Rena up close: one year on (+raw video)

Bay of Plenty Times reporter Kiri Gillespie joined a group of journalists and photographers this morning on a 10-seater helicopter for a fly-over of the MV Rena on Astolabe Reef for a close up view of the work to remove the ship from the waterline.

"It was the same helicopter that they use to hoist the 15 to 25 tonnes of metal off the shell of the Rena", she said.

On the return trip, they had a good view of the 280-tonne barge that will be used to remove more metal of the Rena wreck.