The historic wreck of a schooner built in Mangawhai 158 years ago will soon return to the Northland town.
The Daring shipwreck emerged from the sand at Muriwai in 2018. Photo: Supplied by Northern Advocate
The Daring was built from kauri and brass alloy sheathing in 1863, beginning an "incredible story", said Kaipara Deputy Mayor Anna Curnow
"Mangawhai has a long history and this ship is a part of that," Curnow said.
The 31 tonne ship has been in a superyacht facility in Hobsonville, Auckland, since her rescue from Murwai Beach in 2018.
Last week, the council voted to allow the shipwreck to stay in Mangawhai Community Park, alongside Mangawhai Museum.
Mangawhai Daring Trust spokesperson Larry Paul said Heritage New Zealand had allowed the excavation because Daring was a globally-important wreck.
Conservation work was required as part of that permission and public access would not be allowed during a three-year conservation process.
Diggers were used to rescue the Daring from Muriwai Beach. Photo: Supplied by Northern Advocate
The ship was the only example of its type in the world and had been visited by international archaeologists and conservators, Paul said.
Back in the days when Mangawhai had a strong shipbuilding community, Donald McInnes built Daring for John Matheson and John Rattray from Onehunga, Auckland.
The 17m schooner was first wrecked at the mouth of the Waikato River about a year after her 1863 launch.
She was wrecked a second time the following year, after getting blown in a storm onto Rangahia Beach at Muriwai, near Kaipara Harbour's South Head.
University of Rhode Island associate professor Bridget Buxton and Larry Paul beside the Daring. Photo: Supplied by Northern Advocate
Daring was dug out of the sand in 2018, in a huge rescue operation after windblown sands shifted to uncover her 152-year-old secret resting place.
Paul was among 30 people who helped recover the ship.
Rescuers slept on the beach overnight and took 10 days to dig out the gaff-rigged, two masted ship.
"When it came out of the sand, its timbers looked like freshly sawn kauri, unbelievably preserved in the ironsands of the west coast," Paul said.
A pair of shoes was recovered from the wreck. Photo: Supplied by Northern Advocate
Daring was based in Onehunga and carried goods around the coast before there were roads or rail - 10 years ahead of the first flat-bottomed scows.
Artefacts recovered from the ship included shoes and bottle tops that had been removed with a sword.
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