Sunny, 9 years, with his dead fish on Mt Maunganui beach.

Oil on the beach near Mount Maunganui.

LONG JOB: Volunteers help clean up the oil from the beach at Mt Maunganui.

UNSURVIVABLE: A bird that has been washed up on the beach, coated in oil.

CASUALTY: One of the penguins that died following the oil spill. This was found at Papamoa just after high tide today.

DEBRIS: Oil residues on Omanu beach at the 5 1/2 km beach entry point, Tuesday morning. Photographer Todd Murdoch says: 'I could smell the oil close to my house which is located 1km back from the beach.'

Environment Minister Nick Smith (centre) and Transport Minister Steven Joyce (right) at a public meeting in Tauranga to discuss the unfolding disaster.

GOING NOWHERE: The Rena sits helpless on the reef.

CLEAN-UP: Volunteers help clean up the oil from the beach at Papamoa

CLEAN-UP: Volunteers collecting oil sludge from the beach at Papamoa

SHOCKED: Marine biologist Tania Gaborit looks at oil in the water from the Rena.

Oil collected from the water near the stricken cargo ship Rena.

A blue penguin found at Papamoa beach at the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre Mount Maunganui.

The Rena, a Liberia-flagged 235m vessel, had been heading to Tauranga from Napier when it crashed into the Astrolabe Reef, about 7km north of Motiti Island.

A blue penguin found at Papamoa beach at the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre Mount Maunganui.

The Rena, a Liberia-flagged 235m vessel, had been heading to Tauranga from Napier when it crashed into the Astrolabe Reef, about 7km north of Motiti Island.

A 3D graphic of the Astrolabe Reef. The colours indicate the water depth.

The crippled Rena, with a growing oil slick, off the coast of Mt Maunganui.

The crew had remained onboard despite the vessel's list.

ASHORE: Globules of oil from the stricken Rena have washed up along a stretch of Mount Maunganui beach.

DIRTY MESS: Mt Manganui beach is awash with blobs of oil from the stricken ship Rena.

Low tide showed the extent of the problems facing the Rena's specialist salvage team.

SCATTERED: Globules of oil now washing up on Mt Manganui beach.

The Rena, a Liberia-flagged 235m vessel, had been heading to Tauranga from Napier when it crashed into the Astrolabe Reef, about 7km north of Motiti Island.

LISTING: Waves break over the reef while the Rena sits, stranded.

POLLUTED: Oil sits in the water at Mount Maunganui.

CLEAN UP: Resident Dave Lynn scoops up some of the oil now washing up on Mt Manganui beach.

RENA: The ship has 1368 containers on board.

MESSAGE TO THE MASSES: A shipping crate at Papamoa with mural relating to the container ship Rena.

INJURED: A naval officer is carried to an ambulance after a member of the salvage crew fell on him during the evacuation of the ship.

This photo taken from the HMNZS Endeavour shows Rena listing in heavy seas. Between 30 and 70 containers fell from the Rena overnight.

ARATAKI BEACH: Reader Brooke Money says: 'This is all that can be seen all the way down the beach - blotches of black, thick oil.' Picture taken Tuesday.

WATCHING, WAITING: Crew of the Rena look out the window of a hanger at the Tauranga Airport.

This image shows a crack appearing in the middle of the Rena's hull.

ASHORE: Crew members from the Rena come ashore after a mayday call this morning.

A three-dimensional rendering of the position of the Rena, grounded on the Astrolabe reef.

OVERBOARD: Containers from the Rena float in the ocean after falling from the ship.

The captain of the Rena, whose identity is suppressed, appears in court charged over the grounding of the container ship.

The grounded ship Rena is not as stable as first thought and it is not yet clear what is holding it to the Astrolabe reef, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) says.

Rena, a 47,000 tonne container ship, ran aground on the reef off Tauranga on October 5 and began spewing thousands of litres of oil into the ocean.

At a briefing this afternoon, MNZ salvage head Bruce Anderson said the ship was not safe enough for the crew to stay on overnight. A team was working on the ship, preparing to pump oil from its tanks.

1 of 37 Maritime New Zealand Aerial shot taken in the morning of Sunday, October 23, showing a sheen of oil that had leaked from the Rena overnight. 2 of 37 Svitzer Photo taken by salvage team looking out of Rena's bridge showing the list of the vessel against the horizon. 3 of 37 NZDF Rena's bow is broken and twisted from the impact with the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga. 4 of 37 NZDF Calm conditions around Astrolabe Reef on Thursday, October 20, allowed these close up photos of the Rena's stern to be taken. 5 of 37 NZDF The ocean washes in and out of the wide fracture on Rena's starboard side. 6 of 37 NZDF Rena's remaining containers hang precariously. More than 80 containers have fallen overboard. Many have come ashore, and others are being located on the seabed. 7 of 37 Maritime NZ A Maritime NZ diagram shows how the Rena is grounded on the Astrolabe Reef. 8 of 37 Maritime NZ A Maritime NZ diagram shows how the Rena is grounded on the Astrolabe Reef. 9 of 37 CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ HANGING IN THERE: The Awanuia sits behind the Rena and its leaning stack of containers. 10 of 37 CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ CLEAR SPELL: Salvors are racing against time to remove oil from the Rena before bad weather hits late on Monday, October 17. 11 of 37 CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ HEAVY LIST: Rena's cargo sits precariously on the deck of the ship. 12 of 37 Iain McGregor/Fairfax Containers from the grounded cargo ship Rena are removed from east of the main beach at Mt Maunganui after washing ashore. 13 of 37 Svitzer Salvors have attached platforms to the stricken ship Rena. 14 of 37 Svitzer Platforms salvors have attached to the Rena as they attempt to resume pumping oil from the stricken ship. 15 of 37 Reuters A Royal New Zealand Air Force helicopter winches a salvage expert onto the stricken container ship Rena. 16 of 37 Supplied DEFORMED: Damage to the Rena's structure. 17 of 37 Supplied HEAVY DAMAGE: Rena lists to starboard, with the damage to her hull clear. 18 of 37 ANDREW GORRIE An Air Force Iroquois helicopter lowers crew onto the Rena, Thursday October 13. What looks like smoke billowing from the ship is probably milk powder, Fonterra said. There were 90 containers of the product on the ship. 19 of 37 ANDREW GORRIE An Air Force Iroquois helicopter lowers crew onto the Rena. 20 of 37 ANDREW GORRIE The slick drifting from the Rena, seen from the air, Thursday October 13. 21 of 37 TVNZ This image shows a crack appearing in the middle of the Rena's hull. 22 of 37 Mark Alen Containers have also been crushed as heavy swells wash across Rena's deck. 23 of 37 Mark Alen Rena losing containers as heavy swells wash across the ship's deck on the starboard side. 24 of 37 Lynda Wikeepa A container coming ashore on the northern side of Motiti Island, which is around 7km from the ship grounding site. 25 of 37 The first container to hit the rocks and break-up on the northern side of Motiti Island, which is around 7km from the ship. 26 of 37 BLAIR HARKNESS/Supplied POUNDED: Waves crash onto the listing Rena's deck. 27 of 37 Rick Curach Many containers on the Rena's top deck are tipped on a heavy angle, close to toppling off. 28 of 37 New Zealand Defence Force This photo taken from the HMNZS Endeavour shows Rena listing in heavy seas. Between 30 and 70 containers fell from the Rena overnight. 29 of 37 SunLive.co.nz INJURED: A naval officer is carried to an ambulance after a member of the salvage crew fell on him during the evacuation of the ship. 30 of 37 Bay of Plenty Regional Council RENA: The ship has 1368 containers on board. 31 of 37 PETER DRURY/Fairfax NZ LISTING: Waves break over the reef while the Rena sits, stranded. 32 of 37 CHRIS HILLOCK/Waikato Times The Rena, a Liberia-flagged 235m vessel, had been heading to Tauranga from Napier when it crashed into the Astrolabe Reef, about 7km north of Motiti Island. 33 of 37 PETER DRURY/Waikato Times Low tide showed the extent of the problems facing the Rena's specialist salvage team. 34 of 37 PETER DRURY/Waikato Times The crew had remained onboard despite the vessel's list. 35 of 37 SUNLIVE.CO.NZ The crippled Rena, with a growing oil slick, off the coast of Mt Maunganui. 36 of 37 CHRIS HILLOCK/Waikato Times The Rena, a Liberia-flagged 235m vessel, had been heading to Tauranga from Napier when it crashed into the Astrolabe Reef, about 7km north of Motiti Island. 37 of 37 CHRIS HILLOCK/Waikato Times The Rena, a Liberia-flagged 235m vessel, had been heading to Tauranga from Napier when it crashed into the Astrolabe Reef, about 7km north of Motiti Island.

Anderson said divers had continued their work around the ship today, and it was found that the Rena was not as stable as they had earlier believed.

He said the team working on the stranded vessel reported that it was groaning and creaking as they worked. "They do not want to go inside the ship."

However, the salvors were able to open the manhole to the first of the fuel tanks - called 5 port - and were doing tests to see if it was safe to work around.

1 of 50 Maritime New Zealand Oil responder Bruce Goff with the Terminator oil skimmer ready for deployment. on Sunday, October 23. 2 of 50 Debris covered in oil have wash-up at Waihau Bay on the East Cape where Taika Waititi's Boy was filmed. 3 of 50 BRUCE MERCER/Fairfax NZ EN MASSE: Protesters march against deep sea drilling in Tauranga, ahead of the appearance of the Rena's captain and navigator in court. 4 of 50 BRUCE MERCER/Fairfax NZ IN NUMBERS: Protesters march against deep sea drilling in Tauranga. 5 of 50 KIRSTY JOHNSTON/FairfaxNZ MAKING A STAND: Protesters gather outside the Tauranga District Court ahead of the appearances of the Rena's captain and navigator on Wednesday, October 19. 6 of 50 KIRSTY JOHNSTON/FairfaxNZ AGAINST DRILLING: Protesters march against offshore drilling ahead of the appearances of the Rena's captain and navigator in the Tauranga District Court on Wednesday, October 19. 7 of 50 Craig Simcox/The Dominion Post Wellington Zoo vet Baukje Lenting with a Little Blue Penguin that is at Tauranga’s Bird Recovery Centre having oil cleaned from it using a toothbrush. 8 of 50 Craig Simcox/The Dominion Post PM John Key visits the Bird recovery Centre where he watches Little blue Penguins that have been cleaned of oil. 9 of 50 Kirsty Johnston Advice about wildlife that may be affected by the Rena oil spill, at Mt Maunganui. 10 of 50 CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ A seagull shows the effects of the spilt oil at Makatu. 11 of 50 NAOMI WILLIS Containers on Mount Maunganui Beach. 12 of 50 NAOMI WILLIS Volunteers clean up packets of burger patties from the broken container washed up on Mount Maunganui Beach. 13 of 50 IAIN McGREGOR/Fairfax NZ Prime Minister John Key attended a public meeting in Papamoa and went in a helicopter to see the Rena. 14 of 50 CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ ON THE MOVE: A container is hauled off the beach. 15 of 50 KIM WESTERSKOV/Supplied A little blue penguin awaits transportation to the National Oiled Wildlife Recovery Centre in Tauranga. 16 of 50 Supplied SCATTERED: Containers on the beach just south of Mount Maunganui. 17 of 50 Supplied SALVAGE:Containers sit in the water on Mt Maunganui beach. Pictured Friday, October 14. 18 of 50 Supplied STRANDED: One of the Rena's broken containers which washed up on Mt Maunganui beach. Pictured Friday, October 14. 19 of 50 Supplied PULLED ASHORE: One of the Rena's broken containers which washed up on Mt Maunganui beach. Pictured Friday, October 14. 20 of 50 SunLive.co.nz Oil scooped from the surface of the water inside the Rena shipwreck's 1km exclusion zone. 21 of 50 Reuters Oil booms are prepared at the Maketu Estuary in the Bay of Plenty, Thursday October 13. 22 of 50 Reuters Territorial soldiers from Auckland clean up Papamoa Beach, near Tauranga, Thursday October 13. 23 of 50 CORMAC SEYMOUR Containers washed up at Papamoa Beach, Thursday October 13. 24 of 50 CORMAC SEYMOUR Two containers seen at Papamoa Beach on Thursday October 13. 25 of 50 WENDILEE DEVLIN The clean-up operation on Papamoa Beach, Thursday October 13. 26 of 50 WENDILEE DEVLIN Oil on Papamoa Beach, Thursday October 13. 27 of 50 PALOMA MIGONE/Stuff Packets of meat patties from a container off the Rena have washed up on Mt Maunganui beach. 28 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post Police check a container that has washed up on Mt Maunganui beach. 29 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE/The Dominion Post The bleak scene as containers wash up on Mt Maunganui beach. 30 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE A man walks on Mt Maunganui Beach, with a container from the stricken Rena in the distance, Thursday October 13. 31 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE A woman walks past a container from the stricken Rena, washed up on Mt Maunganui Beach, Thursday October 13. 32 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE A container from the stricken Rena, washed up on Mt Maunganui Beach, Thursday October 13. 33 of 50 Rick Curach Oil washes up on Papamoa Beach. 34 of 50 AIDY PARNELL/Supplied WAITING COLLECTION: Scores of bags full of oil await collection in Papamoa. 35 of 50 AIDY PARNELL/Supplied LOADING: Bags full of oil are collected from the beach at Papamoa. 36 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE/Fairfax Media CLEAN-UP: Papamoa beach is covered with oil sludge 37 of 50 PETER CRANE/Supplied SPOILED: Papamoa beach is covered in oil 38 of 50 RUSSEL NORMAN/Facebook CRIPPLED: A wandering albatross covered in oil in Tauranga 39 of 50 RUSSEL NORMAN/Facebook SOILED: Oil blobs at the Maketu shoreline 40 of 50 ERENA LEE LAGAS/Supplied CLEAN-UP: Volunteers collecting oil sludge from the beach at Papamoa 41 of 50 ERENA LEE LAGAS/Supplied CLEAN-UP: Volunteers help clean up the oil from the beach at Papamoa 42 of 50 ROSSILAND McINTOSH/Supplied COVERED: A bird lies dead on Mt Maunganui beach today. 43 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE Tauranga resident Chris Munro on Mt Maunganui beach, Wednesday morning. 44 of 50 Bruce Mercer/Fairfax Media Environment Minister Nick Smith (centre) and Transport Minister Steven Joyce (right) at a public meeting in Tauranga to discuss the unfolding disaster. 45 of 50 TODD MURDOCH DEBRIS: Oil residues on Omanu beach at the 5 1/2 km beach entry point, Tuesday morning. Photographer Todd Murdoch says: 'I could smell the oil close to my house which is located 1km back from the beach.' 46 of 50 TODD MURDOCH/Supplied CASUALTY: One of the penguins that died following the oil spill. This was found at Papamoa just after high tide today. 47 of 50 Supplied UNSURVIVABLE: A bird that has been washed up on the beach, coated in oil. 48 of 50 ANDREW GORRIE/Fairfax NZ LONG JOB: Volunteers help clean up the oil from the beach at Mt Maunganui. 49 of 50 Oil on the beach near Mount Maunganui. 50 of 50 CALLUM HAMOR Sunny, 9 years, with his dead fish on Mt Maunganui beach.

Anderson said once the area was found to be safe then pumps could be lowered into the tank to begin extracting the oil.

Due to the unsafe nature of the ship, he said pumping would not begin tonight.

Environment Minister Nick Smith said the clean up effort and the reduced number of dying birds was encouraging.

"The situation has improved substantially, but we are not yet out of the woods."

He cautioned, however, that there was still 100 tonnes of oil in the duct keel, which could leak out when weather conditions worsened next week.

"While there has been some progress, I don't think any of us should underestimate how complex and dangerous the salvage job is."

SALVORS RETURN TO SHIP

The ships position on the reef was "precarious" and salvors had told Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) it was "extremely dangerous" on board.



Defence Force boats and helicopters were waiting near by in case the crew have to be evacuated.



Divers had managed to inspect the port side of the Rena but not the starboard side, MNZ chief Catherine Taylor said.



Two industrial chemists will be among the nine people expected to board the Rena today. Their role would be to monitor the fumes coming from the oil.



Salvors had again changes their plan, now deciding to use a different pump, named an Archimedes pump, so they didn't have to heat the "Marmite-like" oil.



Conditions were still relatively fine. If the pumping was set up by tonight, it was possible the salvors would work through the night, but safety was first priority, Taylor said.

Meanwhile, a deliberate decision was made to change the course of the container ship Rena to head it smack on to the Astrolabe Reef an hour before it grounded, a marine expert says.

An internationally recognised marine risk expert has plotted the fateful final hours of the ship's course using data transmitted by the ship's own instruments.

The Dominion Post has obtained charts made by a Wellington-based senior partner in Marico Marine, John Riding, who said if someone looked at the ship's charts after changing course the reef would be "staring them in the face".

"They have deviated from their planned course, and a watch keeper would not have a reason to make a decision to deviate," Mr Riding said.

"You can see they've made that managed change of course and kept everything steady."

The charts Mr Riding made of the Rena's course and speed were made using specialist technology and software developed by Marico Marine. The technology receives coded transponder transmissions that the ship's own instruments must transmit.

Another company, Teamtalk, delivers the data from remote reception sites throughout New Zealand and data – containing the ship's identification, speed, course and GPS location – is decoded live.

The data is then plotted on electronic navigation charts to show exactly where the ship went and exactly what speed it was doing at Greenwich mean time.

Mr Riding said the change of direction saw the Rena heading straight towards the first harbour entrance marker – a radar beacon close to where a Port of Tauranga pilot would take the ship into port.

"So they've made radar contact and they know the pilot's boarding position is close to it [the beacon]. They've changed course to go to the beacon.

"From when they started to alter course they had at least an hour to recognise the hazard and it would have been staring them in the face on their chart."

Mr Riding said the Rena began to accelerate and hit about 33 kilometres per hour (17.8 knots), close to its top speed, as the ship got into sheltered waters, ironically provided by the reef itself.

Warning lights from Motiti Island would have been visible.

- Stuff.co.nz, The Domion Post