New virtual tour of ex-HMAS Adelaide at Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre

HAVE you always wanted to take a dive down to the ex-HMAS Adelaide but don’t fancy a possible close encounter­ with the denizens of the deep? Well, now you can.

Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre chairman John Asquith shows off the impressive virtual tour of the ex-HMAS Adelaide. Pictures: Mark Scott

• Crackdown nets hundreds of undersized fish
• Back to work for cricket streaker Chad Sharp

HAVE you always wanted to take a dive down to the ex-HMAS Adelaide but don’t fancy a possible close encounter­ with the denizens of the deep?

Well, now you can do it without having to dip your toes in the waters off Avoca Beach.

The Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre is offering a remarkable new 3D virtual tour of the Adelaide from all the key points of the ship.

Centre chairman John Asquith­ said thousands of photos were pieced together last year to give visitors an “amazing” and “unique experience­”.

Divers at the ex-HMAS Adelaide as part of the virtual tour.

“It was put together with panoramic stitching software over many months and you can click on any point of the ship and it gives you a complete 360-degree look,” he said. “There has been a lot of work put into this and we’re very proud of how it’s come up.”

Mr Asquith revealed plans were under way for the Terrigal centre — which opened in 2010 — to be part of a marine hub on the Coast.

The virtual tour of the Adelaide can be seen at the Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre at Terrigal.

“We’ll be looking to attract some senior industry people to the Coast in the next couple of months to make sure this happens,” he said. “There’s a big future in nature-based tourism and we want to be a key part of it.”

Supervisor Sam Kentwell said the centre — a popular school excursion stop-off — had been busy over the school holidays, with “the stingrays and Port Jackson sharks the main attractions”. “It’s been really fun to help the kids find the little stingrays which are hiding in the sand,” Ms Kentwell, 18, who will head to Townsville to study marine science at James Cook University this year, said.

Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre supervisor Sam Kentwell keeps an eye on one of the Port Jackson sharks.

The marine discovery centre — next to the Terrigal fire station on Terrigal Drive — is open each day during the school holidays from 10am-4pm. Cost is $6 for adults and $4 for concession and children. Details: ccmdc. org.au