Our $45m underwater playground

At the heart of the Sunshine Coast lies a 133m wreck with easy access to almost every chamber of the ship. more than A year after it was sunk, Amanda Obara explores the guided missile destroyer. 

The HMAS Brisbane was a Charles F Adams Class DDG Guided Missile Destroyer that served in both the Vietnam and Gulf wars. The 38-charge scuttling of the vessel on July 31 2005 marked the beginning of the Brisbane’s new life as an artificial reef and the end of 34 years faithful service with the Australian navy.

Unlike most reef systems that build up slowly over time, the Brisbane artificial reef commenced with a bang. With an excited crowd, I climbed nearby Mt Coolum for a bird’s eye view of the event. A total of 38 charges were detonated and the $45m ship was sent to the ocean floor. More than a year later I take a swift journey to the 4,720 tonne wreck 4.6 nautical miles off Mooloolaba. Among our group is the inspirational Geoff who swaps a wheelchair for a specially designed mono fin before leading the way to the wreck.

Resting perfectly upright in 27m of subtropical water the Brisbane is a wreck lover’s delight with room after room and deck upon deck to explore. The site is perfect for divers of all levels with the funnel tops just 4m below the surface and main deck submerged at 14-18m.

On our first dive we circumnavigate the vessel. Two huge gun turrets, now Australian dive icons, act as landmarks on the top deck. Vast schools of baitfish, hardy heads and yakkas twirl around us while countless other species speckle the ship structure. Moorish idols, five-banded damsel-fish, happy moments, triggerfish and venus tusk fish are local inhabitants. Cleaner shrimp hide in crevices, a large octopus resides on the bow and a local eagle ray cruises at 10m.

Inside, the ship is alive with inhabitants. Hundreds of baby bullseye and baitfish fill the rooms, ducking for cover when trevally and kingfish appear. Feather stars decorate doorways and a thin layer of sponge and tiny lace coral cover the walls.

Whale song reverberates throughout the ship’s chambers, creating a haunting background melody to the dive. Mother and calf pierce the ocean’s surface on our return journey to the mainland as they make their annual trip back to a summer playground in Antarctica.

More than 80 large squares have been cut throughout the wreck so divers always have a direct line of exit. These multi-sized squares add another luminescent dimension to the already interesting structure. More info on diving the Brisbane can be found at www.splashaustralia.com