In Homebush Bay, a 1,140-ton cargo ship known as the SS Ayrfield has been left to decay since 1972. Its rusted hull is split open and covered with dense vegetation, making it nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding mangroves. This unique sight, dubbed the "floating forest," has become a popular destination for photographers drawn to the striking contrast between the ship's orange rust and the bright green of the mangroves growing inside its metal frame. The SS Ayrfield is one of several abandoned ships resting in Homebush Bay. Others include the coal-fired steamers SS Ayrfield and SS Mortlake Bank, the steam tug SS Heroic, and the defense vessel HMAS Karangi. These ships were all dismantled in the early 1970s but were left incomplete when the work stopped. The SS Ayrfield, taken out of service in 1972, was sent to Homebush Bay, which at the time was a ship dismantling yard. The project was abandoned mid-way, leaving the ship to rust and decay over the decades. Homebush Bay has a long history of heavy industry, including large landfills used to support industrial activities in the 20th century. It later became a site for dumping various types of waste, including dismantled ships and toxic industrial materials. Today, the area's picturesque scenery hides a legacy of environmental degradation and contamination. The growth of mangroves on the SS Ayrfield is a natural process. The surrounding mangrove forests, mainly composed of Avicennia marina (grey mangrove), produce seeds that are dispersed by birds. These seeds eventually fall onto the wreck and germinate on the ship’s hull. As the trees grow, their roots penetrate the rusted metal, accelerating its decomposition while paradoxically helping to keep the structure upright. The site is now protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act of 1976 and the Heritage Act of 1977, which safeguard remains over fifty years old. While the SS Ayrfield itself is off-limits to visitors, the "floating forest" can be observed and photographed from nearby shorelines. This ecological transformation gained wider attention due to the Sydney Olympics, which led to a massive cleanup of the area. As part of the preparations for the 2000 Summer Olympics, a major rehabilitation project cleaned up 760 hectares of contaminated land, removing nearly nine million cubic meters of waste over seven years. This effort remains one of the largest environmental cleanups in Australian history. Today, Homebush Bay has two distinct Olympic legacies: a cleaned-up park for visitors and the rusted ship left to nature, which has become one of the region's most photographed and visually striking sites.