Well it is there and an awesome sight too, you think you can reach out the car window and touch it.
How did it get there? well we will never know but our radio station, the one we all own is running a T shirt slogan competition.
What would you put on your entry? mine would be is it time to wake the captain yet?
Will it be re floated? not in my view just maybe it is worth more as a tourist attraction.

The environmental outcome of 'just leaving it there' would be less than favourable...not including hearing the occasional DONG from surfers slamming into it.

How did it get there?, well, I believe it got washed up in a storm did it not?.

Well yes! it did get washed up in a storm ,but why?
Up to 74 ships have lined up outside Newcastle port this year waiting to load coal.
A deal was done that reduced the waiting at anchor ships to 54 on the night of the storm.
All but 3 or was it 4 took the advice a bad storm was brewing and set anchor further to sea , 3 got in trouble.
One was ,well it sits on the beach very nearly.
Why? such a large ship why was it washed ashore?
In the rescue of the crew a reporter asked a very wet but safe crew member are you alright?
He aid yes I am ok but the captain is &*^%!
So we must wait for an answer but most have a view.
By the way that night, ten inch's of rain fell 130 klm north of Newcastle.
Winds blew trees down that far away from the storm center.
Locals may be proved wrong but are betting this ship will never float again.
The very waves crashing ashore are in a brand new pattern and this lifetime beach fisherman has the view more sand is building up around the hull.
Being Aussie I commend the ABC radio station in Newcastle for its humor in the T shirt comp and its coverage of the floods and tragic events are a reason to continue to be proud of them good one 1233!
I tender that crew members statement as a T shirt slogan.

Over 30 years ago the Cherry Venture, was washed up on the beach in SE QLD near Double Island Point, they threw everything at it tugs dredges the lot, all failed, eventually years later they cut it up with oxy and angle grinders.
Tugs are made for moving big floating objects, with no resistance, not big objects stuck in sand. Dig a little hole in the wet sand at the waters edge on the beach, put your foot in, then try to move your foot backwards or forwards, hard if not impossible.
So my money is on it being there for quite a while.

Tugs indeed can not get traction or wheel spin in an effort to drag such a load clear.
Anchors dropped out to sea and made to truly hold may give the pulling power needed.
However even the ships owner has gone on record saying it may not be possible to move the ship or avoid an environmental disaster.
Tomorrows high tide may be the best and only chance, numbers coming from around Australia to view the ship are making it a money maker for Newcastle tourist people.

I would have thought pumping off the fuel and oil would avoid environmental disaster in the event she cannot be shifted.

To answer your earlier question why this ship, my understanding is she was next in line for loading and had dropped her ballast water, not to mention proximity to the coastline.
I think the ships aren't allowed to dump ballast in port due to contamination risks, from say chinese harbour water, where foreign organisms could be transported.

Once the warning was given she had time to go to sea and find safe Anchorage, some of her crew want to know why she did not.
While most of the fuel and oil could be pumped of if at sea it is a hard task while she sits in that place.
Some fuel and oil will not be pumped out even at sea I doubt it all could be removed.

Here is a powerpoint slideshow someone emailed me with photos of the storm:

http://ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1182052690