New Zealand ferry, Wahine, met its fate in clash of storms
WHEN a tropical cyclone collided with a storm from the Antarctica in New Zealand in 1968 it resulted in a terrible maritime tragedy.
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IT was one of the worst storms New Zealand had ever seen. Former tropical cyclone Giselle, fresh from menacing Noumea. was raging its way down from the tropics and slammed into another storm swirling its way up from the Antarctic. It brought torrential rains, causing local flooding and landslides, along with winds reaching speeds of 190km/h ripping off roofs, pulling down power lines and whipping up huge waves.
Caught in the middle was the ferry Wahine, making its way from Lyttelton to Wellington, on April 10, 1968, 50 years ago today, with more than 700 passengers and crew aboard. Buffeted by the storm-tossed waters the ship pitched and rocked, making many passengers seasick and causing chaos in the kitchens where they were trying to prepare breakfast.
The storm had rendered the ship’s radar useless and at around 6am Capt Hector Gordon Robertson, had to make the decision to enter Wellington Harbour, struggling against 50-knot winds. A huge wave slammed into the ship, pushing it toward Barrett reef. Attempting to steer the ship out of trouble the captain ordered the ship to be turned around to head back out to sea. But the ship reversed straight onto a reef. A propeller was lost and the rear engine came a stop. Passengers reported hearing a crunching noise or a clonk and an announcement came over that the ship had run aground, people were urged to put on life jackets and move to B Deck.
A tug boat was sent for but several attempts to tow the boat to safety failed. The ship was beginning to list as compartments began to flood. But it was not until after 1pm that the order was given to abandon ship. In the ensuing chaos as people packed lifeboats or jumped into the swelling waters of the harbour, 51 people died, two of them from Australia. It was one of New Zealand’s worst maritime tragedies.
The Wahine was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, for the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. Its hull was laid down in September 1964 and was completed in May 1966. When it went into service in August 1966, it was one of the world’s largest passenger ferries.
Measuring 149m long and 22m wide, and weighing 8948 gross register tons, Wahine was a roll-on/roll-off ferry, capable of taking more than 200 cars on board. The trip from Lyttelton to Wellington was an overnight voyage, usually leaving at 8pm and arriving the next day at 7am.
On the night of April 9, 1968, the terrible weather resulted in a delay of about 45 minutes, but delays were common and the company had every confidence that a modern ship with all the latest equipment like the Wahine, was more than capable of making its way through the storm.
Capt Robertson had guided ships through bad weather before, but he had no idea how bad it would get. As he made his way from Lyttelton, Tropical Cyclone Giselle joined up with the storm from the south. Many passengers were already heaving from seasickness before the storms merged, but as the ferry reached Wellington Harbour things became markedly worse.
The wave that pushed the ship toward the reef knocked many people off their feet and kitchen staff had to prepare another batch of breakfast after the food they had prepared was thrown to the floor.
When word came for people to don life vests there was no sense of panic. Passengers believed that nothing bad could happen because they were within sight of land, there were plenty of rescue boats nearby and the ferry was well stocked with lifeboats. Even when the order to abandon ship was given at 1.25pm, there was no sense of chaos.
But the belief that rescue wasn’t far began to ebb away when at about 2.30pm the ship began to roll onto its side. People were either flung or began jumping into the water. Some inflatable life rafts were punctured by wreckage and the waters were soon filled with bodies, some thrashing, some screaming, some lifeless. Many people who survived the jump into the ocean were washed by waves and winds onto rocks. Some made it ashore only to die of exposure or exhaustion waiting for medical help.
Lifeboats were tossed by the waves and rescue vessels had no choice but to brave the waters to guide the survivors to shore. Even when they reached the shore, waves threatened to wash people away.
The death toll was 51, but another two people died from injuries sustained in the accident, one of them decades later.
Originally published as New Zealand ferry, Wahine, met its fate in clash of storms
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