Divers will be working around the Whitianga Ferry Landing old stone wharf for several days this week recovering old stone blocks from the sea floor.

The wharf is one of the oldest working stone wharves in the Southern Hemisphere and is also classified as a Grade One structure by Historic Places Trust.

The Whitianga Ferry landing. Photo: TCDC

It is the first stage of a restoration project on the wharf and the recovery work is being carried out by Guy Banhidi and his team of divers from Dive Revive based in Whenuakite.

The recovery work will see stones lost from the original wall recovered from the seafloor, which wlll then be used to rebuild the wharf's original stone steps, along with sections of missing wall.

'These are the original stones from the wharf that have eroded off and fallen into the sea,” says Mercury Bay area manager Sam Marshall.

The stones, estimated to weigh between 100 and 1000kgs can be seen in good visibility, several metres under the water, beside the wharf and out further into the channel.

A crane will be on-site and a section of the wharf will be cordoned off around where the divers are working.

Divers will be wearing helmets with communications on them which allows them to be in constant contact with the dive tender.

Guy Banhidi says the divers aren't going deep and it's not dangerous conditions.

'The comms allows us to let the divers know when the ferry is coming and going,” says Guy. 'We have already worked out a plan with the Ferry operator, as the service will be going during our work.”

'People are welcome to come and watch, but won't be able to get anywhere near our operation.”

The diving work should take up to three days and when that's complete a stonemason and archaeologist will be analysing the stones.

This is in order to see how many can be used to rebuild the wharf and whether other stone needs to be sourced. The actual restoration of stonework on the wharf will take place later in the year.

Last December the Lotteries Environment and Heritage Fund approved $187,645 towards the Stage One of the restoration work, while the Thames-Coromandel District Council contributed $279,000.

For more information about the Whitianga Ferry Landing restoration project click here.

To learn more about Guy Banhidi and Dive Revive visit: www.diverevive.com