The Cleaner Station takes its name from a large boulder that partially blocks the entrance to a gutter on the north-eastern point of South Solitary Island, creating the kind of current break and shelter that cleaner wrasse and other cleaning species favour, and which in turn draws a steady procession of larger fish and reptiles in to be groomed. It is a comparatively gentle, moderate-depth site by South Solitary Island standards, with the main mooring at 12 m and the surrounding boulder field running down to about 18-20 m, making it accessible to Open Water divers rather than the more current-affected Manta Arch nearby. The site's specific fame comes from a small cast of long-observed local characters that Jetty Dive Centre's divemasters have named and tracked over years of repeat visits: a resident loggerhead turtle known to regulars as Barney, and a large blue groper called Charlie, both of which use the cleaning station and are generally unfazed by a slow, respectful approach.

Around them, angelfish, black cod, frogfish and the more unusual ornate ghost pipefish and anglerfish have all been recorded in the boulder crevices, making this as much a macro and critter site as a big-animal one. Kingfish and other larger fish also use the station opportunistically. A small associated feature known as the Cleaner Cave offers additional shelter for some of the more unusual animals found here, and the general boulder terrain supports a healthy population of resident reef fish alongside the cleaning specialists.

Currents can pick up seasonally, particularly around tide changes, but the Cleaner Station is generally one of the calmer, more approachable sites at South Solitary Island, and its mix of charismatic resident megafauna and genuinely good macro life makes it a strong second or third dive on a day built around the more demanding Manta Arch.

Jetty Dive Centre departs from a public floating pontoon wharf on the Coffs Harbour boat harbour, opposite the Attitude Burgers building — check in first at 398 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour. It is roughly a 30-40 minute run out to South Solitary Island, 8 km offshore, in the dive centre's RIBs. Private boats launch at the Coffs Harbour public boat ramp inside the breakwall and follow the same course out past the harbour entrance.

South Solitary Island sits in open water 8 km off Coffs Harbour and is exposed to swell from the north-east through south-east; Jetty Dive Centre generally wants under about 1.5-2 m swell to run the outer moorings comfortably, switching to the more sheltered Split Solitary Island (only 20 minutes out) on rougher days. Visibility here is usually the best in the marine park given the distance from any river mouth, and the site's position at the boundary of tropical and temperate water means conditions can change quickly with wind shift. Summer (Nov-Apr) water is warmed by the East Australian Current to up to 26°C, bringing tropical fish, manta rays and, from December, leopard sharks; winter (May-Oct) cools to about 18°C but often gives calmer seas, giant cuttlefish and the peak grey nurse shark season (Jun-Nov, sometimes 30-60+ sharks on Manta Arch).

Humpback whales migrate past between April and November, peaking June-August northbound and September-November southbound. Currents can run strongly on the exposed north-eastern moorings (Manta Arch, Shark Gutters) and are much gentler on the sheltered north-western wall.

Descend the mooring to 12 m and settle a short distance back from the main boulder to watch the cleaning activity without disturbing it, then work the surrounding gutters to 18 m for macro subjects before ascending.

Jetty Dive Centre (Coffs Harbour) runs South Solitary Island most days conditions allow, typically a double boat dive; it is the flagship site for the only major dive operator based in Coffs Harbour.