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 Birchgrove
Park
(Deep
Diver)
The
'Birchy' as she is commonly known was a 640 ton collier which sank
off Avalon Beach in 1956. Commonly referred to as 'sixty milers' a
number of colliers plied the 60 miles between Newcastle and Sydney
delivering coal to the power stations. The 'Birchy' rests in around
50 metres of water and has long been a favourite of the deep diving
crowd. Unfortunately she has broken up badly in the last 8 years but
is still an excellent div.
Trio
(Deep
Diver)
The Trio
is a dumb hopper barge, that is to say a hopper barge that does not
have its own propulsion. To the best of our knowledge it was discovered
by Ivor Endicott-Davies about 8 years ago. One of the more interesting
aspects of the dive is the remains of a ferro yacht hull that rests
in the hold. The Trio rests in about 48 metres of water off Mona Vale
Hospital.
Duckenfield
(Advanced)
The
Wreck of the Duckenfield rests in about 24 metres of water off Narrabeen
beach. She sank in 1889 whilst transporting a cargo of copper ignots,
some of which still litter the wreck site. Most of the copper was
salvaged by Briggs and May, the two divers made famous by their record
breaking salvage of gold from the Catterthun.
Dee Why,
Coolooli, Himma, Belluberra
(Deep
Diver)
A number
of hulks rest in about 45 - 50 metres of water off Longreef. Sunk
in the mid seventies onwards to create an atrificial reef for fishing,
they have become the 'meat and potatoes' of the deep diving community.
The reef includes the remains of two ferries, a bucket dredge, a tug
and a number of hopper barges.
The Wall
(Open
Water)
The Wall is without doubt one of the better reef dives to be found
around Sydney. As the name suggests it is a dropoff which begins at
10 metres and then drops vertically to 22 metres where boulders lay.
The Wall is an excellent drift dive as currents are quite common.
There is a lot of fish life at the area including pelagics, such as
Kingfish.
The Apartments
(Open
Water)
If you are looking for fish life then the Apartments is the dive for
you. This is without doubt one of the 'fishiest' dives you are ever
likely to encounter. The Apartments consist of a large drop off with
a large bommie to the seaward side. The dive site starts with a wall
which drops from around 8 metres to around 15 metres and then a bommie
rises back up to 10 metres before dropping away past 20 metres.The
space between the bommie and the wall is invariably filled with a
huge ball of schooling fish. The bommie also has a cave which runs
through it on the seaward side.
Myola
(Deep
Diver)
The Myola was another of the famed sixty milers. She sank in 1919
during a huge storm whilst transporting coal from Newcastle to Sydney.
The wreck was discovered by John Riley and Peter Fields in 1994 at
a depth of 48 metres. This is a great dive for individuals who enjoy
deep diving and have a true appreciation for wrecks.
Midway
Reef
(Advanced)
Midway reef consists of a wall which starts at 22 metres and drops
sheer to 29 metres where large boulders then fall away to around 36
metres. There is a profusion of colourful sponge life anf fish life
amongst the boulders, but most dives at Midway are spent exploring
the mass of caves and swimthroughsthat cut back into the wall. A fantastic
dive for the more adventurous types.
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to Sydney dive locations.
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