Kawera Island

To the north west of Tauranga. Kawera (aka Karewa) Island is an amazing little island.

I have climbed to the top on several occasions (illegal!) but I was young then.

Tuatara, massive centipedes, mutton birds are some of the life I encounted and considering its so close to the mainland it was surprisingly pristine.

I have dived this area extensively. In addition to crayfish hunting you can find a ships boiler on the bottom on the south west side, the remains of a wreck the SS Taranaki on the western side of the island. The SS Taranaki Story

When I dived this wreck over many years I collected a few small momentous. Including coat hangers, china plate fragments, and from the rigging a block and rope. The wreck isn protected now.

this is not a wreck that is visible as an intact ship. The remains are scattered, and the boiler mentioned above is part of it. The remains are flattened into the seabed and over grown with kelp so it takes a keen eye and patience to find it.