We travel overnight, waking at 6.30am at the Yongala wreck site. Time for our first dive! Wow - what a way to start the day, giant trevally, batfish, Maori wrasse and Spanish mackerel all swimming through thousands of small fish.
The Yongala’s hull is covered with pink soft corals, dimming to a dull purple in the early morning light. Visibility is 20m and our dive coincides with slack water. In the gloom off the bow several huge Queensland groper hover near one of the wreck’s resident bull sharks.
Dive number two starts with a large turtle surfacing nearby. This time the current has increased and visibility is reduced. Then comes the song of a humpback whale resonating all around us. Occasional glances out into the blue aren’t fruitful, but the Yongala lives up to its reputation as one of Australia’s best dives.
