The Wreck
Australia
The Wreck produces a fast, hollow and powerful right-hander that breaks on a sand bank directly in front of submerged reef structure. The wave works best during mid-high tide with westerly to southeasterly winds and northeast to northerly swell in the 3 to 6-foot range. Winter sees the most consistent conditions. The break demands intermediate to advanced skills—you need solid ocean awareness to read rips, hold your position, and manage shallow-water wipeouts.
The SS Wollongbar, a 2,005-ton passenger steamship built in 1911, wrecked at Byron Bay on May 14, 1921, and subsequently tore loose from the old pier during a cyclone in 1922, sinking offshore. The remains lie roughly 87 metres parallel to the beach, approximately 30 metres out from Belongil Beach. The wreck has become a local landmark visible during low tide, where the boilers and rudder tiller are exposed.
Access is straightforward from the main beach area near the town end of Belongil Beach, approximately 60 metres from the Main Beach Car Park. The spot is popular with local shortboarders and experienced longboarders, and it doubles as a snorkelling site given the wreck's proximity to shallow water.