Travel to Matauri Bay to Visit
The Rainbow Warrior Memorial and
The Shipwreck of the Rainbow Warrior

The Rainbow Warrior was a Greenpeace ship sunk off the coast of New Zealand in 1985 during a protest mission against French nuclear testing in nearby Tahiti. On your New Zealand tour, visit the Rainbow Warrior memorial on Matauri Bay Hill on New Zealand’s coast. This memorial includes a famous bronze sculpture of the ship– which was built from 1988 to 1990 by the sculptor Chris Booth. A trip to the Rainbow Warrior memorial will take you to some of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand’s northern shores.

In addition to the sculpture of the Rainbow Warrior, another site exists to remind travelers of the tragic 1985 incident: the wreck of the ship itself. The Rainbow Warrior was sabotaged and blown up by French government agents in Auckland Harbor. In 1987, the ship was moved to Matauri Bay and sunk there. Its final resting place became a famous diving destination. Divers and enthusiasts of New Zealand outdoor activities can go down to see the ship itself– which shares the ocean floor with an amazing diversity of marine life.

Where else besides the Rainbow Warrior memorial and the wreck of the actual ship can you find places to visit to see authentic relics from the 1985 tragedy? Travel to the maritime museum in Dargaville, New Zealand, to see the Rainbow Warrior’s mast on display there.

The trip to the Rainbow Warrior memorial is just as amazing an experience as seeing the memorial itself. Starting from Kerikeri, you can take the road SH10 in the direction of Matauri Bay. Along the way, travelers will have grand panoramic views of New Zealand’s majestic coast, its bays, and its beaches.

The Matauri Bay area, which houses the Rainbow Warrior Memorial, is home to the Ngati Kuri tribes, which commissioned the memorial in honor of the Greenpeace vessel. When visiting the area, be sure to also see the Samuel Marsden Memorial Church– named after a man known as the “Saint Augustine of New Zealand,” a missionary whose efforts brought peace to the Ngati Kuri and the nearby tribes and enabled them to prosper in the Matauri Bay area to this day.

A visit to Matauri Bay is also a worthwhile opportunity to experience the deeply spiritual culture and traditions of the Ngati Kuri– who greatly honor their past and gladly share it with tourists through monuments like a huge waka, or canoe, currently stationed at the shore of Matauri Bay.

After you’ve enjoyed the sights at Matauri Bay, continue your New Zealand vacation with a journey to Whangaroa for some more excellent views of pristine New Zealand shores.