Good progress on Rena clean-up

The container ship Rena sits in two pieces on Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga. Photo / Joel Ford

The amount of steel removed from the Rena wreck now totals 730 tonnes.

According to the latest update, the salvage crew lost two work days last week because of poor weather, but on the remaining days good progress was made.

A dive survey of the submerged stern section was also carried out.

Teams also cleared Rena debris from Motiti Island.

Divers were put ashore in a large rigid inflatable to recover the waste, which was transferred to the diver support and recovery vessel Tasman Challenger.

A team of six divers worked in rotation, using flotation bags to transport larger items such as container scrap.

"It was pleasing to leave the island in a tidy condition, with a local kaumatua invited aboard the vessel for a first-hand look at our efforts," Braemar operations manager Mike Richards said.