This is a Wahine

1. Wahine 1968
By Hannah Brown

2. About the Wahine
The Wahine was a
passenger and
vehicle ferry.
Wahine was one of
many ferries that
provided
transportation
connecting New
Zealand's North
and South Islands.

3. What happened to the boat
Wahine
On the morning of 10 April 1968, Cyclone Giselle hit
Wellington at the same time as another storm which had
come up the West Coast of the South Island from Antarctica.
The two storms met over the capital city Wellington creating a
single storm just as the inter-island ferry Wahine was crossing
Cook Strait.
The night before in Lyttleton, Wahine set off. Even though
there were storm warnings the crew did not think it would
match the rough and violent waves in Cooks Strait.
At 5.50 am 10th March the captain Hector Robertson
decided to head into the harbour. Twenty mins later the wind
picked up and the radar stopped working.

4. A huge wave pushed the Wahine off course and in line with Barrett Reef, and the captain was
unable to turn back on course
Then the force of another massive wave threw the captain across the ship.
He decided to keep turning the ferry and try to bring the Wahine around and back out to sea
again.
For 30 minutes the Wahine fought the waves, but by 6:40 am had been driven back onto the rocks
of Barrett Reef.
Many of the passengers did not realise that the ferry had struck rocks because they could tell not
much difference between that impact and the battering the ship was getting.
The Captain ordered to close all watertight doors and to also drop both anchors when he learnt
that none of the engines were working.

5. • Passengers were told that the ferry was grounded on
the reef and they had to put on their lifejackets and
report to their assembly points around the ship.
At 11:00 am a line from the tugboat was used to try and tow
the ferry, but the line gave way. Other attempts failed, but
the harbour master managed to climb aboard the Wahine
from the launch which had also reached the boat.
• Captain Robertson had not considered abandoning the
ship because he felt it was safer for the passengers to
remain on board, given the weather conditions. Then the
order was given to immediately abandon ship.
• Passengers were very confused and frightened. People
were slipping on the tilted deck when trying to get into
the life boats. Only 4 life boats on the boat. The crewmen
were desperately trying to haul people into the boats
some people just held onto the side of the life boat.

6. Facts about Wahine
• 51 people died in the accident out of 735
people.
• It has been 40 years since the disaster
• There were only 4 life boats for all 735 people

7. Credits
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Kids/NZDisasters/
Wahine.asp
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/wahine-
salvage-divers
http://www.nzcoastalshipping.com/
steamerexpress.html

8. Thanks for watching
By Hannah Brown