The Last Post
On 25th November 2000 HMNZS WAIKATO was deliberately sunk two miles south of Tutukaka in Ngunguru Bay as an attraction for visiting divers. The WAIKATO was sold for the outrageous price of $1.
New Zealand has several ex-navy vessels sunk around the country to become reefs which not only become great habitat for fish of many species, but great diving platforms too.
The WAIKATO had a relatively peaceful life, but she was instrumental in rescuing a US Navy Sea King helicopter which was losing power and running out of fuel. Her small flight deck wasn’t designed for such a large aircraft to land, but she managed, saving the crew and the aircraft. In 1970 she had a major fire in her engine room, and the enquiry into this led to the Navy completely changing its procedures for combating fire, and rethinking part of their Damage Control. During the Falklands War she was stationed in the Indian Ocean to relieve a Royal Navy ship carrying anti missile weapons. In July 1998 she was decommissioned, and a new life beckoned.
At first this new life didn’t seem up to much and consisted of being a viewing platform for the America’s Cup races. Soon however she was purchased by the Tutukaka Promotions Society so that she could be sunk as an artificial reef and an attraction to divers. After five months of stripping and cleaning the WAIKATO was ready for her big day and was towed to an area off the Tutukaka Heads. On November 25 th 2000,just after mid day, Rob Snelling who had won a raffle for the honour, hit the detonator and twelve large holes were blown in her hull. With thousands of people watching on land and sea ,down she went. Her end took just two and a half minutes.
As the WAIKATO plunged to the bottom, her bow hit the seabed, and as her stern followed, the bow fell off. So now the WAIKATO lies with her bottom in 28 metres with a list to port with her bow completely separated. This has actually made for a much better diving experience, as you don’t often she a ship neatly cut in two. They have left the gun turret on, as well as the funnel, and only hacked off that part of the radar mast that would have stuck out of the water. Ast its shallowest, the WAIKATO is only 8 metres below the surface.
You go down the radar mast and then you can swim out to the bow which is an ideal to reach the wreck proper for those that have not done free diving before. Coming back you go to the stern and swim through the helicopter hangar and then into the bridge. Just before the bows breaks off there is a twin turret with the guns still attached. very nice. The vis is normally about 60ft and the the whole diving experience is fantastic.