BRISBANE, Australia (22 July 2004) -- BEFORE it's sunk it must be sailed – with a little help from a tug boat – for one last time. Condemned warship HMAS Brisbane is making its final voyage up Australia's east coast before being scuttled off the Sunshine Coast as a new diving attraction. The Brisbane had been expected to arrive in its namesake port this morning, but strong winds and rough seas on the journey from Sydney have slowed its progress. The retired old warhorse is now expected to pull into Brisbane about 2pm. It will first be towed to its final resting place before being turned around and brought into the shipping lanes to enter the Port of Brisbane for cleaning and modification before it is sunk. HMAS Brisbane was decommissioned by the Federal Government and gifted to Queensland for use as a dive wreck and artificial reef. The 34-year-old US-built destroyer will be sunk off Mudjimba Island, and is expected to attract an extra 25,000 visitors to the Sunshine Coast every year. Environment Minister John Mickel said potential environmental and safety hazards would be removed before the Brisbane was sunk, probably next autumn. He said people would not be allowed on to the ship while it was in Brisbane, but would be able to watch it arrive. | | Vantage points included Point Arkwright, Marcoola and Mudjimba beaches, Alexandra Headlands, Point Cartwright, Caloundra, Tangalooma on Moreton Island, Woorim Beach on Bribie Island, Nudgee beach, Fort Lytton and Comslie Beach. Ex-service personnel who served on HMAS Brisbane during the Vietnam and Gulf wars will join State Government ministers in welcoming her to the city this afternoon. SOURCE - Courier Mail |
