'The Barge' is one of the shallower structures on the Cochrane Artificial Reef. GoodDive lists it at about 15 m, placed in 1999, and describes it as covered in corals and sponges with schools of small fish. Marinelife.org.au and Tourism Queensland list the roughly 40 m Porteur (Porteur 77) gravel barge on the reef, which is likely the same structure, though sources do not confirm this directly.

Being shallow, the barge suits Open Water divers and gives the longest bottom times on the reef. Flat-decked barges make simple, satisfying dives: the deck offers a platform to hover over and inspect the growth, while the hull sides and the scour at the sand line are where the bigger residents shelter. Twenty-plus years of growth have given the steel a coat of sponges, soft corals and small hard corals, and clouds of small fish hang over it. Estuary cod, Queensland gropers, wobbegongs and stingrays are all likely, and turtles feed along the hull.

The structure is solid and easy to navigate but should not be entered. Like the rest of the reef, it is popular with anglers, so check for fishing line and boats overhead before you ascend.

It is a good first wreck for new divers and a relaxed macro dive for photographers, and combines well with the aircraft or the Ceratodus II on a two-dive trip from Burnett Heads. Because it is the shallowest structure, it is also the one most likely to feel surge on a windy day; ask the operator which structures have the best visibility on the day, as conditions vary across the 400 x 800 m reef field.

Cochrane Artificial Reef lies about 3 nautical miles off the rocky Woongarra coastline east of Bargara. Charter and private boats launch at the Burnett Heads boat ramp beside the Port of Bundaberg (15 km north-east of Bundaberg on Burnett Heads Road; large trailer park, toilets). From the Burnett River entrance it is a short run south-east – roughly 20-30 minutes in a small boat.

The reef covers an area of about 400 x 800 m, and each structure has its own GPS mark, so boats either pick up a buoy where one is present or anchor in sand beside the target structure (never on the wreck). Bundaberg Aqua Scuba runs boat dives here when the weather allows; others come by private boat.

The reef is in open water off the Woongarra coast, partly sheltered from southerly ocean swell by K'gari but exposed to south-east trade winds and north-easterly sea breezes. Operators generally want winds under about 15 knots and seas under 1 m. Visibility averages 8-12 m and is best in winter (May-September) with light westerlies; it falls sharply after heavy rain as the Burnett and Elliott rivers flush brown water along the coast, typically in the December-March wet season.

Tidal current is usually mild but can run on big spring tides – dive around slack water on neaps for the clearest, calmest conditions. Manta rays pass through in winter.

Descend onto the deck, then drop down to the sand at about 15 m and swim a full circuit of the hull. Check the shaded side for cod and wobbegongs and the deck fittings for nudibranchs. Finish on the deck and ascend the line with a safety stop.

Bundaberg Aqua Scuba (Bourbong St, Bundaberg) – boat dives to Cochrane Artificial Reef when weather permits, typically weekends or on demand; otherwise private boats from Burnett Heads. Fishing charters use the reef heavily.