North Rock sits close to the better-known Shark Gutters on Broughton Island's protected northern side, and it has become an increasingly important site in its own right as local operators deliberately spread diver traffic across both locations to reduce pressure on the main Shark Gutters grey nurse shark aggregation. In recent years, guides report growing success finding sharks at North Rock itself, to the point where it now features as a primary rather than a backup site on many trips, giving divers essentially the same style of grey nurse shark encounter with a slightly lower footprint on any one aggregation point. The site's underlying structure is a series of kelp-covered bommies and sponge gardens in a depth range of ten to twenty-two metres, providing plenty of natural shelter and grazing habitat that keeps the local ecosystem, sharks included, well supported.

As with the neighbouring Shark Gutters, the preferred approach here is a quiet, negatively buoyant, minimal-disturbance technique — divers hold still rather than actively swim toward any sharks spotted, allowing the animals to approach at their own pace, which tends to produce calmer, closer and more natural encounters than an active chase ever does. Kelp beds add a distinctly different visual texture to the dive compared with the more open rock of the Looking Glass, and the site supports a good range of reef fish and invertebrates typical of Broughton Island's northern grey nurse shark critical habitat zone. North Rock is a strong choice for divers who want the area's signature shark experience without necessarily needing the specific topography of the Looking Glass passage or the deeper Shark Gutters amphitheatre.

Boats depart Nelson Bay marina and run approximately 20 km/45-60 minutes north-east to Broughton Island, weather and vessel dependent. There is no facility or dive shop on the island itself; all diving is via day-trip charter from Nelson Bay, typically with two dives per trip around the island's northern and western sides depending on conditions.

Broughton Island sits fully exposed to ocean swell and is the first site cancelled when an easterly or north-easterly blow picks up; operators want well under 1.5 m swell and moderate wind to make the run worthwhile. The island's north side, where the grey nurse shark critical habitat sites (Looking Glass, Shark Gutters, North Rock) are found, gets some lee from a southerly, while other sides suit other wind directions, so skippers choose the exact site on the day. Visibility is best in autumn and winter, typically 10-25 m, and drops after rain from the mainland catchments.

Surge is common in the shallower features like Looking Glass and needs to be managed as a group.

Descend onto the kelp-covered bommies and sponge gardens at 10-22 m and move quietly and slowly, since this site is used specifically to reduce diver pressure on the main Shark Gutters aggregation nearby — hold position rather than actively chasing any sharks encountered and let them approach on their own terms.

Let's Go Adventures (Nelson Bay) and Feet First Dive (Nelson Bay) both run daily boat trips to Broughton Island, weather permitting.