Homebush Bay Ship Wrecks
Hidden in plain sight are some fantastic shipwrecks on the Parramatta River right in Sydney not far from Olympic Park. We walked to the Homebush Bay ship wrecks from the Newington Armory, but driving or using public transport would also work fine. We left the area using the ferry to circular quay, which took an hour. From the water you get an amazing view of both sides of the river, good picture opportunities!
Access
There is a walk and bike track that leads to the shipwreck lookout. This side track is a dirt path and very easily overlooked. If you are not sure, there is s a large metal plaque at the start of the track. We also found that google maps was very accurate in this area.
The Wrecks
The lookout track has a small side path about half way along on the right hand side. This takes you to a small lookout platform over the river to a shipwreck (the tug Heroic) in the mangroves.
Tug Heroic 
SS Heroic in Mangroves 
SS Heroic in Mangroves
At the end of the track there is a well constructed viewing area with a telescope where you can see the wrecks of the SS Mortlake Bank and SS Ayrfield. Two wrecked wooden barges are also located at the end of the viewing platform, so look out for them too.
SS Mortlake Bank 
SS Ayrfield 
Now Overgrown with Trees SS Ayrfield 
SS Ayrfield 
Wrecked Barges 
Wrecked Barges Homebush Bay
Returning back to the main walkway and continuing on it for about 20 minutes, you will find a sign board for the HMAS Karangi. It is visible through the mangroves and looks amazing, being overgrown with trees. Unfortunately trying to get a clear photo from the shore proved too difficult with the trees in the way
HMAS Karangi
As the SS Mortlake Bank and SS Ayrfield are clearly visible, we walked around to the far side of Wentworth Point to take photos from a different perspective.
Getting Back To Sydney CBD
From here we walked to the ferry wharf, where there is a small shopping centre with several eateries and a supermarket, which was convenient to grab some snacks for the ride . The ferry trip takes an hour to get to Circular Quay.
The Homebush Bay ship wrecks are great to visit for something a bit different to see. Make a day of it and go to the Newington Armory as well.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
Our photos are available for purchase on
Leave a Reply