Stunning change at iconic Aussie tourist spot revealed in aerial image: 'So sad'

It's one of Australia's most iconic and visually stunning pieces of history. But the popular tourist attraction is slowly disappearing before our eyes.

Embedded in the sand of the famous 75 Mile Beach on K'gari (Fraser Island), the Maheno Shipwreck has attracted countless visitors to the so-called "Sand Highway" over the years. However its days are seemingly numbered.

Travelling couple Kevin and Adele visited the site last week and were taken aback by the changes they noticed.

"The Maheno seems to have deteriorated more over the last 12 months," Kevin told Yahoo News Australia. "Our first time witnessing the Maheno was 1989, it's certainly changed a lot since then."

The couple have been (accidentally) travelling Australia for more than half a decade after setting out in a caravan from Brisbane "on a whim" some six years ago. They are currently living on K'gari, where they look after a complex of 10 apartments and a house with stunning beach views.

Sending up his drone, Kevin recently captured shots of the iconic spot which show just how different it looks at the moment. Sharing the vision on social media, other Aussies were equally shocked by what they saw, with many sharing their own images of visiting the wreck, dating back years and even decades.

"It [has] disappeared heaps since I was there in May," one person commented.

"Wow that happened quickly, glad we got to see it before," another said.

"So sad. My Dad and I used to fish off her back in the day," one Aussie reminisced.

"Won't be long until she's just a memory," remarked a fourth person.

'We will eventually lose the ship'

Speaking to Yahoo News, researcher Ruth Reef, the head of the Coastal Research Group at the School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University, said sand is constantly being deposited at the site thanks to a natural geological migration.

Wind and wave patterns continue to move sand from southern parts of the country to islands such Stradbroke island, Bribie Island and N'gari, the associate professor explained.

"Fraser Island started off as a volcanic island ... In the past hundreds of thousands of years, there's been a transport of sand happening.

"We have a lot of sand that's moving north and it's getting stuck on these islands that are sticking out" from the Australian coastline, she said.

Known as a longshore drift, the process pushes sand and sediment along a coast in a parallel direction to the shoreline. While there are many factors that impact the ebb and flow of the coastal environment, the overall trend means "we will eventually lose the ship," Ruth said.

Incredible history of famous Aussie wreck

Built in Scotland for a New Zealand company, the Maheno regularly ferried passengers between Auckland and Sydney until it was commissioned during World War I and converted into a hospital ship.

In the end it was bound for a Japanese ship yard when the vessel was driven ashore during a cyclone in 1935 after leaving Queensland. When attempts to re-float it and find a new owner failed, it was abandoned where it sits today as a slowly eroding skeleton.

"That ship holds so much history, its story of how it got there is amazing," Kevin told Yahoo. "To the wedding on board for one of the Customs officers, being bombed by air and then on land by the island's secret Commandos.

"It must be one of Australia's most photographed monuments."

Caravan travel, drone give couple new 'perspective'

Whether it's the iconic tourist destinations or going more off the beaten path, for Kevin and Adele there is no time like the present to see the country's most awe-inspiring spots. Despite years on the road, it's something they say they'll continue to do, with drone in hand of course, as they share their experience on social media and their aptly-named Indefinite Leave travel blog.

"Drones capture footage from a perspective you just don't normally see. It gives you access to areas you wouldn't normally have," Kevin said.

"We remember going to Bloomfield Waterfalls up past Cape Tribulation and it was stunning. But when I sent the drone over I could see about 15 more waterfalls all cascading down the river to where we were. It was spectacular and I'd never have seen it or known without the drone."

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But it's not just the ability to have a flying camera that has changed their perspective, but the act itself of taking life on the road.

If you're thinking of joining the growing number of Australian families taking caravans around the country, "be ready to have all your thoughts about life challenged," Kevin said.

"There's much more to travelling than seeing places and afternoon drinks. You'll make new best friends, strengthen relationships, watch your kids grow confidence and skills fast, discover a new way of life without the stress and demands of every day life and learn you don't need even half of it."

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