Shipwreck pillage threatens heritage

On 27/08/2009
In Parks & Protected Sites
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American barquentine Addenda

By Tanya Katterns - The Dominion Post

For more than a century, the wreck of the barquentine Addenda has lain in its sandy grave, a reminder of the treacherous seas off Cape Palliser.

But now vandals have tampered with the wreck, taking pieces of timber and exposing fragile pieces to the air.

Conservation Department Wairarapa area manager Chris Lester said holes had been dug around the wreck on the rugged south Wairarapa coast and pieces of it removed.

Mr Lester said the vandalism may have been an act of curiosity but could have far-reaching consequences for what was left of the ship.

"Even just exposing the timbers to air means they will start to deteriorate faster."

The remains of the Addenda, in three sections, are buried near the eastern end of Onoke Spit and just iron hull fasteners can be seen jutting above the sand.