Media Releases

Family and friends seek to solve a mystery four decades on in new podcast Kelly Tarlton’s Final Treasure Hunt

Released at 11:02 am on 16 May 2025

Podcast cover with a purple background. At the top, it reads 'Kelly Tarlton’s Final Treasure Hunt' in bold white capital letters. At the bottom is an illustrated red diving mask with directional arrows on the lenses.

Photo: Robert Whitaker

Kelly Tarlton is widely known as the visionary behind Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World. What's less known is that Tarlton was also a highly successful treasure hunter of shipwrecks across the globe. 40 years after his death a team made up of friends, family and marine enthusiasts embark upon an adventure to complete one of his final expeditions, setting off to find the location of one of the oldest European artifacts in New Zealand - the third anchor of the St Jean Baptiste.

From the bottom of Doubtless Bay to the display walls of Te Papa, the quest to complete Kelly Tarlton's Final Treasure Hunt is on – with some unexpected complications. Family friend and podcast producer Hamish Williams says the project is an opportunity to reignite the memory of a true adventurer and honour his legacy.

“Kelly’s daughter Fiona told me about her dad’s treasure hunting while we were sailing up the coast to the Bay of Islands and I immediately wanted to help the Tarlton family and their friends complete this quest and tell a new generation of New Zealanders about this great man and his life beyond his groundbreaking aquarium.”

RNZ’s Executive Editor, Audio Tim Watkin says that the podcast has everything – adventure, mystery and some great storytelling.

“Most New Zealanders will know the name Kelly Tarlton, but as the years go by fewer and fewer know about the adventurer, the environmentalist and the brilliant thinker behind one of our best-known landmarks. This podcast reminds us why he should be remembered and is just a great, swashbuckling yarn with some real surprises you won’t see coming.

Produced by Motuihe Group for RNZ, the six-episode podcast will be launched on Friday 23 May on rnz.co.nz/podcasts and on podcast apps and will broadcast on RNZ National on Sunday Mornings at 7am.