MV Excelsior’s Wreck

The MV Excelsior wreck, located in the North Haven end of Port Adelaide. It’s a unique location in that the “shipwreck” is well out of the water, so it’s a great spot if you want to keep your feet dry. The Excelsior worked as a coal hulk to service steamer dredges working in Port Adelaide in the 1930s. The front of the hull is still in reasonably good condition but heavily rusted which provides great textures. The hull is also generally oriented to the east so it’s a great location for sunrise shoots.

Special Photographic Features or Notes

The wreck is located a short distance from Mersey Road North & Archie Badenoch Ct. The hull is resting in fairly swampy water, however you can get quite close to it as there’s fairly thick plant life that’s growing in the mud. There are still a few pools of water here and there, so a good head lamp / torch is essential to keep your boots dry.

Night Photography

While the site is only about 140 metres from the road and street lights, there’s not a lot of ambient light hitting the wreck so it would lend itself well to night photography.

Special Equipment

Standard photography gear for this location :
* Tripod
* Good solid footwear. Boots or quality walking shoes that you don’t mind getting a bit wet if necessary.
* Headlamp or torch. You may want to bring an extra torch or flash for light painting.
* Mosquito repellent (this is a swamp after all).
* Wide angle lens is recommended.

Best Time of The Day

Night, sunrise and sunset.

Tidal Information

From what I saw this site doesn’t change too much from tidal flows, but it would be worth checking the tide height the night before.

Wind Information

While not exposed to the open sea, there are no trees or shelter nearby, so windy days will leave you exposed to the elements. Dress accordingly.

Getting there

From North Adelaide, take the A7 to Port Adelaide. Then take the A16 (Victoria Rd) for about 5 km and then turn right into Veitch Rd. At the round-a-bout turn left onto Mersey Rd North and follow it for approximately 2km until you reach the 2nd turn off for Archie Badenoch Ct on the left. Opposite this turn off is a small driveway, you can pull in here and park your car. You will see an opening in the gate where you can walk through and follow the track to the wreck.

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