NzAtAGlance

My uncle was born on the 10th of April 1968. We still tell him that there were two disasters on that day. The other being the day the Wahine sank.The Wahine was an inter island ferry. Which used to travel between the North, and South Islands of New Zealand. This particular day, the Wahine was travelling from Lyttelton, to the Wellington harbour. NZ weather can be very unpredictable. The forecast for this day was storm warnings, but nothing out of the ordinary for the Cooks Straight. As high winds and rough seas are very common for this area.The Wahine had a crew of 123, and 610 passengers. With winds gusting up to 150kmh, captain Hector Robinson was still confident of parking the inter-island ferry in the Wellington Harbour. The unpredictable NZ weather changed almost immediatly after hector had made his decision. Now winds gusting up to 160kmh, broken radar, and no one on board could see more than half a mile in front of the boat.A massive wave pushed the Wahine off course, in line with the Barrett reef. Thecaptain fought the stormy conditions for about half an hour, before they were on the rocks of the Barrett reef. About 2.30 that afternoon, the Wahine rolled onto her side. 51 people were killed in the disaster. Some drowned or died of exposure in the cold harbour. Others were thrown against the rocks and never regained consciousness.NZ weather should never be taken for granted. If you live in New Zealand you know what I mean. If you are planning a trip down there, be prepared for anything. Especially if you intend going out fishing, or skiing in the mountains.