Land of the Giants is the long-haul, best-conditions-only version of the Fish Rock experience, linking The Pinnacle, the open sand gutter and the Colorado Pass wall into one extended circuit along the island's eastern side. It only runs when the sea is flat and the current has dropped to nothing or the lightest possible push from the north — conditions locals put at well under half the year — because the dive plan requires divers to swim a genuine distance between features rather than being carried by a drift. The reward for waiting for that window is a site with a fair claim to its name: giant Queensland gropers up to two metres are seen with some regularity along the wall, and dive logs recording ten grey nurse sharks in a single outing are not unusual, on top of the resident wobbegongs scattered across the sandy bottom and huge, dense schools of long-finned bannerfish that gather over the structure.

The route begins at the shallow crown of The Pinnacle, drops down its southern wall to a sand gutter at around 30 metres, and then follows the Colorado Pass wall south, holding depth in the low 30s and dipping briefly past 35-40 metres where the biggest fish tend to hold. Yellowtail kingfish, bream, black drummer and eastern rock blackfish move through in numbers, and hawksbill, green and loggerhead turtles are all recorded on the same dive — an unusually complete turtle tally for one site. This is a 40-45 minute dive for divers with genuinely excellent air consumption and deep-diving experience; it is not offered as a default option and most visiting divers will never see it run, which is part of what makes it, on the rare days it goes ahead, one of the most talked-about dives anywhere on the Fish Rock complex.

All Fish Rock sites are boat access only, departing from the boat ramp/marina at South West Rocks (Fish Rock Dive Centre and South West Rocks Dive Centre both operate from the town, 4 New Entrance Road area). The run out to Fish Rock, off Smoky Cape about 2 km offshore, takes roughly 15-25 minutes depending on the vessel and sea state. Boats moor directly on the site — there is a southern mooring near the cave/shark gutters and a northern mooring near The Pinnacle — so there is no surface swim; divers descend the mooring line straight onto the reef.

Double boat dive trips (two dives, roughly 5 hours total) run most days when weather allows; book ahead as Fish Rock is a signature Australian dive and trips fill, especially in the May-November grey nurse season.

Fish Rock sits in open ocean off Smoky Cape with no shelter, so trips are cancelled on any strong onshore swell or wind over about 20 knots; operators want under 1.5-2 m swell to run safely. The site is affected by a north-setting current for roughly 80% of the time, and it can run strong enough to make the cave and Pinnacle undiveable — the best conditions are the day after the current has dropped out or during a brief slack. Visibility is usually 15-30 m and can be exceptional (30-40 m) inside the cave itself; it drops after east coast lows and heavy rain runoff from the Macleay River.

Grey nurse sharks are present year-round but peak May-September, with leopard (zebra) sharks more likely February-April. Dived year-round; winter mornings before the sea breeze are usually calmest.

Start at The Pinnacle's northern end, descend the southern wall to the sand gutter at 30 m, cross east then follow the Colorado Pass wall south, holding 30-35 m and dropping briefly to 40 m where the giant groper are known to shelter. Finish via Fish and Chips or the southern mooring depending on remaining gas and time, planning for a 40-45 minute bottom time with excellent air consumption.

Effectively a deep multi-level dive close to recreational limits; strong buoyancy and gas planning essential.

Fish Rock Dive Centre (South West Rocks) — double boat dives most days, year-round; South West Rocks Dive Centre — daily boat trips to Fish Rock.