Wahine disaster: 57 years on from Wellington's darkest day

It was on April 10th 1968, as Cyclone Giselle was bearing down on Wellington, that the Interisland ferry Wahine ran aground on Barrett Reef. 

A total of 52 passengers died, while rescuers - both professional and amateur - saved the lives of just under 700 others found in the harbour or along it's shores. 

Wellington Mornings dug into the archives and found reporting from the day. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's the tenth of April today, the date many Wellingtonians
will remember. On the tenth of April nineteen sixty eight,
the Waheny crashed into Barrett's Reef during Cyclone Gisell. The
cyclone caused the worst wins ever recorded in Wellington, two
hundred and seventy five kilometers an hour in some places,
and a strong wave pushed the ferry off course and

(00:34):
into Barrett's reef. Fifty two of the seven hundred and
thirty three passengers died. We've dug up some archives and
found these clips from the day. Take it or listen,
then we'll have a chat.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
And in the news tonight the Wahena disaster. The death
toll from the stricken ferry in Wellington Harbor is rising steeply.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
Paddy o'donald, in an NZBC radio car, took up the
story as the Waheny rolled on to its side.

Speaker 5 (01:00):
We've been here no more than ten minutes, quarter of
an hour. When we are coming down the worth of
Bay Hilletts seen we got just through mist and Hayes.
The Helly's sweppling. It appeared to be settling on the bottom.
It's right over from whereway, standing about a mile off
the pinnacle. And then by the time we got to
the bottom of a hill no more than two minutes
it passed the Waahiny had lifted suddenly to one side.

(01:25):
We still don't know if it has captires, and then
came back up with one side above the water line
at the least.

Speaker 3 (01:31):
Meanwhile, the search for survivors is being concentrated on the
eastern side of the harbor, between Eastbourne and Pincaro. Head
Lights have been brought into use as daylight fills, and
lights are also being used by craft searching the harbor
in the vicinity of the founded ship.

Speaker 4 (01:44):
The first indication that the ship was really in trouble
came at about ten o'clock in the morning, a few
hundred yards off.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
Shore the inter Island ferry.

Speaker 4 (01:52):
Wahini is drifting helplessly backwards up the harbor. Most of
the time it is obscured by driving rain and sleet
and spray whipped up off the sea.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
But a few moments ago it was visible clearly visible
from the shore, and it appeared to be moving slowly
backwards towards the rocks a few hundred yards from the shore.

Speaker 5 (02:10):
Time was almost tearing the car over.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Several small, privately owned launchers are speeding around looking for survivors.

Speaker 4 (02:19):
Any pet apparently seems to be sinking. Now he's going
down sideways, getting deeper and deeper into the water all
the time. Further along the coast, survivors from the Entireland
Ferry were being brought ashore on both sides of Wellington Harbor.
No one really knew how many there were. There were
still no official announcement there. We spoke to some of
the survivors, one of them a ship's assistant purser.

Speaker 5 (02:40):
How many boats got away?

Speaker 6 (02:41):
They all the starbord side boats got away. Port Side
was all up and until she was leaning over a.

Speaker 5 (02:46):
Feud of angle. Most of the people have got off.

Speaker 6 (02:50):
I couldn't say most of them did get off, but
this the boats are still out there picking them up.

Speaker 5 (02:54):
Do you know where the captain is at this time? No?

Speaker 6 (02:57):
I saw him on the bridge. We got away with
all the ship's papers, but they all went down. I
mean we couldn't save them. Our boat overturned and we
were sitting up on top.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
With this came more details of survivors, though injured. The
first confirmed death a woman passenger who died moments after
being brought ashore an ago. The Waheni was reported to
have been abandoned.

Speaker 7 (03:15):
The Tents of April has been the blackest day in
Wellington's history. The storm which lashed the city this morning
with the Tarrigan force winds not only caused widespread damage
to property and the life on land, but has brought
about the tragedy of the Waheny which is now being
pounded by seas in.

Speaker 5 (03:35):
The shallows by the pinnacle rock in the harbor, lying
on his side, and at the moment about the only
activity going on a seat.

Speaker 7 (03:43):
And warm as the presence of one or.

Speaker 5 (03:46):
Two rescue personnel standing by in case. And has just
been reported that a team of skin divers has gone
out to investigate the Waheni. Whether they get on board
the ship or get inside, it's not known.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Tents of April, how was it described the darkest day
in Warington's history. We had to remember it. Thoughts go
out to anyone that lost a family member or friend
on that day. I'm sure that the memory will last on.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills. Listen live
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