As a diving destination the Town of 1770 rated pretty low on our places to visit, until we heard there were a number of interesting shipwrecks, packed with marine life, in the area. We knew there were operators taking divers out to Lady Musgrave Island, however we didn’t know if there were any local charter boats diving these shipwrecks. A quick search on the Internet revealed there was one dive operator, 1770 Undersea Adventures. So we contacted the owner, Don Growcott, and organised a few days of diving for the middle of August 2005.
The Town of 1770 is located six hours drive north of Brisbane, just south of Gladstone. The town is quite small and picturesque, overlooking the calm waters of Bustard Bay. However, most of the shops, restaurants, accommodation and the pub are located 6km away at Agnes Water. With five days free, we allowed one day to drive up from Brisbane, three days of diving, and the last day to drive home.
Arriving at Agnes Water on the Wednesday afternoon the wind was quite strong from the south east, and speaking to Don he informed us the wind was due to drop, but it looked like it was going to be too rough for offshore diving the next day.
Instead of diving on Thursday we enjoyed a sleep in, explored the town, did some bush walking in the Joseph Banks Conservation Park, observed whales and dolphins from the local lookouts and strolled the lovely beaches that are a feature of this coastline.
On Friday the wind had dropped and we met Don at the boat ramp next to the 1770 Marina. Don runs a covered 6.8m rigid hull inflatable, with twin 100 outboards, which is surveyed for 12 divers and 2 crew. Also onboard were crewmembers Andrew and Ester. With the seas still choppy Don decided to head out to the wreck of the Cetacea, a few kilometres straight out from 1770.
In no time we were anchored on the shipwreck and eager to get into the lovely deep blue coloured water. Don gave us a briefing about the shipwreck while we gear up. The Cetacea is a steel hull fishing trawler that sank in 1992 in 31m of water. Being only 13m long, the wreck is quite compacted, but generally covered in fish life.
As we descended the anchor line we were soon surrounded by hundreds of trevally. This wall of fish swarmed all around us as we headed to the dark shape below. The visibility was around 15m, allowing us to see the whole of the Cetacea lying on the sandy bottom.
The old trawler is in remarkably good condition considering she has been lying on the bottom for 13 years. Most of the vessel is intact, including the rigging and nets. While there was much to see on the wreck, the marine life gathered on and around the trawler was what we had really come to see.
On the sand beside the wreck were around a dozen stingrays. As we swam closer we could see there were both black-blotched stingrays and estuary stingrays. We photographed the stingrays, and then moved over to the stern of the Cetacea. Here there were sweetlip, red emperors, trevally, batfish and several large estuary gropers, in fact there were estuary gropers all over this shipwreck. Hovering above the fish was a large spotted eagle ray that glided away as we got closer.
From under the stern a large loggerhead turtle lifted off the bottom, but got its head caught by a piece of rope. For several seconds the turtle struggled to get free. Just as Andrew was ready to cut the rope the turtle broke free and quickly swam away.
The nets of the Cetacea, which once captured fish, are now home to a school of stripey snapper and encrusted in soft corals. The nets also shelter butterflyfish, angelfish, coral trout, morwong and sweetlips. Moving down the side of the vessel we peered into the wheelhouse, which is now occupied by cardinalfish and several estuary gropers. We circled the wreck a number of times during the dive and spent the last few minutes on the mast, watching all the trevally and batfish circling around.
After a surface interval our second dive on the Cetacea was just as impressive, but this time we also saw a school of barracuda near the wreck.
Saturday dawned a perfect day for diving, very light wind and almost no swell, wonderful conditions for the hour long run down to the wreck of the MV Karma, the premier dive site in the area.
Don had only just started running his charter boat in November 2003 when the diving gods smiled on him. Only days after opening for business the 42m long gravel barge MV Karma ran aground south of the Town of 1770 at Deepwater National Park. The 450 tonne barge was travelling up the coast to be scrapped when she lost power and ran aground. An attempt to salvage the barge was launched. She was taken off the beach, but her damaged hull continued to take on water. On the 23rd December 2003, the MV Karma went to the bottom off Deepwater National Park. In the short time the MV Karma has been down she has quickly obtained a reputation as one of the best wreck dives in Queensland.
We had fantastic conditions for the run down to the MV Karma and were soon anchored on the wreck. Peering over the side we could clearly see her sitting below us in the clear blue water.
The visibility was easily 20m, and as we descended we could see the bow and much of the super structure of this compact barge. The wreck sits upright in 26m of water on a clean sandy bottom. We first headed to the sand under the bow, as Don told us that stingrays usually gather here. No stingrays today, instead we found an olive sea snake and several painted sweetlips.
On the bow we had a close look at the anchor winch, home to a brown-banded catshark, and around several hatches. Resting under a hatch lid was a very fat tasselled wobbegong. The main feature of the bow is a large crane, the crane boom extending back towards the bridge. Under the crane base was a spotted wobbegong and two large estuary gropers, along with schools of bannerfish and black-spot snapper.
After swimming around the crane we descended into the large hold, encountering butterflyfish, angelfish, pufferfish and an olive sea snake resting under some rope. Above us the crane boom made an impressive sight, with the rigging still in place and schools of batfish swarming around it.
The bridge is a two level structure with a passageway down the side at the lower level. Swimming along the passageway we passed two doors that are still swinging on their hinges in the slight current. Inside these rooms we flashed our torches about to see a wall of cardinalfish and several estuary gropers.
Around the stern area more batfish were schooling around the handrails and funnel, and a school of striped barracuda were engulfing a ladder. At one of the hatches we could see into the engine room, but were not tempted to enter this dark silty room.
We then dropped off the back of the stern to look at the prop and rudder. Sheltering under the stern were several big estuary gropers, a school of painted sweetlips, several pufferfish and stripey snapper.
Suddenly a shadow passed overhead and we looked up to see a huge school of amberjack swimming over the stern. The massive body of fish quickly swept past and disappeared into the blue.
We then explored more of the bridge area, amazed at the amount of growth on the wreck in less than two years. Oysters, hydroids, algae, small hard and soft corals have all taken a firm foothold. We investigated the funnel and the upper level rooms of the bridge. Swimming back to the bow along the crane boom, which is home to bannerfish, silver batfish and rabbitfish, we spent the last moments of our dive photographing the crane.
We surfaced buzzing. What a fantastic wreck – compact in size, lots of structure to explore and packed with marine life. Don then informed us that the fish life was below par today, but we had no complaints.
During our surface interval the sea went glassy, no wind and hardly a ripple on the surface. We basked in the sunshine and enjoyed cakes and ham rolls that Don provided for lunch. We then jumped in for another look over the MV Karma.
This second dive was just as good and this time we also observed a very large cobia resting on the sand behind the stern. We even had a chance to concentrate on some of the smaller creatures that inhabit the wreck, including lionfish, blennies, nudibranchs, hawkfish, tuskfish and a lovely yellow boxfish.
We were very impressed by the diving, and the dive operation, at the Town of 1770 and are already planning a return visit, not only to dive the MV Karma again but the other dive sites in the area. Don informed us that there were excellent rocky reefs at Middle Rock and Outer Rock off Bustard Head, and a pretty coral reef in Pancake Creek, one of the few estuarine coral reefs in Australia. There are also other shipwrecks to explore, including the Polmaise, Shannon II and the Barcoola – which is reported to have some of the best fish action in the area.
Don is also in the process of setting up a second larger dive vessel, a 13.7m long Harris craft, which will be used to dive the local dive sites and for trips out to the fabulous Bunker Group. The vessel will have a compressor onboard and be set up to run both day and liveaboard trips.