Significance to New Zealand

The significance that the event brings to New Zealand has the power to bring tears to some eyes and fear to some chests. The sinking of this very ship has left a remarkable footprint on New Zealand Maritime in its entirety. Crashing into Barrett’s Reef only to be completely submerged in water hours later, this event has caused major losses nationwide. New Zealand had lost much more than just one ferry but she has lost people of her country. Crashing so close to shore and still coming out with death numbers was a very unfortunate product.

The Wahine Disaster was a very significant to New Zealand in many different ways. Creating history in mordern maritime, weather and tv there was a lot achieved on this day.

Cyclone Giselle clashing with a southerly front recorded New Zealand’s worst storm in history. The wigusts of wind that the strom brung were the highest ever recorded in Wellington. Because ethe ship was already 30 degrees off course once the storm had hit she was put in a very vulnrable position and was not yet ready for the impact that Cycle Gieslle was about to bring. Ignoring the warning signs of this storm created huge problmes for Captain Robertson in the near soon future. When the vessel entere the funnel the wind was blowing at 50 knots, as the Whine had sailed through stringer winds Chief Officer Rodney Luly saw no harm, what he didn’t realise is that the wind was going to suddenly increase to 100 knots and was only going to increase more as the storm got stronger. The peak of the storm was in between 200 – 250 kmh. This storm is part of New Zealand history now as the strongest storm Wellington or anywhere in New Zealand had ever experienced and as the storm that cause the Wahine to sink.

The new and upcming technology of tv broadcasting had been used during this event. With the accident being so close to shore snapshots and tv broadcasts of scared, cold and injured passengers. These imagages flashing on televisions nation wide, letting people all over new Zealand know and see the harshness of The Wahine Disaster with their own eyes. This video footage eventually found its way around the world, with New Zealand capital city of Wellington being star focus of tragedy. The captsizing vessel marks a great captsizing vessel marks a great

acheivement for New Zealand new boradcasting as they had documented New Zealands worst modern maritime disaster in New Zealands worst storm.

April 10 1968 is a very significant date for New Zealand. On this day we as individual and as a nation has lost so much but this accident has also opened up so many door for to better ourselves. The events that took place on this day had shown the government that changes needed to be made. New Zealand had learned from their mistakes. All passenger ferries are equipt with the correct safety equiptment as the laws were changed after the accident.

The significance that New Zealand has to this event is very extreme. After the ship has completely sunk the next task was to remove it from the water. After five years the entore ship was removed from the ocean in bits. Around Wellington there are memorabilia scattered all around the city.in Churchill Park, Seatoun the Wahines anchor lays, every link represents a death faced during this tragedy. A mast and the foremast from the ship stand tall on the Eastbourne Mermorial, many of the deceased and injured were people that had drifted east. Frank Kitts Park waterfront stands the second Wahine mast. This memorial is dedicated to those who had helped rescue the people aboard the vessel. And the last Wahine Memorial is in Breakers Bay, this memorial feature the bow thrusters (propellers). Moa Point Rd is within eyesight of Barrett Reef which is the reef that the Wahine struck causing major issues.

New Zealand holds a great grief for the people that were lost in this disaster. Four respective Wahine Memorials around Wellington to commemorate and remember who and what we have lost. This tragedy will be part of New Zealand history forever.