Memorial for Dave Wheatley

25/11/1969 to 3/10/1997

On the long weekend I went on a road trip down to Merimbula with a couple of long time friends for a dive to commemorate the passing of our friend Dave 10 years ago.

I’ve known Steve and Rob, who I drove down with, and Dave since primary school and earlier. That was around 25 to 30 years ago. With us living in different parts of the country (and world at times), it’s been well over 10 years since the three of us have been on a road trip together that hasn’t involved wives or girlfriends, so that was a momentous occasion on its own.

After a leisurely 7 hour drive from Sydney to Merimbula on Saturday morning we met up with some of Dave’s family and other friends that were down there for the weekend, and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and evening before an early start on Sunday.

Sunday morning saw us loading up the boats for the short trip out to the wreck of the Tasman Hauler off the coast of Eden, which plays host to a memorial in Dave’s honour (see below) and is the site at which his ashes were scattered all those years ago.

The Tasman Hauler is a tug that was scuttled in 1988, is still more or less intact and in good condition. The top of the mast is at a depth of 14 metres, the bridge at around 20 metres, it lies in about 30 metres of water at the base and is over 40 metres in length.

Conditions weren’t too bad, although it was a little murky down there. For the first part of the dive everyone gathered around Dave’s memorial in remembrance of our friend. As well as many of Dave’s friends, his brother Mark and sister Meredith were on the dive.

Dave was instrumental in my taking up diving in the first place, and over the years we shared many good times, both under the water and on the surface, and it was a terrible loss for him to pass away at just 27 years of age.

Mark then took Rob and myself on a tour of the wreck, starting with the prop. Steve doesn’t dive, and stayed up on the boat with Dave’s Mum. The prop is intact and enclosed in a shroud. I was able to stand upright on the bottom of the shroud and couldn’t touch the top with my hands. After swimming through the prop we ascended a little and swam through the engine room. The rest of the dive involved a look around the bridge and the bow before heading back to the plaque and up the mooring line. All up the dive was around 31 minutes, maximum depth 29 metres and a water temperature of 13 degrees C (a bit chilly!).

Once everyone was rounded up back on the boat it was time for the second purpose of the trip. Dave’s Dad Bill recently passed away, and his ashes were also being scattered at the site. Sadly Mark had the task of doing for his father what he did for his brother 10 years ago. After that the boats were on their way back to Eden to complete a very moving morning at sea.

We then had the rest of the day to relax, eat and drink at various locations throughout Merimbula.

Monday was a full day of travel. We headed off at 8am and got back to Sydney around 3pm. After a break I then had the rest of the trip to complete solo, making it back to Port around 9pm. So the journey home incorporated breakfast, lunch and dinner, around 13 hours and over 800km. There was a bit of traffic along the way, but nothing too severe.

It was a memorable weekend and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. I did take my running gear, but didn’t get the chance to use it. I can run any time!

Taken at Merimbula in June 1996. Dave on the far left, Steve and Rob are there, and I even had some hair back then ;)

This is a video capture from the original video taken 10 years ago so it’s a little hard to read:

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick is over.

- John Masefield.