I was originally going to title this "The End", but it isn't quite. It's the penultimate chapter of a long-running saga for the former HMAS Adelaide, which is due to be sunk as an artificial reef off the Central Coast. And, indeed, was supposed to have been early last year. For over a year now she's been a fixture on the other side of the water; a still-elegant but slowly decaying vessel, awaiting her fate.

Earlier shots of her will be found in my Adieu Adelaide gallery, which also contains some details of the story.

The legal challenges all now having been fought and won (or lost, depending on your perspective), I heard on the weekend that Adelaide was due to be towed out to the Central Coast at dawn today. I decided that I was going to be there with the 40D. By the time I got there she had been pulled away from her berth and was pointing into the bay. I'll add some of those shots into the Adieu gallery later. This shot shows her underway (or at least, being pulled by her tugs) on her final voyage.

The End is due to happen on Wednesday the 13th (naturally; at least it isn't a Friday) when she goes under.

Last Year