TRIP TO NEW CALEDONIA

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29077, 14 December 1959, Page 14

TRIP TO NEW CALEDONIA

Skin Divers’ Plans

The underwater expedition to New Caledonia next month by

three young Christchurch men has already attracted considerable interest from manufacturers and other ■ concerns throughout New Zealand, and even as far afield as Italy. When the party leaves by air for Noumea on January 4 it will carry with it, among other clothing and equipment valued at several hundred pounds, a jet spear gun of recent design which has been given to the expedition by the Italian manufacturers. The gun, as yet unknown in New Zealand, fires the spear by a propellant cartridge similar to a conventional rifle bullet. One of the main purposes of the expedition is to r arry out close-up submarine photography, including motion filming of the many forms of fish and marine life,, and coral formations, and the collection of marine biological specimens for the Canterbury University zoology department. Various specimens collected will also be offered for display in the Canterbury Museum. Big Reef The men’s exploration work will be carried out on a large reef along the New Caledonian coast, and further spear-fishing and exploration will be done in the New Hebrides before their return to Christchurch. The trip is expected to last five weeks or more. The three members of the expedition are Wade Doak (leader), Keith Gordon, and Terry Taylor. Thej are three of the most experienced skin divers in New Zealand. Their activities in recent years have included diving under the ice at Lake Ida, and work during the construction of the University buildings at Ham to consolidate the concrete at the base of the caissons.

Messrs Gordon and Taylor are foundation members of the Canterbury Underwater Club, and Mr Doak is a member of the Southland club.

Much of the men’s spare time in recent months has been employed in various spare-time jobs to provide funds for the project Their best efforts, which have attracted much interest from members of the public, have -been demonstrations of diving and methods of raising sunken wrecks, at various agricultural and pastoral shows in the South Island recently, including the Canterbury show last month. The men have been assisted by th 3 members of the recent underwater scientific expedition to New Guinea in giving these displays, which were performed in a 12,000 gallon tank and using model ships.

They will use oxygen rebreathing equipment on their South Seas trip in preference to the more widely used compressed air apparatus. Undersuits and other special clothing, footwear, airmattresses, camping equipment and other gear have been offered by many firms in New Zealand. They will also carry expensive underwater photographic equipment.