In Little Peppermint Bay, near Woodbridge on the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, lies the hulk of an old river steamer, the Laura. The Marine Life Network guide describes her as badly corroded but still fairly intact, with the bow high and dry and the rest of the hull in 2-4 m over a mud and pebble bottom. It warns that the wreck is weakening rapidly and may be unstable, so divers must not climb on it or enter it.

The site is essentially a heritage snorkel: the hull's lines are still visible, and the steel is covered in weed, mussels and small invertebrates, with small fish, crabs and sea stars around it. It suits snorkellers and divers interested in the Channel's history, when river steamers carried fruit, timber and passengers between Hobart and the Channel and Huon settlements. The guide's entry also mentions a dramatic 1855 explosion; this refers to the Katherine Sharer, blown up in Port Esperance, which has its own entry.

Visibility is modest and the bottom is silty. Access is on foot at low tide around the headland from Woodbridge, which also has cafes and the Peppermint Bay restaurant. Given its condition, visit soon and treat it gently.

Combine a visit with lunch in Woodbridge and a drive further down the Channel Highway to Ninepin Point or Verona Sands, where the Huon's tannin-stained water creates an unusual reef community. The hulk is best photographed on a calm, sunny morning at low tide, when reflections and the exposed bow make a striking image, and a snorkel around the submerged stern gives a sense of how these vessels were built.

Woodbridge is on the Channel Highway about 40 km (45 minutes) south of Hobart via Kingston and Kettering. The Marine Life Network guide says the hulk in Little Peppermint Bay is reached by walking from Woodbridge around the headland at low tide; the bow is high and dry and easy to spot. Park in Woodbridge near the Peppermint Bay precinct and walk along the shore; check tide times so you are not cut off.

The D'Entrecasteaux Channel is sheltered from ocean swell by Bruny Island, but strong northerly and southerly winds funnel along it and raise a steep chop. Southerly swell entering from the Southern Ocean affects the southern channel sites. Visibility is moderate and often green-tinged from Huon River and local runoff, dropping after heavy rain; the Marine Life Network notes a possible slow tidal current at some sites.

Calm mornings in late summer and autumn are best; the channel can be dived year-round. Access depends on low tide around the headland.

Walk around at low tide, then snorkel or dive slowly around the outside of the hull in 2-4 m, staying clear of the unstable structure.

No operator trips; heritage visitors and snorkellers.