Arrrrgh ahoy there, me hearties! Does your little one talk constantly of buried treasure and sailing the seven seas? Before you are tempted to make your little pirate walk the plank, here are some great places to find some shipwrecks in Brisbane both on land and in the water. So grab your cutlass and your sea legs and get exploring!
Shipwreck Parks in Brisbane
Brisbane and the surrounding area holds a treasure trove of nautically themed parks and playgrounds (some even with shipwrecks, Brisbane!) sure to keep your little buccaneer happy for hours. Here are a few to add to your treasure map.
- Simpsons Park, Graceville Ave, Graceville
- Fig Tree Pocket Boat Ramp Park, Mandalay St, Fig Tree Pocket
- Captain Burke Park, Holman St, Kangaroo Point
- Discovery Park, Springfield Lakes Blvd, Springfield Lakes
- HMAS Warner Playground, Caspian Parade, Warner
- Bayside Park, Trafalgar Street, Manly
- Cleveland Point Park, 237 Shore Street North, Cleveland Point
- Clarke Place Park, Esplanade, Bulcock Beach
- Ed Hardy Park, Cnr The Esplanade and Kelly Ave, Miami
- “Pirate Island” Palm Beach Parklands 945 Gold Coast Highway Palm Beach
Bayside Park, Manly
Discover Real Shipwrecks In Brisbane and nearby
Parks and playgrounds not enough for your pirate? Here are some scuttled shipwrecks around Brisbane – maybe one holds gold doubloons and other treasures?
HMQS Gayundah at Woody Point Beach, Redcliffe. This flat-iron gunboat entered service in 1884 for the Queensland Maritime Defence Force, then Royal Australian Navy until she was sold in 1921 to become a sand and gravel barge on the Brisbane River. Gayundah was run aground in 1958 to preserve the foreshore.
Bulwer Wrecks are three shipwrecks on the beach directly in front of the town of Bulwer on Moreton Island. Their situation makes for easy access by kids, being on the beach and in shallow water. The Hopewell and Mt Kembla were scuttled in 1930, Kallatina in 1931 to form a breakwater to make loading and unloading ships easier.
Tangalooma, Moreton Island is home to the Tangalooma Wrecks – fifteen ships scuttled to create an artificial reef teeming with sea life. Originally created in 1963 to give recreational boat owners a safe anchorage, now a world class snorkelling site (depth 2-10 metres).
Dicky Beach Caloundra is home to the wreck of the SS Dicky, which ran aground in heavy seas on 4 February, 1893, whilst on a voyage from Rockhampton to Brisbane.
The Maheno Shipwreck at Fraser Island up past Happy Valley – its is deteriorating and you can no longer climb on it but still impressive for Brisbane Kids. You can find out more information here
Swashbuckling Extras
So what if your little pirate isn’t into shipwrecks? Take part in “Speak Like A Pirate Day” on the 19th of September each year simply by speaking like a pirate. Visit the Queensland Maritime Museum, South Brisbane to view items from maritime history. The museum holds pirate week during the June school holidays each year for kids aged 5-10.
These jokes are sure to entertain swashbuckling pirates – why not try them out on your kids too?
- Why are pirates called pirates? (They just arrrgh!)
- Why couldn’t the pirate play cards? (Because he was standing on the deck)
- What is a pirate’s favourite subject? (Arrrrtt!)
- Why did the pirate go on holiday? (To get some arrrgh and arrrgh!)
- Why can’t you take a picture of a pirate with a wooden leg? (Because wooden legs don’t take pictures)
Now you’re all set for your pirate adventure, finding shipwrecks in Brisbane on land and under the sea!
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