Tonight on Close Up ` the bitter war over greenstone and the fallout inside Ngai Tahu. I've been stabbed in the back by my own cousins. Yachting's wondergirl on choosing Whangarei over her parents. It's a beautiful country. It's not so crowded as Holland, which is really nice. And Russia's real school of hard knocks. I've seen people literally thrown out of class. A lot of whacking, a lot of swearing. Due to the live nature of Close Up, captions for some items may be incomplete. ONE News captions by Lauren Strain and Richard Edmunds. Close Up captions by Desney Thorogood and Sam Bradford. Pounamu, or greenstone, is considered a taonga ` a treasure. So much so that an act of Parliament in 1997 vested ownership of all naturally occuring pounamu in the South Island to Ngai Tahu. And they take it seriously. They have confiscated thousands of dollars worth of rare pounamu from retailers and carvers who they say illegally got hold of it. But it's caused bitter divisions within the tribe itself, and now the controversy could escalate even more as Ngai Tahu pursues charges against one of its own with theft. Here's Robyn James. As long as I can remember, Mum and the uncles ` go up the river and search the river, walk the river, the rocks. It was just things we did. Like many Ngai Tahu carvers, Bevan Climo is passionate about pounamu. So would you have actually found pounamu down here? Oh, yeah. Yep. If you're kaitiaki, I think, if you can pick it up and carry it you can take it. His pieces are worn by our Olympic flag-bearer, and as a direct descendant of the last paramount chief on the West Coast, he believes he is one of its kaitiaki or guardians. My whakapapa, my kaitiakitanga, my rangatiratanga rights come down through him. Now the carver's been accused of stealing snowflake pounamu, which has been renamed tahutahi, from his own tribe. I've been stabbed in the back by my own cousins. Like, second cousins, you know? But I tell you, those second cousins, they've never walked the river. They've never lit a fire up the creek. And they wouldn't know a stone unless it hit them in the head in that form. Back in 1997 Ngai Tahu was given ownership of South Island pounamu as part of its Treaty settlement, and in this warehouse millions of dollars worth of confiscated stone is being held by the tribe. We are active in trying to track down people that are black-marketing pounamu. And if we get information supplied to us we we will send our people in to have a look, and if it is proved to be stolen pounamu or tahutahi, we will take it to the police. That's the police coming up my drive. In May, police and a private investigator working with Ngai Tahu arrived at Bevan Climo's home to search for stolen pounamu. And what did they find? A whole pile of offcuts. Um, not a hell of a lot really. Enough to charge him with stealing tahutahi belonging to Ngai Tahu worth over $1000. He's due to appear in Greymouth District Court tomorrow. How does it feel to know they're accusing you of theft? What, having my mana and whakapapa trampled all over? It hurts. I tell you, it hurts. I was born a long time before Ngai Tahu was even formed, so to me, I am the owner. Always have been, always will be. I can't change that. I was born to it. Since 1997, three people, including father and son David and Morgan Saxton, have been found guilty of stealing tahutahi. And while tahutahi has never been for sale, Ngai Tahu members do have customary rights to pounamu, as long as they can pick up and carry the stone themselves. If you have to have a machine to lift it up, leave it alone. It's not yours, and it's not your customary take. GRINDER BUZZES Ironically, Bevan Climo helped write Ngai Tahu's pounamu management plan ten years ago. To him, this is intensely personal. My mother and all my tupuna, they'll be kicking the lids off their coffins, you know, if they knew this was going on. The chair of Ngai Tahu, Mark Solomon, won't comment on Bevan Climo's case until it's gone through the courts, but he acknowledges it's not an easy time. Of course we're worried about it. But the processes of access to pounamu were put in place by the Ngai Tahu families of the West Coast. The tribe is also grappling with how to control the pounamu industry, and have set up an authentication scheme which approves the stone and carvers, with Ngai Tahu taking a percentage of each piece. If you go into any shop and it says it's NZ pounamu, there's a guarantee that it is NZ pounamu, instead of imported stone or black-marketed stone. So far only 15 carvers have been authenticated, although Ngai Tahu says others are coming on board. It's a system Bevan Climo believes won't work. If we'd gone into the meetings that we'd have to have and said, 'We're gonna supply your stone, but you're gonna have to become authenticated, 'and you have to pay us before you can sell it, and you have to prove who you are, duh-duh-duh...', we would've been slaughtered. The jade industry itself is worried it isn't getting enough access to pounamu. It's the uncertainty of actually not knowing how much is going to be coming available, which is unfortunately encouraging a lot more importation of jade into NZ. which is unfortunately encouraging a lot more importation of jade into NZ. Carvers have recently formed a Jade Society to work together with Ngai Tahu. Our intention will be that we will be able to build relationships back again with the industry, with Ngai Tahu. But Bevan Climo will fight his battle through the courts. The tar-seal Maoris. They're the ones who go to work on tar-seal, make up all these rules. They've never` probably never driven their car off the tar-seal to go and walk up a river, you know? Corporate. PLANGENT SLIDE GUITAR It's a fight he never expected to have, and can't afford. I am outspoken, I'd say, but I only stand up for what I've always believed in. So knock the tall poppy off, and all the other poppies will bend over and follow suit. Well, you know, like hell. This tall poppy's not bending over. Do you think this battle should be heading to court? Give us your feedback via email. We're on Facebook too. It's 33 days now since Bryce Jourdain was last seen diving into the Tasman Sea trying to rescue two of his students. Bryce and Spotswood College student Stephen Kahukaka-Gedye were never found. On Saturday, his friends, family, colleagues and the community came together to farewell Bryce Jourdain, and his family invited Hadyn Jones to record the moment they said goodbye. Bryce Jourdain would say today was a good day for rafting. Not for indoor activities,... MEN CHANT IN MAORI ...especially ones as hard as this. Robyn Jourdain, Bryce's wife, along with their children, Grace and Issac, brought the tools of his trade. His kayak, his harness and a candle that has been lit every day he's been missing. The family call it their candle of hope. Robyn Jourdain says her husband was a family man right from the word go. efore d our son, Issac, was born. A zing 8 Issac. Bryce said to our midwife, June, 'I would really like to deliver our baby. 'I would like my hands to be the first to touch our child.' It was the first of two proudest moments for Bryce ` the second being when our beautiful daughter, Grace, was born two and a half years later. Bryce Jourdain was born Christmas Day. He was the type to spend his birthday exploring. One year, on Christmas morning, they climbed a mountain just to see the sun rise. We scrambled up Patau mountain with the sustenance of chocolate Santas eaten during the drive. We reached our flat spot amongst the long grass and sat facing the east, absorbing the wonder of the sun rising ` a breath-taking moment, a treasure to be held forever. Our next mountain one birthday morning was to be Mt Taranaki. We will do that for you one year, my darling. Grace Jourdain wrote a poem about her father. My dad is daring, adventurous and dreamed big. Daddy does his duty well, is amazing and delightful. He definitely does love his job and is young at heart. Anyone can be a father. It takes someone special to be a daddy. Bryce Jourdain was born in Papua New Guinea. His parents were missionaries. They eventually moved back to NZ to raise their children. His mother, Ursula, says her son was thirsty for life from day one. 4� months old, he'd push himself backwards all around the house, and if he got one leg either side of a chair leg, he'd scream till you set him free again. She says her son was a perfectionist and a prankster. He saved all our teabags, dried them out, rolled them up into cigarettes, went to school and sold them for $10 as joints. AUDIENCE LAUGHS And, do you know, people came back and asked him did he have any more. AUDIENCE LAUGHS Bryce Jourdain came to New Plymouth for a job at outdoor education centre TOPEC. His boss Steve Ralph says he was in his element climbing and kayaking, taking his camera with him, and teaching others to do the same. Thinking of him now does bring a smile ` a smile in our hearts, and of a man we were proud to know. I'll miss my friend dearly. I'm so grateful for having known him. You are missed, you are loved, you remain part of us forever. Bryce Jourdain dived into the Tasman Sea to save the lives of his students, Stephen Kakukaka-Gedye and Felipe Melo. His bravery cost him his life. His sister Delwyn says he won, because he died doing what he loved. The tragedy of his life ending before we would want it to is great. My heart breaks that he is unable to win in his endeavour to save Felipe and Stephen, and because I know Bryce's heart would break he'd been unable to return them safely to you. His other sister, Jo, remembers his problems with punctuality. Even for important events, like family photos ` late. (SNIFFS) Craig's wedding, with Craig with him ` late. And I'm sure today he's laughing his head off at being late for his own funeral. Oh, I'll take that back. He hasn't even turned up, the cheeky monkey. I'm sure he's having a good old joke about it. David Jourdain says a coffin or an urn would have been too restrictive for his son. A kayak seems right. I want to say this, Bryce ` we loved you with a passion, like you loved us. And sometimes we weren't always able to express it as much as we wanted to, but we're so proud of you. Today they came to remember and honour Bryce Jourdain, but most importantly, they finally got the chance to say goodbye. I love you, Bryce. See you in heaven. We love you, Bryce. Rest peacefully in the ocean. Bryce, I'm gonna miss you, buddy. I'm gonna miss my friend. And I love you. a sad time, but a life worth celebrating Still to come on Close Up ` the remarkable young woman who at 14 ditched school to sail solo round the world. It's a beautiful country. It's not so crowded as Holland, which is really nice. And Kiwi generosity that made his dream a reality. At 14 Laura Dekker had to take on the Dutch legal system to achieve her dream of sailing around the world. This, then, is not your typical teenager, and the independent streak is still there. Her parents still live in Holland, but Laura, now 16, has decided to set up home in Whangarei. There's a few other twists here as well, as Gil Higgins discovered. DRAMATIC TECHNO MUSIC Home maintenance Laura Dekker style. I like being busy and organising my own stuff. At 16, she's remarkable ` running her own life, living on her own boat halfway round the world from her parents. < Could you imagine living back with either of them? No, it'd be really weird. Also, if they came over, it's like this is my home. No, it'd be really weird. Also, if they came over, it's like this is my home. And they're still my parents, so they're like, 'Have to do this, have to do that.' It's like, 'No, but I never do that.' But then this is the girl who at 14 ditched school to sail solo round the world. I feel like I learned a whole lot more just from the trip than I would have from school, yeah. She'd wanted to set sail at 13, but the Dutch courts, where she lived, were against it, as were many experienced sailors. You have proved them wrong, haven't you? Yep, I did. Down to Portugal, and Gibraltar, and all the way around the world. Ending her record-breaking world voyage on a tiny Caribbean island, then setting sail again for home. But home is where the heart is, and for Laura it's in NZ. I'm here! Is it something you actually feel? Yeah, one of things you feel and can't really explain. And what about the flag back there? Why are you flying that one? Because I don't really want to fly the Dutch flag. Got me a lot of shit, and I don't really feel a connection with all that. The local kids were glad NZ won her over. I just think it's amazing and she's neighbours with us. Even the jumping duck is second fiddle to Laura's celebrity status. You're just over there, right? Welcome to NZ. That happens every couple of minutes. After a year alone at sea, she's enjoying company. This is Bruno, her 19-year-old crewman who joined her in the Caribbean. I'd never sailed in my life before, so my parents were pretty shocked when they heard, 'Hey, Dad, I wanna sail to NZ.' My dad was completely in shock, like, 'You never want to sail with me, but you do want to sail with Laura Dekker?' How was he as a student? Pretty horrible, actually, as a student. I would have to explain about 20 times what a mizzen is, which is the back sail. Bruno, how would you describe Laura? Very stubborn. But she's also nice... Thanks. ...and easy to live with. Has it got messier since Bruno been on board? A little, yeah. Definitely, like, all the clothes lying round here pretty much his. Bruno blames the high seas. Even just going to bathroom is like, just a day task. It's so hard to aim in the bathroom when the boat's moving that bad. This is communal living, up close. For starting off sailing with someone you hardly know, this is really close quarters. Yes, yes it is. I suggest you probably know each other quite well now. Yes. The first passage we'd basically be ignoring each other. That's when I figured out she can't cook, so then I'm one she has to come to every time to cook. Sharing a nice moment and talking, and having someone who cooks for you. It's pretty cool. Lucky he cooked and was fun, because he wasn't very good at night-watch. So it'll take about two hours for him to wake up, so doing watches taking turns doesn't work at all. Their third crew member didn't help much either ` a cat called Kiwi. Some people found it in the bushes in Panama. It's like, 'Wanna have cat?' Like, OK. She was so cute. Before all this, Laura's longest solo stretch was 42 days at sea. So spending weeks at a time by yourself, didn't you get really bored? I don't really get bored at all. I could just stare two hours only to the water and not get bored. It seems the lure of the open seas isn't commonly shared. You have to be really nuts to do what she did at her age. I really wouldn't do it. I wouldn't really want to do it. Why not? I'm just not that sort of person as such. I just don't like to go on big adventures. If I ever did it, I'd get lonely really easily. You're pretty much busy just eating, sleeping, sailing, which takes up all the time. Now back on dry land, other hobbies get a look in, with Bruno doing the teaching. She's pretty good. Picks up the songs pretty fast. Bruno's got a job lined up at a cafe. Laura might work on a dive boat. She was actually born on a yacht in this harbour, and she's very happy to make it her home. The sailing is good, and there are quite a lot of people who know what they're talking about if they're talking about the sea and boats. It's a beautiful country and it's not so crowded as Holland, which is really nice. You might be asking what the more nosey of my colleagues were asking ` are Bruno and Laura a couple? Apparently not. After the break ` you thought ballet was graceful? The truth behind a top academy from the Kiwi dancer attending it. About this time last year we introduced you to Tasman Davids, a Kiwi teenager who'd been invited to train at one of the top ballet academies in the world. The only problem ` he had to raise more than $30,000, just for the year. Well, he did, thanks to many of you actually. And now he'll be able to stay for the full three-year course. Abby Scott caught up with Tasman on his summber break. Here. Turn out your knees. Yeah, there we go. That's how much you gotta work. Tasman Davids has to remind himself he's not in Russia any more. They're not as PC as we are, so they are allowed to be more hands on. And, one`two-three... I've seen a few chairs go flying. I've seen people literally thrown out of class. A lot of whacking, a lot of swearing. Seems when the cameras are rolling things are a little less violent at the Vaganova Academy, one of Russia's oldest and most prestigious ballet schools. Tas has spent the past year training there. Do you have to pinch yourself sometimes? Yeah, every day. It is one of those places that you go and it's just like, these kids are all amazing around you It is one of those places that you go and it's just like, these kids are all amazing around you and your teachers are all superstars that you've been watching for years. This is Leonid Sarafanov. He's sort of my idol. I sort of looked up to him before I went over. This is sort of the super famous super-ballerina at the Mariinsky. His classmates are ballet YouTube sensations. She's amazing. To be able to do those, people train for 20, 30 years to be able to get to that level. But she's 13 and pulls them off? She's 13 and just does them beautifully. I never thought that I'd see dancing like that, or be able to dance with people like that, or anything. I got over to Russian and went into my first pas de deux class, and looked on the ground and thought, 'I really know you from somewhere,' and I realised it was this girl who I'd sort of been watching two years ago. When we met Tas last year, Russia was a dream with a $35,000 price tag ` money the family didn't have. We'll get him there somehow, won't we? Well, the other solution is we don't get buried, we get put into two plastic bags, and the funds that are there for us! (LAUGHING) Thankfully all it took was Kiwi generosity. The most amazing thank you. There actually aren't any words. It's amazing the people that've done it for me, from elderly ladies to young people. Did you think you'd pull it off? No. (LAUGHS) Who's he yelling at? Can't hear what he's saying. Probably me. I love it how he sticks his backside out! That's aimed at me. I think that when you go over there, you have this expectation that it's going to be really hard, and then you get there, and it's 10 times worse. And, one and two and three and four... There was a lot of people that were kicked out because they weren't classed as good enough. But Tas obviously is. He's been given the nod to come back next year. If he finishes the full three-year programme, he should be good enough for a spot in one of the world's top ballet companies. I'd be one of a very few international trainees that graduates from that school, which is something quite amazing, to have your name up on the board with the great dancers of Russia. I don't think there's a parent anywhere in the world that wouldn't say it's not the best thing to see their child doing what they're passionate about. Even if it is in a far-flung corner of the world. His classes are all in Russian ` a language Tas didn't speak a word of before he left. So, how's your Russian? (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) I'm quite sure all the Russians around the country are cringing now at my bad grammar, but I try. The school has been so kind, because they know there's no chance of us going to visit, so regularly they'll take photographs and send them to us. Deborah keeps those who contributed up to date on Tas' Russian adventures. Adventures which included Tas spending eight days in a Soviet era hospital with severe food poisoning and breaking his foot on the last day of class. And while Tas says he's reluctant to face another 11 months of being yelled at, his mum knows otherwise. He thought I didn't know, because he'd written it in Russian on his Facebook page the other day and said, 'I can't wait to get back to the school.' It's been a real tough slog to get there, but once I got there, it's been the best thing in the world, so it was all worth it. And that's NZ Close Up. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air.