Travel Diaries: There’s a WW2 shipwreck on Fraser Island!

We continued up 75 Mile Beach. This next bit is by far the coolest spot on the beach for me.

I love this next shot. The day suddenly became a little gloomy, which really added eeriness to the experience. Ahead, the wreck of the SS Maheno slowly appeared from the mist.

Thankfully though the skies cleared up and I got the chance to take some good shots. Here she is laying in all her wrecked glory.

I really didn’t know which pictures to add here, so I just wacked them all in. Due to the way she sits on the sand, she looks completely different depending on angle. SS Maheno was an ocean liner that was being towed by another ship during a cyclone in 1935. It only had a skeleton crew of eight on board when the tow snapped in rough seas and she ran aground. The crew set up camp and were found days later during a search.

I find shipwrecks fascinating. It is the same fascination I have with abandoned buildings, or even towns. What was once full of life and activity in a different time is now silent. It makes me stop and think about what it would have been like in it’s glory days, trying to envision the sight and hear the sounds.

How long will she remain I wonder? I am pleased I got to see the wreck whilst it is still here on the island.

Part One: The Largest Sand Island in the World

Part Two: Lake Mckenzie

Part Three: 75 Mile Beach