Meet the site
Green Wheely Bin Reef is a small, oddly named site at the very eastern extremity of North Head, where the headland meets the open ocean and the tidal stream through the Heads is strongest. The name, coined by its discoverers, refers to nothing more profound than a green wheelie bin that once marked it; the site is identified from the water by the square concrete WWII pillbox on the cliff above. Beneath it a wall drops from 11 m to about 18 m, and a very large boulder standing beside it forms a gully with holes and overhangs. To the west the reef breaks into many large rocks and boulders with sections of flat rock between, and the outer sections run down to 28 m. An Admiralty-pattern anchor lies on the western side of one of the large rock formations. Kelp covers the shallow reef top; below about 15 m the shaded faces carry sponges and sea tulips in the North Head manner. The recorded fish life is modest but includes a memorable event: in May 2007 some 60 black-reef leatherjackets were counted in a single aggregation here, far more than usually seen together. Luderick, cuttlefish, sea stars and the reserve's usual wrasses and leatherjackets are the everyday sightings, with wobbegongs under the boulder and pelagics passing the point. The site's exposure sets it apart from the inner North Head dives: tidal currents are sometimes reasonably strong, ocean swell wraps the point, and it is the first to become uncomfortable when the sea gets up. That also keeps it quiet. It suits Advanced divers with their own boat looking for a North Head site nobody else is on, and works as a drift toward Fairfax Lookout when the tide is running west.
What you might see
Black-reef leatherjackets (large aggregations), luderick, cuttlefish, sea stars, wobbegongs, wrasses, kelp, sponges and sea tulips on the deeper reef
Location
Wall dropping from 11 m to 18 m with a large adjoining boulder, gully and scattered rocks out to 28 m, at the far eastern end of North Head below the WWII pillbox on the clifftop.
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
michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.