Cockle Bay is a small bay within the
locality of
Picnic Bay on south-western corner of
Magnetic Island,
City of Townsville,
Queensland, Australia.
Geography
Cockle Bay lies on the western side of Nobby Head, a headland which juts out at the southernmost end of the island. The bay is populated with a number of small residential premises. Access to the bay is gained via an unsealed road which leads through the mangrove flats to the north of Cockle Bay to West Point Road, which in-turn connects to
Picnic Bay and
West Point. Access to the bay can also be gained by boat, and a channel through the offshore reefs is provided for access by boats with a larger draft.
History
Most notably, approximately 300 meters (330 yards) offshore in Cockle Bay at is the site of the wreck of , a fire-damaged former passenger
steamer and
coal storage
hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
which was wrecked in the bay in 1915 while under tow from
Townsville to
Picnic Bay for
scuttling as a
breakwater
Breakwater may refer to:
* Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour
Places
* Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
* Breakwater Island
Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...
. On 24 December 1971,
Cyclone Althea struck the area, causing the partial collapse of part of the wreck's iron
hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
, but the wreck has become an artificial island hosting a variety of plant and bird life.
References
{{Suburbs of Townsville
Bays of Queensland
Magnetic Island