A 127-metre former navy landing ship scuttled in the Great Sandy Marine Park, now a coral-clad wreck with unusually wide swim-throughs.
Region: Hervey Bay, QLD
Skill Level: Advanced
Depth: 11-28m
Water Temperature: 21-27°C
Visibility: 8-25m
Best Time to Dive: Year-round, calmest conditions in the cooler months
Marine Life: Hard and soft corals, anemones and sponges colonising the hull and railings; Schools of baitfish and silver trevally over the decks; Queensland groper and cod in the larger openings; Wobbegong sharks resting on the flat surfaces; Green and loggerhead turtles passing through; Eagle rays and stingrays on the sand beside the hull; Migrating humpback whales along the coast, June to October.
Hazards: Depth to 28 metres, careful gas and no-decompression planning required; The ship lies on its starboard side, the sideways orientation is disorienting until learned; Interior penetration is an overhead environment, wreck certification, guideline, redundant gas and lights required; Offshore site about an hour from port, weather and swell regularly govern access; Current can run across the wreck, strongest around the tide change.
Facilities: Hervey Bay marina, the main charter departure point; Burnett Heads near Bundaberg, an alternative departure point; Marine park moorings on site, no anchoring.
