SS Tuggerah

The SS Tuggerah was a coastal steamer that carried coal to Sydney. It sunk saturday 16 May 1919, with the loss of 6 lives. SS Tuggerah lyes on its port side, the bow of the wreck is destroyed. The ship mast is lying off to the left hand side of the wreck, quite distinctive. The bow is full of nannygai and other small fish. The wreck normally has outstanding fish life on it, as well as intersting setions of the wreck remaining, including tools rusted solidly into the hull in what remains of the engine room, the boiler and engine and propeller. One needs good GPS marks, plus visual marks to find the wreck. With these it is pretty easy. Conditions on the wreck very greatly. Current can be in excess of 3 kts: strong enough to be dangerous. Visibility can vary from zero to 30m+ on some days. The site is exposed to the Tasman Sea, and is a 3km swim to safety. As the depth is past normal recreational limits, this is not a site for inexperienced divers, or those who cannot cope with mandatory decompression stops. A half hour dive can result in at least 35 minutes of deco. The wreck lies two kilometres off the coast of Royal National Park on Sydney's south.