A Mangrove Ship

For all those whose heart starts beating faster when they see some old and abandoned things, Homebush Bay in Sydney is the place to visit. This is where many 20th century ships, which are no longer used, ended up. One of these abandoned ships, the SS Ayrfield, is definitely the most impressive sight for all the lush flora growing in its rusted hull. The fully-grown mangrove trees earned this 102-year-old, 1,140-tonne ship the Floating Forest name among the locals.

The SS Ayrfield served as a collier on the sixty-miler run between Newcastle and Sydney and would transport the supplies to American troops in the Pacific Ocean. The old ship was brought to the Bay back in 1972 to be dismantled, but the operations eventually ceased, and the bay no longer served as a shipwreck yard. The SS Ayrfield, along with many other ships used during WW2, were simply left there to decay and being reclaimed by beautiful nature.