus breakwater at Half Moon Bay a protected historic wreck you dive around, not into.
- Mornington Peninsula — Port Phillip's pier diving — Rye, Blairgowrie and Portsea drop onto sand and pylons in 3–6 m, easy walk-in entries with calamari, whiting and snapper, and weedy seadragons for the camera.
- Queenscliff / Bellarine — The bay's mouth: the ledges below the Point Lonsdale lighthouse sit beside the Rip, so it is a slack-water dive only, and it falls inside the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park in our data — no-take, verify the boundary locally.
- Phillip Island — Granite and reef on Victoria's Bass Strait edge — Kitty Miller Bay holds the SS Speke wreck in 2–6 m and shelters on a northerly, while Cape Woolamai runs 4–12 m for crayfish and abalone.
- Torquay / Anglesea — The Surf Coast's home town: the reef platform off Point Danger is an easy 2–6 m entry for abalone, crayfish and snapper and stays sheltered on a northerly, while Bird Rock at Jan Juc and the Bells reef are exposed ledges for small swell only.
- Apollo Bay — Otway coast diving out of Apollo Bay — reef around the harbour breakwater and Mounts Bay in 3–8 m for crayfish, abalone and snapper, sheltered when the wind is west.
- Port Fairy / Warrnambool — A Southern Ocean port with an island in front of it: reef around the Griffiths Island causeway and lighthouse runs 2–6 m for crayfish and abalone, with a lee corner on one side or the other whatever the wind does.
- Portland — Far-west Victoria — Nuns Beach under the town is the easiest shore entry at 3–8 m for crayfish, abalone and snapper, while Cape Nelson drops to 5–15 m off the lighthouse.
SA Gulfs & Fleurieu
SA Gulfs (Adelaide, Yorke, Port Lincoln) — warm, clear gulf water; mind the dodge tides, higher shark presence.
- Adelaide (Glenelg) — Adelaide's metropolitan reefs — Marino Rocks under the cliffs gives 2–6 m of rock for snapper, sweep and squid, sheltered on an easterly, with Port Noarlunga and Aldinga Reef to the south.
- Yorke Peninsula (Edithburgh) — The gulf coast's dive shore: Edithburgh jetty is the famous one, leafy seadragons on the pylons and squid and snapper on the reef south of it in 3–7 m, huntable off the jetty but tide-dependent.
- Port Lincoln (Eyre Peninsula) — Lower Eyre Peninsula — Billy Lights Point is sheltered seagrass and reef in 2–6 m for snapper, whiting and squid, while Fishery Bay and the Sleaford granite run 3–8 m on the exposed ocean coast.
- Whyalla — Upper Spencer Gulf steel town with rocky shore reef: Black Point holds snapper, whiting and squid in 2–6 m.
- Victor Harbor (Fleurieu) — Granite Fleurieu coast — Petrel Cove sits below The Bluff with ledges holding sweep, drummer and the odd snapper, and Rosetta Head's deeper ledges see kingfish pass in summer.
- Kangaroo Island — Australia's third-largest island, and the most serious water on this coast: Emu Bay is the easiest entry, a sheltered sandy bay with reef points in 2–6 m for snapper, whiting and squid, and Stokes Bay hides clear reef behind its rock pool.
SA Limestone Coast (Bonney)
SA Limestone Coast (Robe) — the cold Bonney upwelling and limestone reef; a narrow window, clear water in the calm.
- Robe / Beachport — Limestone coast of southeast South Australia — the Cape Dombey obelisk reef runs 3–8 m for crayfish, snapper and sweep, and the Long Beach ledges give sheltered 2–6 m corners with easy entry.
WA South-West (Perth–Capes)
WA South-West (Perth, Margaret River) — the warm Leeuwin Current and granite reef; clear water, big dhufish.
- Perth (Cottesloe/Trigg) — Limestone reef straight off the city beaches: the Cottesloe slick runs 3–8 m for dhufish, pink snapper and crayfish, best on clear easterly-wind mornings, while Mettams Pool is a reef-protected lagoon in 1–4 m for an easy shore entry.
- Rockingham / Cockburn — Limestone reef and caves off Point Peron in 3–8 m — crayfish, dhufish and skippy, with sheltered corners, an easy shore entry and the Palm Beach jetty as the blow-out option.
- Mandurah — An estuary city with limestone reef off its ocean beaches: Blue Bay and Doctors run 3–8 m for crayfish, dhufish and skippy on a light swell, and the Pyramids ledges at Falcon sit sheltered under an easterly, with Melros further south.
- Bunbury — Two coasts in one town: Koombana Bay and the Leschenault Inlet face north behind the port, while the Back Beach strip faces 289° straight into the Indian Ocean swell.
- Bunbury / Busselton — Geographe Bay faces north, so it stays glassy when the rest of the south-west is blown out: granite reef at Meelup in 2–6 m for King George whiting, skippy and herring, and seagrass with the occasional snapper in Eagle Bay.
- Margaret River (Gracetown) — The Margaret River capes — Cowaramup Bay at Gracetown is the protected launch, and Gas Bay at the river mouth gives 3–8 m of reef and boulders for dhufish and crayfish.
- Augusta (Flinders Bay) — Where the Indian and Southern oceans meet at Cape Leeuwin: Flinders Bay by the boat harbour is the easiest local entry, 2–8 m of reef for dhufish, skippy and crayfish, calm on a westerly.
WA South Coast (Great Southern)
WA South Coast (Albany, Esperance) — cold Southern-Ocean groundswell and granite islands; for the experienced, best water in the calm.
- Albany — King George Sound gives Albany both calm and clear — Emu Point is the easy 2–6 m channel for skippy, whiting and the odd dhufish, and Misery Beach is granite reef in 3–8 m with dhufish and crayfish.
- Esperance — White sand and granite on the far south coast: Twilight Beach and Blue Haven give gin-clear gutters in 3–10 m for dhufish, harlequin and crayfish, with reef points between the beaches and Lucky Bay east in Cape Le Grand.
WA Mid-West (Geraldton–Kalbarri)
WA Mid-West (Geraldton, Kalbarri) — the Abrolhos and warm Leeuwin reef; clear water on the offshore banks.
- Geraldton (Abrolhos) — Mid-west WA reef — Point Moore under the lighthouse and Coronation Beach north of town run 3–8 m over limestone with dhufish, pink snapper, baldchin groper and crayfish, best on light swell.
- Kalbarri — At the mouth of the Murchison: Jakes Point below Red Bluff drops 3–8 m for baldchin groper, snapper and crayfish, entered off the rocks on a light swell, with Chinamans Beach the softer option.
WA North (Ningaloo–Kimberley)
WA North (Exmouth/Ningaloo, Broome) — warm, clear Ningaloo reef, but macro tides and crocodiles to the north.
- Exmouth (Ningaloo) — Ningaloo from the shore — Bundegi on the sheltered gulf side and the Tantabiddi lagoon run 2–6 m over coral with trevally, cod, emperor and coral trout in warm, clear water.
- Broome — Kimberley coast: 9 m+ macro-tidal range, saltwater crocodiles and marine-stinger season (Nov–May).
Tasmania
Tasmania (Hobart, Eaglehawk Neck, Bicheno) — cold, clear water, kelp and crayfish; the east coast in the calms is best.
- Hobart / D'Entrecasteaux — Cold, clear water at the mouth of the Derwent: the point and blowhole at Blackmans Bay is a walk-in dive, 3–8 m of reef for crayfish, abalone and wrasse, sheltered on a westerly, with Taroona and Hinsby Beach nearby.
- Eaglehawk Neck / Tasman — The Tasman Peninsula's dolerite coast — Pirates Bay under the tessellated pavement is the sheltered northwest corner at 3–10 m, and Fortescue Bay drops to 5–15 m of kelp.
- Bicheno / St Helens — Tasmania's east-coast dive town, with a catch: the Governor Island Marine Reserve covers the Gulch and Waubs Bay, so the town's own water is no-take — sponge gardens and boarfish, look only.
- Bruny Island — Bruny's two sides — Adventure Bay is sheltered reef and kelp in 3–10 m with crayfish, abalone and wrasse, an easy walk-in in cold, clear water, while the Cloudy Bay points face the Southern Ocean and only go on calm days.
- Burnie — Emu Bay and the north-west Tasmanian coast either side of it — Parsonage Point, Cooee Point, Somerset.
- Devonport (Tasmania) — The Bass Strait side of Tasmania, which the atlas had no page for at all: a north-facing coast of dolerite headlands — Mersey Bluff, Don Heads, Aikenhead Point — around the mouth of the Mersey.
Frequently asked questions
Rules current as of 2026 — always confirm with your STATE fisheries authority before you go. Australia has no single national spearfishing law: each state (NSW DPI, Fisheries QLD, WA, SA, VIC, TAS, NT) sets its own bag/size limits and closures. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park green zones and state marine parks are no-take. Protected species (e.g. some groupers, gropers) may not be taken.
Do I need a licence?
It depends on the state. NSW and VIC require a Recreational Fishing Licence (NSW ~AUD 35/yr). QLD, WA, SA, TAS, NT need no general recreational licence (WA needs the boat RFBL; TAS needs a Recreational Sea Fishing Licence to dive-take rock lobster/abalone).
Official source ↗Can I spearfish on scuba?
No. Spearfishing on scuba is banned (QLD/NT expressly say so, and it's the practice nationwide). Rock lobster may not be taken by speargun (a gear rule in every state). Spearfishing is banned in all inland (fresh) waters. Don't load the speargun out of the water.
Official source ↗What can't I take (protected)?
The eastern blue groper (NSW state fish) has been protected from spearing since 1969. Also no-take: potato cod, Queensland (giant) groper, humphead Maori wrasse, barramundi cod, grey nurse shark, black cod, great white and whale sharks, seahorses/seadragons. Rock lobster by spear — never.
Official source ↗Where is hunting fully banned?
In full no-take zones: the Great Barrier Reef's green (Marine National Park) and pink zones, Commonwealth Marine Parks (National Park/Sanctuary) and each state's Marine National Parks / Sanctuary Zones (VIC's 13 parks + 11 sanctuaries, NSW sanctuary zones, WA/SA sanctuaries). Plus all inland waters. Check the zoning map.
Official source ↗Where's the clear water, and when's the season?
On the east (NSW/QLD) it's clearest in the warm EAC water Dec–May; on the west WA peaks with the Leeuwin in autumn/winter; the SA gulfs and Tasmania in the summer calms. The tropical north (Cairns/NT/NW-WA) is capped by the wet/cyclone season and stingers (Nov–May). Pick the day by the city forecast.
Are there dangerous animals?
Yes. Sharks (white/bull/tiger) are present — the SA gulfs and parts of WA are higher-risk; WA runs a live feed, NSW SharkSmart sends alerts. Stingers (box jelly/Irukandji) run Nov–May in the tropical north. Crocodiles — from the Boyne River (south of Gladstone) north (Cape York, NT, WA north of Broome): boat/offshore only there, not from shore.
Official source ↗Can I spear rock lobster or abalone?
Rock lobster may not be speared in any state — it's a gear rule. Rock lobster and abalone are taken by free-diving by hand where allowed; in Tasmania that needs a Recreational Sea Fishing Licence, with tight limits and closures. Check your state's fisheries.
Official source ↗