Tourist submarine plan rubbished

Press, 28 June 1989, Page 1

Tourist submarine plan rubbished

By

TONY WALL

A tourist submarine in Lyttelton Harbour would be a waste of time, Christchurch divers say. The idea surfaced from Cr Ron Wright, who wants to air it at next month’s meeting of the Christchurch City Council’s property and promotion committee. Two dive shops and a recreational diver have rubbished the proposal. Mr Brian Worthington, of Millners Underwater Centre, said yesterday that Lyttelton Harbour was hopeless for

divers. At 10ft below a diver could just read gauges. A submarine moving around a few feet from the surface, as Cr Wright had suggested, would not see anything, but even if it could there would be no fish at that depth. “The fish are at about 10ft to 20ft and above that there is nothing,” said Mr Worthington. A spokesman for Cromb and Merritt’s dive section, Mr John Rogatski, agreed. “The silt on the bottom and the tides make it hopeless to

see,” he said. He suggested Akaroa Harbour as a possible alternative, but said even there the water was not ideal. A recreational diver, Mr Paul Millner, said Kaikoura would be the best place in the region for such a venture. The visibility as well as the sea life was much better. “You only have to drive along the Summit Road to see how muddy Lyttelton Harbour is,” he said. . Mr Millner has dived in Lyttelton Harbour but usually dives

around Banks Peninsula and, in particular, Little Akaloa. He said the only thrill tourists would get from Cr Wright’s idea would be the ride in a submarine. But Mr Millner’s idea of Kaikoura does not appeal to Cr Wright. “I want it close to the Christchurch area,” he said. He agreed that Akaroa Harbour would be as good a place as any to have the submarine. Cr Wright said he would still bring up the idea at the next council meeting and he will look into locations.