Ex-HMAS Tobruk scuttled off the Queensland coast to become dive wreck

[chris kippax]

Big time balls up

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Some recent media
Botched sinking of Navy ship for dive site will not be fixed at $20m cost

 

[Jay]

I recently idi a few enjoyable dives on the Tobruk. The orientation makes it 'interesting' ... think of more looking vertically to see things than horizontally. I would have preferred it upright but this way does make you think more. There's a phone you can pick up, levers to pull, toilets on the 'wall', complete with a toilet brush and my most enjoyable part was the tank deck; it's a long dark peaceful swim through. The wreck is already attracting aquatic life. It has a shy resident (~2m) grouper that's called Cooper, a super friendly turtle whose name I forget, and some of the biggest barracuda I've seen (DM estimated 1.5m). Most parts of the ship are accessible and there's nothing scary. Bottom temp was 26deg.

I went with Hervey Bay Dive Centre. Friendly crew, their boat's a good size, comfortable and not too many divers.

This virtual tour and ship plans are well worth a study pre-dive: Ex-HMAS Tobruk—from Wreck to Reef | Environment, land and water | Queensland Government

While you're nearby Wolf Rock (Rainbow Beach) is a mere 2hr bus ride down the coast and the sharks are very placid! We also spotted a manta, it's the start of the manta season now.