The ferry Wahine, with 734 passengers and crew on board, was en route from Lyttelton to Wellington when it fell victim to one of the most ferocious storms in New Zealand’s recorded history. With the loss of 52 lives (a 53rd victim died in 1990 from injuries sustained in the wreck), this was our worst maritime disaster since the loss of the Penguin in 1909.
A shocked nation watched in disbelief as the events of 10 April 1968 were beamed into their living rooms via the then relatively new medium of television. Read more...
Read more on NZHistory
New Zealand disasters timeline – New Zealand disasters timelineThe Wahine disaster – Wahine disasterRough crossings – Cook Strait rail ferriesEnd of the line – Lyttelton-Wellington ferries1968 - key events – The 1960sCook Strait's dangerous waters - roadside stories – Wahine disasterWahine disaster 45 years on – Wahine disaster
External links
- The sinking of the Wahine (Wgtn City Libraries)
- Wahine (NZ Maritime Museum)
- 20th-century shipwrecks (Te Ara)
How to cite this page
'Sinking of the Wahine', URL: /sinking-of-em-wahine-em, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 11-Feb-2016
