A TRAGIC BEAUTY SS YONGALA, QLD

WHAT? The passenger ship, the SS Yongala, sank in 1911 en route from Melbourne to Cairns killing all 122 aboard. Found in 1958 intact and covered in coral, the wreck is now regarded as one of the best dive sites in Australia, if not the world. WHERE? The wreck is located 12 nautical miles from Alva Beach, south of Townsville, in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. HOW? Yongala Dive ( yongaladive.com.au) has one- or two-day options (two and four dives respectively) with accommodation in a renovated Queenslander at Alva Beach. You’ll need to have an Open Water-level certification. WHY? The hulking form of this 107-metre vessel looms out of the depths with its colourful outcrops of coral. You’ll see huge shoals of trevally and barracuda, rays, turtles and bull sharks.