Cariba was born in South Africa but moved to Australia in 1991 at the age of 3. Cariba's mother is the owner of the dance school Legs. Her early days included dancing at her mother's dance school in Canberra. Cariba was the youngest dancer to perform at the Stargazers Convention in Sydney, Australia. She performed in many stage productions, including a tour in the United States, where she featured in a Will Young music video. While auditioning for H2O, Heine hired a personal trainer to improve her swimming. She performed in many stage productions, including a tour in the United States, where she featured in a Will Young music video.Then she moved to the Gold Coast to start filming H2O: Just Add Water. She also appears as Bridget Sanchez on Blue Water High for the third series. Cariba has also guest starred on Stupid Stupid Man as Mindy.