Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World has unveiled plans to completely renovate the attraction by August 2011.

Working with parent company Village Roadshow Ltd Kelly Tarlton's will significantly improve key aspects of the popular tourist destination including increasing the size of its popular Antarctic Encounter by a third and creating a second-to-none, distinctly New Zealand, marine experience.

Work will be undertaken in two stages, both of which are due to be completed in anticipation of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The first phase is scheduled to begin in March 2010 and will transform Kelly Tarlton's already popular Oceanarium into a uniquely New Zealand marine encounter, to be known as Kelly's Reef, the likes of which visitors will not be able to experience anywhere else in the world.

"Visitors to Kelly's Reef will step into an authentic sub tropical underwater world themed around the Poor Knights/Three Kings marine environment - without getting their feet wet! They will be taken on a fascinating journey through replica aspects of this famous New Zealand dive site which is renowned the world over - including the wreck which made Kelly famous thanks to its recovered gold and silver, James Cook's anchor and the many canons Kelly salvaged during his years as a diver, treasure hunter and salvage expert," says Kelly Tarlton's Chief Executive Officer Mike Horne.

"Alongside an array of sub-tropical and indigenous species, interactive experiences at Kelly's Reef will help bring the stories of our marine environments and their inhabitants to life and for most visitors to New Zealand this will be the best and only way to experience life under our oceans."

Adjacent to Kelly's Reef, work will also be underway to create a turtle rehabilitation centre. The centre will highlight and promote the recently launched Kelly Tarlton's Marine Wildlife Trust and the rescue and rehabilitation work the team has been undertaking in this area for the past 25 years.

The centre will also provide facilities that various conservation groups can use to promote the work they are undertaking in and around New Zealand's oceans, enabling visitors to understand more about Kelly Tarlton's and others' ongoing efforts to be protectors of New Zealand's oceans and their creatures.

Mr Horne says Phase One has been planned to coincide with necessary maintenance work that would have closed the Oceanarium regardless. Species currently found in the Oceanarium will be moved to Kelly Tarlton's Shark Tank and Stingray Bay while work takes place.

The team is confident that visitors will experience minimal disturbance. Phase Two will focus on the Antarctic Experience, significantly upgrading this popular attraction by providing 30 percent more landmass for the penguin colonies, creating new viewing areas and incorporating new Antarctic experiences that will allow visitors to spend more time up-close with the animals.

"A new mezzanine viewing platform will see visitors step through an ice cave and out above the sea ice where they can, at their own pace, spend time marvelling at New Zealand's only colonies of sub-Antarctic penguins. Afterwards they can suit up in an Antarctic jacket (it's a chilly 5 degrees at our destination!) and board the Hercules C-130 aircraft simulation for a flight down to Scott Base where they will disembark in Kelly Tarlton's new Antarctic environment which puts the spotlight on the issues faced by the icy continent and its inhabitants - in Kelly's trademark fun, interactive way," says Mr Horne.

He says, throughout Phase Two the whole Antarctic area will be contemporised and, while the penguins will clearly remain the heroes of the exhibit, focus will also be given to issues affecting the continent now and in the future. "The work we are undertaking is significant and clearly demonstrates our commitment to ensuring Kelly Tarlton's is a world class destination.

The upcoming 18 months will be an exciting time for the team at Kelly Tarlton's as we work to significantly improve this popular attraction. At the same time, we are 100 percent committed to making sure tourists that visit us while we undertake this work have a top-quality, memorable experience," assures Mr Horne.