A team of researchers has broken new ground in documenting the far reaches of Fiordland.
They are recording the near-200-year history of long-forgotten ghost towns and whaling stations.
Fiordland - a remote destination with plenty of secrets. Secrets that a group of researchers are hoping to share.
"It's remarkable that heritage agencies and museums are proactively doing maritime archaeology in places like this, it really brings the stories to the forefront and makes it more accessible for people," says Maritime archaeologist Dr Kurt Bennett.
The area is home to prehistoric rock and was extensively mined for gold. Te Oneroa was one such gold rush town that went from boom to bust.
"So there was two sort-of what we would call now 'ghost towns', but they were two thriving communities for about 20 years there at the turn of the 19th century," says expedition director Willy McKee.
A ship hulk is one of the only remains from a town of 1000 people.
"We wanted to go the Stella because the Stella is a hulk that's left there rusting away," McKee says.
"Behind that one ship, the remnants that there, there's a whole story of a lot of illustrious characters that went onboard."
Cuttle Cove was the country's first whaling station dating back to 1829 - but the seafloor was surveyed for the first time just weeks ago.
The expedition also visited early Māori rock art sites.
"Going through that cave with those drawings in it and to breathe that air that was in the cave, to see those imprints that have been left by the old people, I thought 'wow it's not going to get any better than this'," says Ron Bull, from Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka.
The group is gathering stories of the area, for people who might never have the chance to visit.
"A lot of people will know some of the stories, but by piecing them together hopefully we sort of put that rich tapestry together for people to understand better," McKee says.
Stories of generations gone by preserved for generations to come.
