Old Steam Warship prepared for Sinking 

(nzpa/Saturday, 24 February 2007)

The well-worn and rusty hulk of the Navy's last steam warship has arrived at its new berth in the Bay of Islands before it becomes the country's latest dive attraction this year.

The Leader-class frigate, the former HMNZS Canterbury, was towed up the east coast from the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland yesterday to Opua in the Bay of Islands where it will be stripped of anything valuable in the next few months. 

The 37-year-old ship was decommissioned by the Navy two years ago and sold to the Bay of Islands Canterbury Charitable Trust for $1 last year.

The 3000-tonne, 113 metre ship is to be sunk in Deep Water Cove near Cape Brett at the northern end of the Bay of Islands, probably in October or November.

The ship would be berthed at the Opua Wharf, the same wharf where a sister ship, the former HMNZS Waikato was berthed before it was sunk several years ago as a dive attraction off Ngunguru.

Canterbury will be the third leander class frigate to be sunk for diving around the coast of New Zealand. 

Canterbury (F421) is finally for divers only now. 

(3rd November 2007)

The following are pictures of 'Canterbury' being sent to the bottom of Deep Water Cove to attract divers and sea life. 

I, along with others, tried to have the frigate 'Canterbury' saved as a monument and have the Navy Museum aboard it. We where not successful in that venture, as you can see.

Thanks to the Royal New Zealand Naval Association (RNZNA) website. 

You can view a video here of TV3's footage of the sinking

Video of Canterbury 1 week later on the bottom from TV3