The SV Berbice is a Stockton Beach wreck that reappeared after more than a century. Grey Nurse Charters records that she was a British cargo ship that foundered on the night of 5 June 1888; her crew were rescued by the Rocket Brigade using a breeches buoy - a line fired from shore by rocket, along which crew were hauled to safety in a canvas seat. The wreck was uncovered by shifting sands in July 2018.

She lies in about 5 m and, according to Grey Nurse Charters, can be reached from the beach or by a short boat dive, and is accessible to recreational divers. Like other Stockton Beach wrecks, what can be seen depends on the sand: at times, hull frames, plating and fittings are exposed; at others, much of the wreck may be buried again. Marine life is typical of the surf zone - bream, whiting, luderick, tailor and flathead, with stingrays and shovelnose rays on the sand - and encrusting weed and barnacles cover exposed metal.

The Berbice's appeal is its story and its elusiveness. Stockton Beach has claimed dozens of vessels, and the long, open beach constantly buries and reveals them. Diving the Berbice when it is exposed connects divers with the dramatic rescues of the nineteenth century, when rocket crews saved sailors from ships driven ashore on the beach.

It needs flat seas, and visibility can be poor, so it suits experienced Open Water divers with surf skills or snorkellers on calm days. As a historic shipwreck, it is protected - nothing may be moved or taken.

Cross the Stockton Bridge from Newcastle or take the Stockton ferry, and drive to beach access points along Stockton Beach; some areas require a 4WD beach permit. Ask Grey Nurse Charters or local divers for the current position, as the wreck is periodically buried and uncovered. Shore divers swim out through the surf to about 5 m; boat divers make a short run north from Newcastle Harbour (10-20 minutes).

Like the Durisdeer, the Berbice lies in the surf zone of Stockton Beach and needs swell under about 0.5-1 m and preferably offshore westerly winds. Sand movement governs whether any of the wreck is visible - storms can uncover it, calm spells bury it. Visibility is often limited by surf and the Hunter plume; dive after dry weather at high tide.

Enter from the beach on a flat day, locate the exposed hull section, and explore along it while staying outside the break. Exit on the beach.

Protected historic shipwreck under the NSW Heritage Act.

Grey Nurse Charters dives the Newcastle wrecks and reefs by arrangement from Newcastle Harbour and Swansea; Dive Newcastle and local clubs dive them from private boats. There is no fixed daily schedule - trips run on demand and conditions.