Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

NZ man on Norwegian yacht confirmed safe and well

Updated at 1:32 pm on 4 February 2012

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says a New Zealander on a yacht bound for Antarctica has had a message conveyed confirming his well-being.

The man, who is only identified as Maori, was an unexpected passenger aboard the Nilaya which is on a mission to find the remains of a yacht thought to have sunk in McMurdo Sound.

Three crew members died a year ago when the Berserk disappeared, while Norwegian yachtsman Jarle Andhoy and a companion made an illegal attempt to reach the South Pole by quad bike.

A journalist in Norway, Tormod Strand, has spoken to Mr Andhoy and says he is expected to reach the edge of the Antarctic Treaty Zone this weekend.

He will then decide whether weather conditions are suitable to continue.

Mr Andhoy says he is hoping to find evidence such as an anchor in one of two sheltered bays in McMurdo Sound which could indicate where the Berserk sank.

The New Zealander was carrying out repairs on the Nilaya when it left Auckland abruptly on 23 January this year after Mr Andhoy was served with a deportation notice.

Mr Andhoy's lawyer has told Norwegian media that his client is aware of the possibility of breaching Antarctic regulations if he moves, unauthorised, into its territory at 60 degrees south.

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