Meet the site
The TSS Nerong was a 219-ton, 36.6 m twin-screw coastal steamer that foundered in a strong gale on 19 September 1917 roughly 5 km east of Norah Head, becoming one of a string of small coastal steamers lost on this exposed stretch of the NSW coast during the era before reliable weather forecasting. Lying today in 43-45 m, she sits well beyond recreational no-decompression limits, and diving her properly means planning a genuine technical dive with appropriate gas and staged decompression rather than a quick recreational look.As with most of the deep wrecks scattered off the Central Coast, the Nerong cannot be located visually from the surface and requires an accurate GPS mark and a shot or anchor line dropped directly onto the structure, since it will not hold in the surrounding sand. Once on the wreck, divers can expect the machinery and lower hull sections of a compact twin-screw steamer, likely encrusted with sponge and gorgonian growth after over a century underwater, with resident fish sheltering in and around the remaining structure. Because visits are infrequent and mostly limited to technical club divers with local knowledge of the mark, first-hand documentation of the wreck's current condition is thinner than for the more actively dived Central Coast wrecks like the Kiama or Galava — a site for a well-prepared technical team rather than a casual charter booking. As with the region's other deep steamer losses, she is a reminder of how exposed this coast was to sudden weather before reliable forecasting, and how many small working vessels never made it to the safety of Broken Bay or Newcastle Harbour once a gale set in.
What you might see
Resident reef fish and encrusting growth typical of a century-old deep wreck
Location
A 219-ton, 36.6 m twin-screw coastal steamer that foundered in a strong gale on 19 September 1917, lying in 43-45 m about 5 km east of Norah Head.
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
centralcoastdivers.com.auterrigalunderwatergroup.comcoastmagazine.com.auprodive.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.