Ex-HMAS Brisbane, former Royal Australian Navy warship wreck dive, post Cyclone Alfred
Sections of a popular wreck dive have undergone a dramatic transformation at the hands of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred.
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Sections of a historical and popular navy wreck dive have undergone a dramatic transformation at the hands of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred as rangers work to make it safe again.
Sections of the ex-HMAS Brisbane, a former Royal Australian Navy warship that is one of Australia’s premier wreck-dive sites, have been redesigned by Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The HMAS Brisbane was a Charles F Adams Class DDG guided missile destroyer of about 5000 tons.
It was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1967, and served Australia for 34 years, until it was decommissioned in 2001.
The HMAS Brisbane served in the Vietnam and Gulf War and assisted on a number of humanitarian missions such as the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy in Darwin.
The wreck is now 2.9 nautical miles off Mooloolaba’s shore after the state government agreed to scuttle the former Royal Australian Navy ship in 2003 to create an artificial reef and dive site. It was sunk in 2005.
Sitting upright, the ship’s forward decks rest in 15m of water, and the stern is in 18m of water. It is 133m long.
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service southern marine parks principal ranger Steve Hoseck said rangers conducted an initial post-cyclone inspection of the popular dive site last weekend.
“While the majority of the wreck remains in great shape, and appears unaffected by Alfred, a large forward section of the ship has undergone a major makeover,” Mr Hoseck said.
“An entire section below the front funnel has detached and been relocated to the port side of the ship.
“This is an amazing demonstration of the power of the waves and water currents that were at play during the cyclone.”
Mr Hoseck said rangers were prioritising making safe the separated areas so diving could resume.
“Once these works have been completed, we will open the site for guided external-only dives run by the two local dive operators,” he said.
“The next priority is a full internal inspection of the wreck to assess if additional work is required before diver entry into the wreck is deemed safe.
“This internal assessment is complex work that requires good sea conditions and could take several months to complete. Access during this time will be limited to guided dives only for safety.
“A multi-beam survey in April will give us an indication of damage to external surfaces, and will be compared to previous surveys to determine if any further twisting or warping has occurred.
“We recognise how important the ex-HMAS Brisbane site is to the local diving community and tourism industry and we are committed to getting the site safe and reopened so that visitors can experience its new creative expressions as soon as possible.
“We ask that people stay away from the site until it is deemed safe.
“Once deemed safe, the ex-HMAS Brisbane will be an amazing dive, with new twists and unique perspectives thanks to Tropical Cyclone Alfred.”
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Originally published as Ex-HMAS Brisbane, former Royal Australian Navy warship wreck dive, post Cyclone Alfred
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