Skeleton of schooner surfaces at Kaipara, and already scavengers are taking their toll

The remains of a ship that ran aground 153 years ago have been discovered on an Auckland beach. The skeleton of the Daring, a 17m two-masted schooner, has been exposed at the entrance to Kaipara Harbour on NZ Defence Force land at South Head, north of Muriwai.

The trading ship was built at Mangawhai in 1863 and driven ashore by gales in 1865.

It was carrying a cargo of grass seed from Taranaki to Onehunga under Captain Phipps. It beached largely intact and none of the crew or the two passengers were lost.

But since it became visible on

Someone has been selfish enough to have damaged the ship within days of it being exposed by scavenging timber off it. Robert Brassey, historian

Tuesday, scavengers and souvenir hunters have already removed several deck planks and a section of railing.

Auckland Council’s principal specialist in cultural heritage and maritime history expert Robert Brassey was horrified people would damage such a “remarkably” well preserved wreck.

“It’s an astounding discovery,” he said. “It’s extremely rare for a wreck of this age to have survived in such good condition; it is a significant part of our maritime heritage.

“However, what’s even more astounding is that someone has been selfish enough to have damaged the ship within days of it being exposed by scavenging timber off it.”

As to why the Daring is so wellpreserved, it appeared to have been buried in sand since it was driven ashore, providing constant protec- tion from waves, wetting/drying processes and fungal growth that normally caused wrecks to deteriorate, he said.

According to Brassey, the ship popped up on the beach thanks to unusual tidal conditions.

“There have been elevated high tides recently which explains why such a substantial wreck . . . has become exposed like this. It may well get covered up again.”

The ship is protected both by its archaeological status and because it is on foreshore that is part of the Defence Force’s Kaipara Air Weapons Range, which is strictly off-limits to the public.