Adventure Magazine

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