When you hear the name Kelly Tarlton, you probably picture the famous aquarium in Auckland - with its glass tunnels and circling sharks.
But he was also New Zealand's most successful treasure hunter. Kelly Tarlton recovered millions in sunken gold, silver and jewels.
He pioneered new methods of underwater excavation, and was on the brink of a brand new adventure when he died suddenly, just months after his aquarium opened - leaving behind one final, unfinished quest. In his new RNZ podcast, Kelly Tarlton's Final Treasure Hunt, journalist and storyteller Hamish Williams set out to complete that quest - to find a lost anchor dropped 250 years ago by one of the first European ships to reach Aotearoa.
Along the way, Hamish uncovers an incredible story of obsession, risk, innovation, and the cost of chasing a dream.
Hamish Williams talks to Kathryn about the astonishing story of Kelly Tarlton, and what he hopes to find at the bottom of Northland's Doubtless Bay.
Kelly Tarlton was New Zealand's most successful treasure hunter. Photo: Supplied
