Iceberg alert for ships off NZ

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Icebergs may again soon be visible from the New Zealand coastline, and a scientist says shipping needs to be wary. [ABC]

Kerri Ritchie, New Zealand correspondent

Last Updated: Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:40:00 +1100

Satellites are being used to track a big group of icebergs that have drifted from Antarctica to an area just south of New Zealand.

They're moving very slowly but could still pose a hazard to shipping.

Fishing boats have reported that the closest iceberg is now only 250 kilometres off New Zealand's coast. It's believed the 100 or so icebergs broke away from the Ross Sea Ice Shelf back in 2000.

Wellington-based Oceanographer Mike Williams hopes wild winds don't push them away from New Zealand.

"For most of us, the real interest is about where they've come from and how they've got here. We really don't understand the mechanism that drives icebergs through the ocean," he said.

Ships in the south Pacific Ocean are being warned to be on alert for huge icebergs that are drifting towards New Zealand.

"Realistically, there's about four to five that are coming towards New Zealand. But satellite studies by colleagues at the Australian Antarctic Division have shown that there's as many as about 100 due south of New Zealand, so we may get more if those are pushed north," Dr Williams said.

Large numbers of Antarctic icebergs last floated close to New Zealand in 2006, when some were visible from the coastline.

That was the first such sighting since 1931.

It is rare for whole icebergs to drift so far north before melting. But there has been a cold snap around southern New Zealand and scientists say that weather and favorable ocean currents have combined to push the ice towards the region

The race is on to be the first to land on the icebergs. A builder from Sydney and his friends are hoping to build a bar on one.

They've been warned by New Zealand scientists to do their home-work first and be very careful.