The SS Ayrfield is one of several abandoned ships in Homebush Bay, just west of Sydney, but what sets it apart from the others is the magnificent flora that covers the rusty hull. The lovely sight, also known as The Floating Forest, breathes new life into the region, which is essentially a ship graveyard.
The gigantic 1,140-tonne steel beast was built in 1911 in the United Kingdom and registered as a steam collier in Sydney in 1912. It was later utilized to ferry supplies to American troops stationed in the Pacific region during World War II. The ship then served as a collier between Newcastle and Miller’s Blackwattle Bay port.
The SS Ayrfield was eventually retired in 1972 and brought to Homebush Bay, which served as a ship-breaking yard. While several ships were dismantled, roughly four metallic bodies of over 75-year-old ships now float in the water, albeit none are as well-protected by nature as the Ayrfield. The ship’s majestic appearance, lush with mangrove vegetation, continues to draw people.
via [Bhakta’s Weblog, Oddity Central]