... an opportunity comes along to be part of history in the making. New Zealand Geographic Expeditions is offering you that chance, and places are limited to just 12:

At 5.15 am June 26, 1918, the Australian-registered passenger liner SS Wimmera, bound for Sydney with 76 passengers and 75 crew on board, struck a mine off North Cape. It shattered the stern of the popular and stately 3000-tonne liner, which took on water rapidly. Passengers struggled from the beds in the darkness and made their way to the top deck. The lifeboats were launched but one was swamped and a second stove in leaving the remainder to rescue the surviving 125 passengers and crew.

Thirty minutes after the explosion Wimmera’s bow lurched 50 feet into the air and she plunged stern-first to the bottom sending up a huge 100-foot high geyser of steaming water. Describing her final moments Mr F. W. Mole, a passenger on that fateful trip, said; “The scene as the vessel sank was as impressive as I desire ever to see.”

The captain, senior officers and 23 others were never seen again and at the mercy of wind and current the lifeboats drifted far and wide. Four boats containing 84 survivors landed at Tom Bowling Bay, others made landfall on other beaches in the area.

It was a frightening reminder that though New Zealand was removed from the seat of hostilities during World War One it was far from immune from its ravages. And the Wimmera remains lost at sea, somewhere off New Zealand’s North Cape, to this day.

This March 20–26, Island Passage will host a technical dive team who plan to locate and dive the wreck of the Wimmera, which hasn't be seen by human eyes in nearly a century. We have a fix on the location, and invite passengers to join this utterly unique experience, to be front and centre of history in the making.

Located in more than 80 metres of water this will be a significant achievement requiring state of the art technology, mixed gas and rebreather technical diving apparatus, world class divers, and meticulous historical research. Join us on this historic voyage, as we recreate the passage of the Wimmera northwards, understand the history, investigate the rarified world of technical diving and share in the thrill of the hunt.

However, book immediately, this is a once in lifetime opportunity, space is limited, and history will not repeat itself.

The expedition will run March 20-26. See the website - http://www.islandescape.co.nz/NZ-Geographic/default.aspx Contact Island Escape Cruises on Telephone +64 9 358-1717 or Email info@islandescape.co.nz for more details.