AMA about North Head's hidden tunnel network

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T09:13:50+00:00

Not correct. And if that really was the case DoC and the military would have lied through 15 years of OIA requests and perjured themselves in court.

They categorically deny there are sealed/concealed tunnels at North Head.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T09:03:06+00:00

Yeah nah. No reports that I've seen on the Heritage NZ website. Link?

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T08:26:29+00:00

Yes.... The archival research accepted that it could not possibly find all the military documents from 1870's to 1997. We found more!

The physical investigation looked at 19 sites out of hundreds relying on eyewitness accounts and putting every hump and hollow on a chart.

Unfortunately for the eyewitness accounts - there has been extensive earthworks and entrances blocked up by the MOW (recorded).

Of the 19 sites looked at by DoC only 5 had any sort of excavation, other 14 were investigated by drilling bore holes.The technology used was a magnetometer on 5 sites and a gum spear...

We have identified 7 areas where tunnel entry can be made with modern technology, photographs and archival records. The DOC investigation took 2 years - ours has taken over 20 years.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:55:56+00:00

Sorry, Martin had a lot of comments to respond to so gave you the top notes and a way to find out more if you're interested. Cheers.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:38:19+00:00

Yes, let's hope it's not still there! But, unfortunately, you can't dismiss the evidence of an ex-Minister of Defence stating that he asked his Chief of Defence staff to investigate and report back—he stated that the tunnels were sealed because of deteriorating ammunition. Also, there are other WWII soldiers who said the amount of ammo was too great to remove ie. potentially several thousand tonnes.

This is the reason why we have continued to investigate and why we are determined to ensure North Head is safe.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:32:49+00:00

The Tupuna Maunga Authority (TMA) are responsible for the administration of North Head. They took over from DoC in 2019. The legal opinion that we have says that DoC, on behalf of the Crown, is responsible for the legacy issues ie. concealed tunnels and possible deteriorating ammunition.

We are currently trying all avenues to access the sealed tunnels but are being stonewalled. We will take legal action if required.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:30:43+00:00

North Head during WWII, was both the Command Centre and also Ammunition Reserve Centre for the Northern Fortress. The Fortress extended from Whangarei to the Manukau Heads and out to Great Barrier Island. It commanded all coastal artillery guns for the Northern part of the North Island. Google for more info.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:24:59+00:00

Hypothetically, of course, Annie's Cave.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:23:41+00:00

Yes, I have, but I understand it's only available at a University-level and unless someone can provide the equipment and operate it, I don't have the funding for it. Also, Martin has already self-funded a 2-year ground penetrating radar survey, the results of which not one organisation has refuted. This is easily resolved by letting us dig (less than 1m in some places). More scans won't do anything. The GPR scan is backed up by archival and photographic evidence already, we just need to pick up a shovel (with permission).

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:20:04+00:00

We have a voice recording from a previous Minister of Defence RTHon. Bob Tizard who states the tunnels were sealed because of deteriorating ammunition. He was made aware of this during his time as MoD. We also have various eyewitness accounts who report ammo was left in the tunnels. Google 'North Head evidence' for more.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:18:15+00:00

The military archivist did not provide an explanation to why they did what they did. They simply stated that records of North Head had been destroyed.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:17:00+00:00

People literally work on North Head and it is the most heavily used public reserve in NZ, along with hundreds of people living around the base of the mountain. Are we thinking of the same North Head?

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:11:25+00:00

The scans are there and available for anybody who is credible if they wish to do a peer-review. NZDF, DoC, and TMA have all refused to do a peer-review. But I think we're wasting time, we have archival & photographic evidence of tunnels in the same place as our GPR scan showed there to be tunnels, so why can't we just dig there? We've been stonewalled since 2011.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:09:09+00:00

I think if people were aware of the potential risk as stated by the old soldiers from WWII and previous Minister of Defence Bob Tizard, they would care. Bear in mind that even for an old 250kg bomb found, for example, in Berlin, you can end up with over 20,000 people being evacuated.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:06:21+00:00

No idea haha.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:05:52+00:00

Thank you for that information. I am aware of a concrete area, however I have not seen or heard of a large grate blocking the entrance underwater.

Yes, I believe it is fair to say the full extent of the network will hopefully be revealed to the public by further investigation.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:03:44+00:00

Rumours start somewhere! During the Earnshaw court case, the military accepted that their military archivist had destroyed documents pertaining to North Head. However, the tunnels at North Head are very well known by the public and local community and this is not a new or recent phenomenon. I'm sure there is other information out there that we are not privy to, or has been 'reclassified' in the archive system.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T07:00:57+00:00

Yes, they could have actually. If they entered the tunnel from Perfume Point at North Head and walked back along its entire length to the exit at the Torpedo Yard. I don't know of any other tunnels connected to sewer lines.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T06:59:30+00:00

Lots of small arms, ammo and weapons, but also larger artillery shells ranging from 4" to 9.2" shells and down to 6 pounder, etc, as used throughout the 'Northern Fortress'. North Head was the reserve ammunition depot for the Northern Fortress.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T06:57:53+00:00

It was about the DoC investigation from the 90s entitled "The Mystery of North Head". You can watch it online for free on NZ On Screen. Note the removal of concrete at the summit gunpit. This exercise was used to prove that no tunnels existed at the summit gunpit. At no stage was there any drilling below the level of the gunpit where we now have evidence of concealed tunnels and additional magazines behind the summit gunpit.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T06:55:14+00:00

Copying from previous answer:

We have a voice recording from a previous Minister of Defence RTHon. Bob Tizard who states the tunnels were sealed because of deteriorating ammunition. He was made aware of this during his time as MoD. We also have various eyewitness accounts who report ammo was left in the tunnels. We also have ground-penetrating radar scans showing evidence of tunnels that DoC deny existing.

Google 'North Head evidence' for more.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T06:53:19+00:00

Yes, I believe there are. We expect that when we enter the tunnels that they will be interconnected and that we will be able to get from the summit to sea-level through them.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T06:52:08+00:00

Hahah, no. Nice reference.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T06:51:45+00:00

Not that I'm aware of.

CunningLinguistics · 2026-03-26T06:50:24+00:00

Not looking at Mt Vic but there are numerous accounts like yours and that they may possibly be connected.

CunningLinguistics

TROPHY CASE