MAANZ is developing a "wreck trail" of the main shipwrecks around the Wellington shoreline. Designed for divers and non-divers alike, the trail will be a source of information on the location, history and range of shipwrecks around the city’s coastline.

A brochure will be available to guide people around a route from Owhiro Bay to the city centre. At certain locations the trail follower will find signboards erected on the shoreline, detailing the location and history of the wrecks in that vicinity. The brochure will be printed on waterproof paper, and will contain explicit underwater instructions to guide divers to the location of certain wrecks.

The trail concept has the support of the NZ heritage trails foundation, and will follow the foundations’ distinctive green and yellow brochure and signage style.

We need your help!

MAANZ is gathering data about the shipwrecks along the coast from Owhiro Bay to the city centre. The information we need includes historical information such as when the ship sank or where it was built, environmental information such as how deep it is or diving hazards around it, and information about artefacts recovered from the wrecks and their current location.

We would like the diving community to help us gather this data. We welcome any information you may have. This may include any bits of the information listed below, or your recollections of the wreck from say thirty years ago compared to its present state. The information we require is:

  1. Location
  • Shore or boat dive?
  • depth
  • Location – what beach, what street etc?
  • Level of dive – newly qualified or advanced divers?
  • Environment – sand, silty bottom etc
  • Text description of the entry point
  • Underwater navigational instructions from the shore entrance
  • GPS location
  • Surface reference points
  1. Remains
  • What is left? What are divers likely to see?
  • Location of any artefacts
  1. Hazards or conditions?
  • Hazards or restrictions on the wreck itself
  • Hazards or restrictions of the environment – storm water outfall, shipping channel etc
  • Weather hazards – best dived in a southerly or northerly?
  1. History
  • When was the vessel wrecked?
  • What was the vessel used for?
  • When was it built?
  • Documentary references, pictures etc

Send your information to MAANZ at: