Adventure Magazine
Issue 230, February/March 2022
Issue 230, February/March 2022
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Words and images by Rob Wilson<br />
New Zealand Tamatea Blue Project - Ghost Diving NZ<br />
Ghost Divers join the dive charter Pure Salt to descend<br />
into historical Fiordland to remove over 5000kgs of bottles<br />
and junk from the seemingly pristine water of this exclusive<br />
location. Anchors and plundered sinks from a nearby wreck<br />
of historic significance are just some of the items we have<br />
removed from the sites during this project. In total in three<br />
years and 9 dives we have removed 11,500kgs from Dusky<br />
Sound<br />
Helicopter insertion for a dive felt very much like we<br />
were special forces<br />
Helicopter insertion through some of the most incredible<br />
mountains felt very much like we were special forces and<br />
especially so as an ex NZ Navy vessel the *M.V Flightless<br />
was waiting for us at our landing zone. (*now owned by local<br />
business Pure Salt - www.puresalt.co.nz.) However, with<br />
such a unique insertion, carry on equipment was restricted<br />
so we were travelling light.<br />
The flight through the snow-capped peaks is definitely one<br />
of the most incredible experiences of my life, I was virtually<br />
speechless at its sheer rugged beauty. The helicopter<br />
touches down on a platform on top of the majestic 27m<br />
vessel the Flightless.<br />
We met Maria and Sean our hosts who have hosted myself<br />
and the team during this incredible project. They were the<br />
most amazing people with passion, energy, sheer love<br />
and respect for this land we all call home - Aotearoa (New<br />
Zealand.)<br />
The "Tamatea Blue Project" has a double meaning. One is<br />
that 'Dusky Sound', the area we were heading to, is called<br />
'Tamatea' in Maori language. The other is that the area<br />
pays homage to one of New Zealand’s greatest explorers<br />
'Tamatea, who has been described as the ‘Māori Marco<br />
Polo’. He circumnavigated the North and South islands and<br />
also explored inland. He was sometimes called Tamateapōkaiwhenua<br />
(land explorer) or Tamatea-pōkaimoana (sea<br />
explorer). And to say this area was of historic significance is<br />
by far the understatement of 2020.<br />
This area marks the very first meaningful interaction<br />
with those Europeans from the outside world<br />
This area marks the very first meaningful interaction with<br />
those Europeans from the outside world as Captain Cook on<br />
his second voyage interacted directly with the 'Iwi' (Tribes)<br />
in 1773. And the cove that the project was operating in<br />
is a beautiful site called 'Luncheon Cove' where the first<br />
European settlement in New Zealand located in 1792.<br />
58//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#230