Meet the site
The Fiji was a three-masted iron barque of 1,471 tons, built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast in 1875. She left Hamburg for Melbourne in May 1891 under Captain William Vickers with a crew of 25 and a general cargo that included dynamite, spirits, pianos, toys and hardware. After 106 days at sea, in thick weather on the night of 5–6 September 1891, she ran onto the reef under Moonlight Head at 3 am. The crew clung to the rigging until daylight and then tried to reach the shore through the surf; eleven drowned, along with Arthur Wilkinson, a local man who swam out with a line to help. A malfunctioning rocket apparatus and a slow response from the Port Campbell lifesaving crew added to the scandal, and the beach where the dead were buried was named Wreck Beach. The Fiji shares the reef with the French barque Marie Gabrielle, lost here in 1869, and the two anchors bedded in the sand at low tide are one of the best-known images of the Great Ocean Walk.
The wreck lies in 6–7 m in a sandy gully of sandstone boulders about 60 m offshore and runs for roughly 71 m. The bow is the most complete section, with flooring, bilge frames, hull and rudder plating, and a large mound of anchor chain with two anchors, winches, hawsepipes and rigging. Cargo lies among the plating – pig iron, coils of wire, bricks – and the small artefacts that made the site famous among divers in the 1970s, broken gin bottles, ceramic toys and porcelain doll parts, are still occasionally seen concreted into the reef. It is a protected historic shipwreck and nothing may be taken. Marine life is limited by the surge to kelp, abalone, crayfish and hardy reef fish. As a dive it is rarely possible and physically demanding, with a 350-step carry each way and an entry through a boulder gap in the surf zone; as a piece of history in one of the most dramatic settings on the Victorian coast it is unmatched, and most people should see it from the beach at low tide.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Fiji is recorded as Wreck in Shipwreck Coast & Warrnambool. The listed access is shore or boat. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Fiji suitable for my certification?
The record lists Advanced Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Fiji through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Kelp and bull kelp, black-lip abalone, southern rock lobster, sea sweep, wrasse, zebrafish, limpets and barnacles on the plating
Location
Iron barque wrecked in 1891, lying in a sandy gully of sandstone boulders about 60 m off Wreck Beach, west of Moonlight Head; anchors on the beach at low tide.
Facilities nearby
Gravel car park at the top of the steps, no toilets or water; nearest services Princetown or Lavers Hill; no air fills nearer than Warrnambool.
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
scubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.