Queensland

Sunshine Coast Regional

Australia

One of the richest undersea dives in Queensland!

Approx 4 nautical miles N from Mooloolaba harbor.

Mudjimba

Mudjimba Island

"The second HMAS Brisbane (D-41) was a Perth class guided missile destroyer laid down by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company at Bay City, Michigan, USA, on 15 February 1965, launched on 5 May 1966, and commissioned on 16 December 1967. She was christened by the wife of the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, who delivered a message to the United States and to the builders at the shipyard thanking them for their efforts. Over 5000 people witnessed the launching. While the ship was building, many crew members came to Bay City to train on the ship and prepare the ship for commissioning. Some brought along their wives and families with them. However, there was a housing shortage in the area at the time, so a call went out to local residents to assist in providing housing for these crewmen.

Her nickname was the Steel Cat. Brisbane served as plane guard for carriers on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf, participated in Sea Dragon and Market Time operations, patrolled on search and rescue duties, and carried out Naval Gunfire Support missions during the conflict in Vietnam. She also escorted the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne when participating in NATO exercises in the Atlantic.

Brisbane paid off on 19 October 2001 to be sunk as a dive wreck off the coast of Queensland. Her bridge was removed and preserved at the Australian War Museum in Canberra.

Brisbane was sunk approximately 5 kilometres (3 miles) off the coast of Mudjimba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia on Sunday, the 31 July 2005 in 30 meters (115 feet) of water. She was filled with approximately 200 tonnes of concrete. Then 38 small charges were detonated around her hull and she sank to the bottom in two and a half minutes. Queensland state Premier Peter Beattie personally threw the switch to detonate the explosives. The top of her funnels can be seen lying just three meters below the water at low tide."
Source: Wikipedia

Approx 5 Nautical Miles from the mouth of the Mooloolaba Boat Harbour. Off the coast of Mudjimba.

HMAS Brisbane is also known as D-41.

HMAS Brisbane

dont go out if big waves r breaking because rouge wave will get on the dry roks

Head from Maroochydore towards Coolum on the coast road, after you pass Mt Coolum look out for the suburb of Yaroomba (has a sign).
Swimm out from yaroomba beach just out past were waves r breaking.

Yaroomba reef

Underwater World

Poor condictions but great for beginers of with the kids snorkling. Only if there is no surf!!

Drive up to Kawana pocket then just go anywhere off the rocks.

Point Cartwright

One of the best dive site of the area.

Approx 5 miles W of Mooloolaba.

Murphy's Reef

Bulcock Beach is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Australia, QLD, Southern Queensland, Sunshine Coast which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Bulcock Beach

Lots of fish, turtles, and nudibranchs!

Only accessible by boat and you need local knowledge to find the spot or exact GPS coordinates. Go with the local dive centre is the best bet. A great dive well worth the trip!

The Pin

This site is a marine park with no fishing.

The Reef is in great condition with only a small part that has been over dived (mooring #1 & 2), But even here there is still a lot to see.

This site is great diving for all levels with a little something for every one.

Night diving here is up there with the best, been a safer dive site than some others in the area.

On the South side of the reef there are some great swim-throughs. 

Best time of year to dive Flinders is winter as the Viz and weather conditions are normally better. 

If the swell and current are up, there is normally a calm side of the reef to hide from rough surface conditions and current,(normally).

Current is normally low on the calm side of the rock but can change without notice so have a good recall signal in place.

I hope you enjoy Flinders a much as I did.

Flinders Reef can be sited from the surface and is easy to find with a GPS or with a little local help.
There are a number of permanent mooring buoys around the site (permit is needed to anchor for 2 hour limit).

There are a number of operators that run double dive day trips out to the site as well as a number of live aboard's to choose from. 

Flinders Reef

It was late evening on March 26th 1914, when Captain George Corree approached Cape Moreton to the North-East of Brisbane in the Steam Ship SS Saint Paul. It was a fine evening with a slight current and good visibility. The St Paul's freighter was some 1660 tons in mass and 60-70 metres in length was inbound from New Caledonia to Brisbane and carried 2800 tons of Chromium ore. The Chromium was intended for Europe and was meant to be transferred to the SS Port Lincoln.

Late evening (11pm), the Captain requested a pilot vessel be signaled to Cape Moreton light station, and the ship to slow to half speed and wait it's arrival.The St Paul's was signaled back once she was identified (9 miles East Northeast off the Cape). Shortly after 12pm Pilot Boat Llewellyn made steam to assist the St Paul's. Moments after the Station's transmissions were made, the St Paul hit Smiths Rock.

At 12:40am the Llewellyn pilot boat arrived to find survivors in the water and the St Paul gone. With the St Paul's wreck found 1000 meters East of Smith's Rock it would indicate that it took some time for the ship to flood. 18 people lost their lives, of which the Captain was one of. Eleven lucky people were rescued that night.


The wreck of the Saint Paul lies between 38-43 metres on a sandy bottom. Nearly 100 years on the sea floor in an exposed area of the ocean. Most of the superstructure and hull is gone now, leaving two large boilers, winches and some large beams behind. 
This is a very challenging dive, diving to 43 meters at recreational dive limits. With an 'air no decompression limit' of 7-8 minutes, there's not much time on the bottom to see everything in one dive. With twin's and deco bottles this dive is a lot more fun and safe.
Most people dive this wreck in the morning due to the better weather and dive profile. Afternoon is known to bring more marine life with snapper, yellowtail kingfish, huge cod, bull rays and estuary cod.
Current can also be an issue at this site, sometime only on the surface. 


Not far from Flinders Reef, the St Paul's wreck lies 1km east of Smiths Rock.
Day boats and Liveaboard's are your best diving platform for this site.
Weather is a issue at this dive site, (due to being exposed to the open ocean). 

SS Saint Paul is also known as St Paul.

SS Saint Paul

Have to time tides right otherwise strong current.

Created by members of the Underwater Research Group of Queensland. The site consists of 19 vessels, 1 tram, a dry dock gate, etc. All sunk between 20-25m deep.

Northwest of Moreton Island. Via Manley Harbour or Redcliffe, depending on dive company you're traveling with.

Curtin Wrecks is also known as Curtin Artificial Reef.

Mudjimba Island

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Mudjimba Island