''The
really sad thing is that when I was young Richard Moore
didn't seem a common name, however in the age of Google
it seems there are about 31 bazillion of us.'' - Richard
Moore the 27,000,000,001st. |
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THE
RENA
This is the container vessel Rena lying on the Astrolabe
Reef off Papamoa Beach.
Salvage
teams have been removing containers off the Rena and are
making good progress.
Today,
Rena remains on Astrolabe Reef and we will have to wait
and see what happens to the hundreds of containers still
aboard her.
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Jail for the Rena's
navigator and skipper
Read
Moore
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RENA
DEBRIS LANDS ON WAIHI BEACH:
When the stern of the Rena broke away and began
to slide off Astrolabe Reef hundreds of containers
went into the ocean. More than a dozen washed up
on Waihi Beach. Some were intact, others broke up
spilling their contents of wood, bags of milk powder
and other foodstuffs on to the sands.
Waihi
Beach Covered in Debris and Containers |
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SHE'S
GOING: RENA SPLITS IN TWO, STARTS TO SINK
Rough sea clonditions with swells up to 6 metres
have finally split the container ship Rena in
two. We hired a plane to fly over the Astrolabe
Reef and got some amazing images. Wreckage and
containers from the vessel are now drifting on
to many beaches in the Western Bay of Plenty.
Aerial
Shots of Sinking Rena
Containers,
Wreckage hit Bay Shores
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SALVORS
DOING TERRIFIC JOB GETTING CONTAINERS OFF RENA:
Working in very dangerous conditions the salvage
experts on the Rena have pumped the heavy oil from
her and are now taking containers from the grounded
vessel. It is complicated and difficult work but
they are averaging about nine a day at the moment.
We took a trip out to the Rena on HMNZS Pukaki to
see the operation up close.
Salvors
at work - we visit the Rena |
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HAVE
A LAUGH: A WATER-SHY PENGUIN:
While on a second visit to the Oiled Wildlife
Response Centre in Tauranga I watched as a little
blue penguin tentatively dived off a small platform
into one of the swimming pools set up for them. It
took the penguin about a minute to summon up the
courage to leap into the inviting waters and join
his mates in a bit of a swimming session.
Water
Shy Penguin Pictures
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WELL
DONE DEFENCE FORCE PERSONNEL AND VOLUNTEERS:
The people of Papamoa and the Mount are very grateful
for the efforts of New Zealand Defence Force personnel
in helping to clean up our oil-hit beaches. Members
of the Navy, Army, Air Force and Territorials have
been doing the hard yards on the sands. They have
picked up tonnes of oil globules, contaminated shells
and oily sand. The Air Force has also been using
hoses to try to clean up oil from around rocks around
Mauao's basetrack. Well done people, thanks!
Air
Force personnel cleaning up at Mauao |
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RENA'S
RESTING PLACE ON ASTROLABE REEF:
We hired a light plane from SunAir in Tauranga
and flew out to the stranded Rena on Astrolabe
Reef. It was pretty windy, but our pilot James
did a great job to get us in a position to take
these pictures.
Close-up
photos of the Rena
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OIL
DISASTER AT MY BEACH:
Idiot crew run container ship aground off Papamoa
Beach in NZ spilling 350 tonnes of heavy fuel
into the sea. More than 1400 birds and other sea
creatures have died. This is my photo essay on
the disaster so far. I'll be regularly updating
images despite the authorities trying to stop
journalists and photographers getting on to the
affected beaches.
Read Moore
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CONSERVATION
WORKER CATCHES PENGUIN:
I was on Papamoa Beach when a Department of
Conservation worker managed to chase down and
catch a small penguin in the surf. Have a look
at the lengths the guy, Jerome Guillotel, went
to in his bid to save this little creature. Well
done Jerome!
Series of pictures of the capture
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TRYING
TO SAVE PENGUINS AND OTHER WILDLIFE:
An Oiled Wildlife Response Unit is in Tauranga
to help save oil sea creatures and birds. These
people have done a fantastic job in the past weeks.
Some of the images I took there will disturb some
people, but this is an ecological disaster that
needs to be documented. Other photos will have
you smiling.
Pictures of the penguin cleanup
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Copyright
Richard Moore All Rights Reserved
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