A message in a bottle has arrived at Ninety Mile Beach after months in the ocean.
Ken Fergusson found the bottle at Ninety Mile Beach. Photo: Supplied
Contact details inside have connected the Awanui community with a Greek seafarer who has never been to New Zealand.
At first fisherman Ken Fergusson thought the wine bottle was just another piece of litter when he found it last week.
"Somebody would be running over it and breaking it, [I thought it would] cause a problem for people's feet. So I stopped and picked it up and threw it on the back of my truck, got home, went to throw it in the rubbish and I noticed there was a card in it."
He looked through the green glass and made out some phone numbers on a business card, only to reach a Greek woman who giggled at him and couldn't understand his questions.
"I got a woman's voice. She can't speak English and I can't speak Greek."
So Fergusson tried an email and, a couple of days ago, a reply from Captain John Karavolos arrived.
"I thought it was pretty cool actually," Fergusson said.
Captain Karavolos thought he pushed the card into the bottle, put the cork back on, and turfed it out to sea about a year ago, during a trip between Australia and China.
NIWA oceanographer Dr Phil Sutton said the southern hemisphere is more likely than the northern.
"Anything that's floating gets driven by the wind as well as the ocean currents. Actually, the hemispheres are fairly well separated."
Treasures have been showing up on Te Tai Tokerau beaches for decades and many are cared for by Heritage New Zealand.
Northland manager Bill Edwards has seen everything from kauri gum, to ceramic and glass ornaments washed up.
Unfortunately, most of the objects brought ashore are rubbish.
Kaitāia plastic-free coordinator Waikarere Sandra Gregory said it's an eyesore and a worry.
"People in Te Tai Tokerau rely on the moana, kaimoana, for a source of food for our people."
Fergusson's litter-cum-letter is now in the safe hands of nearby Awanui School.
Principal Margy Stratton said the mysterious gift has sparked a lot of interest among pupils.
"You could just tell by their voices and their faces that they thought this was something exciting that they could learn from."
Captain Karavolos believes the date and location of the bottle's send-off may be faintly written on the back of the business card.
So Awanui School tamariki will soon open the bottle to find out.
