Latest news with #Paihia
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Paihia ship fire: 'We've lost a significant bit of history'
Firefighters dampen down the remains of the Tui. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf The cause of a fire that destroyed a historic ship at the Paihia waterfront may never be known, a fire investigator says. The Tui - originally built to transport sugar from the Chelsea refinery on Auckland's North Shore more than a century ago - was severely damaged in a blaze that started just after 4am on Wednesday . What remained of the vessel was then demolished with a digger to prevent the debris being swept into the Bay of Islands. Northland fire investigator Craig Bain said police were treating the blaze as suspicious and were following up on a number of vehicles seen in the area on CCTV footage around the time the fire started. However, Bain said power was connected to the ship's main switchboard, so he could not immediately rule out an electrical fault as the cause. His job was hampered by the need to demolish the ship quickly. A digger demolishes what's left of the Tui before high tide can sweep the debris into the Bay of Islands. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Bain said the Tui was effectively a "boat within a boat", because the late Kelly Tarlton had built a replica three-masted barque around the original sugar lighter - a type of flat-bottomed vessel. He said the flames had spread between the two hulls towards the bow. "So the only way we can really put this out is unfortunately to demolish the boat." It was also a race against time because the remains of the ship had to be removed from the beach before high tide at 2.30pm on Wednesday, to prevent the debris being washed into the Bay of Islands. Bain said it was too risky to get on the ship because the fire-damaged masts were "precarious". "We can't get in there to get a good look, it's just too dangerous." A digger demolishes what's left of the Tui as firefighters continue dampening down the wreckage. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf The last of the three masts collapsed about 10am. Instead, he was examining the debris being pulled off the ship in the hope that would give him some idea of how the fire started. If he was unable to establish the cause of the fire it would be classed as undetermined. Bain was, however, confident it had started at the rear of the ship. "It's quite devastating for Paihia and the Northland community in that we've lost a significant bit of history," he said. Bain said he felt for the people who had been striving to turn the ship into a marine education centre. Restoration work had been due to start in earnest om the day of the fire, he said. Northland fire investigator Craig Bain inspects debris pulled off the ship in the hope of identifying the cause of the fire. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Paihia deputy fire chief Sandro Schuetze said the first fire call came in at 4.07am. In total 13 fire trucks responded with more than 50 firefighters from as far away as Whangārei. "Everyone gave their best to try to save the boat, but the condition of the boat and the high wind meant we couldn't save it at all." Schuetze said it was a sad day for the local community. Many people had fond memories of the ship as Kelly Tarlton's Museum of Shipwrecks, and later as a series of restaurants. The last of those, Shippey's, closed in 2014. "It was undergoing work to bring it back to its glory… but it will not see that glory anymore, unfortunately." A warning was issued for people in the area to keep their doors and windows closed due to the high winds and thick smoke. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Fire destroys Paihia waterfront landmark
history life and society 20 minutes ago There was heartbreak in Northland today after fire destroyed a landmark which has graced the Paihia waterfront for more than 50 years. Once Kelly Tarlton's Museum of Shipwrecks and later a popular restaurant, the Tui had fallen into disrepair in recent years, but it was just about to get a new lease of life. Peter de Graaf reports.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Fiona Tarlton on the burning of the Tui
history national 36 minutes ago For over 50 years the historic Ship Tui has been moored up but Waitangi Bridge in Paihia. It was originally moored there by Kelly Tarlton where it operated as the Museum of Shipwrecks. At 4am last night it caught fire, according to fire and emergencies Mitchell Brown "The structure is about 90 percent destroyed, which is a significant loss of history to the community, To celebrate the ships legacy Jesse is joined by Kelly Tarlton's daughter Fiona Tarlton.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Morning Report Essentials for Wednesday 4 June 2025
media life and society 20 minutes ago In today's episode, according to results out on Wednesday morning, the left bloc would have enough support to govern, the Privacy Commissioner says facial recognition technology in North Island supermarkets has potential safety benefits, despite raising significant privacy concerns, after a shareholders meeting on Tuesday media company NZME - which owns the New Zealand Herald and Newstalk ZB - has a revamped board and an historic ship at the Paihia waterfront in Northland has been 90 percent destroyed by fire.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Historic ship Tui on fire near Paihia's Waitangi Bridge
Historic ship The Tui on fire in Paihia. Photo: Supplied A historic ship is on fire by the Waitangi Bridge in Paihia. The Tui is a three-masted sailing ship that has been a feature of the Waitangi waterfront since the late Kelly Tarlton bought the historic vessel and used it to house his finds from a lifetime of exploring shipwrecks. It has recently changed ownership and Kerikeri-based TriOceans marine research institute had started restoring the vessel for use as a community space and marine education facility. Four fire crews are fighting the blaze after Fire and Emergency received multiple calls about it after 4am. "The timber ship is fully on fire and is already significantly damaged." Fire and Emergency believe the fire to be suspicious. The Tui. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf A witness told Morning Report the ship had been let go in the past few years and it was a bit of an eyesore but the community had good news when it had been sold. "I think they'd delivered $15,000 worth of materials in there yesterday and now she's gone up in flames." Derek Gerritsen from Big Fish Bay of Island said the top deck was on fire and the whole back of the ship was burnt out when he was at the scene. "She's fully engulfed in flames," he said. "I don't think there'll be much left of it." There were already rumours going around the community about the suspicious nature of the fire, he said. No one was on board the ship overnight. "The fire is generating some smoke around Paihia and Waitangi and people are advised to avoid the area and keep windows shut," Fire and Emergency says. It was not yet known how the fire started. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
