Dive 2000 Dive Club - Sydney :: Merimbula And Eden Easter Weekend

Wrecks and Reefs were the star attraction of our Easter weekend down the beautiful Sapphire Coast at Merimbula and Eden during Easter 2009. Merimbula Divers Lodge provided comfortable accommodation above the dive shop and great access to the dive sites of Merimbula and Eden.

Eden, a short drive south, has two wrecks to explore, a large ocean going tug, the Tasman Hauler and the smaller harbor tug Henry Bolte. The Tasman Hauler is impressive and sits upright and intact in just 28 meters. Descending the mooring divers arrive at the radar mast and bridge at shallow depths so this ship is an excellent multi level dive. As two of our divers Andrei Metelski & Stefan Heisterkamp were also completing their PADI Wreck Diver specialty course this ship was ideal for practicing penetration techniques.

Diving the rocky reef area out side the harbor we explored a large sea cave that was decorated with gorgonian corals and sponges. A large wobbegong was the guardian of the cave but he vacated quickly when our group invaded.

Dive conditions were excellent the entire four days, flat seas, warm sunshine and clear water made a perfect combination for holiday diving fun. The boat trips are just a short cruise across the harbor at Eden and excellent cafes at Eden jetty awaited our hungry divers upon return from the depths.

The real highlight of the trip was the wreck Empire Gladstone. This massive iron ore carrier ran aground at Haystack Rock south of Merimbula in the 1950’s. Ocean swells driven by storms over the years has broken the ship down into twisted remains of her original form. Seaweed and barnacles have transformed the twisted metal into a sculptured steel reef inhabited by large schools of fish and many resident species of marine life. Three massive engine room boilers stand like monoliths on the rusted remains of the deck, silent sentinels that give the only clue how large this ship was.

As the maximum depth of the wreck site was only 12 meters we enjoyed unlimited bottom time exploring among the wreckage and inside the few compartments still intact. As we cruised the vast expanse of wreckage it was a challenge to identify the ships remains but items like ships masts, bollards, engine parts and winches revealed themselves among the steel and kelp.

Our evenings were spent exploring good restaurants or enjoying home delivered pizza but the most memorable evening was spent at the lodge sharing good wine and a spectacular BBQ. Our club member Yann Chane-Kive surprised us with his culinary skills and cooking ability. He got our vote for Master Chef of Merimbula.