Newspaper Article

On Sunday 5th August, 1900 a Terrible tragedy happened. Sadly 18 people have been killed while trying to cross the Motu River. 16 children and 2 adults have been swept out to sea by the fast rapids of the River. These people were trying to get to the other side of the river because they were trying to get to school. Unnamed sources say that they found the clothes of a woman on the shores and it is assumed that she jumped into the water to try to save the others from drowning but ended up drowning herself. A search party of 20 men have been sent out to search for and recover the bodies.

Diary Article

Newspaper Article

On 10 April 1968, Cyclone Giselle hit Wellington at the same time as another storm that had made its way up the west coast to Wellington, and merged with the Cyclone to make on big, single storm. This storm happened just as the Wahine boat was crossing the cook strait. At 5:50 today the Captain (Hector Robinson) decided to enter the harbour. Twenty minutes later the ferry was alongside Pencarrow Head. The winds had increased to 160 kilometres per hour, and those on board could only see for a distance of 800 metres. A huge wave pushed the wahine off course and another wave then pushed the captain off the bridge. He decided he would try to pull the ship back out to sea. But by 6:40 am had been driven back onto the rocky shores of the Barrett Reef. Most of the passengers had not realised that the boat had hit the rocks as it felt exactly the same as the waves that were hitting the boat. The call then came just before 1:30 pm for the 734 passengers and crew to abandon ship. 51 people have died in this big disaster.

Diary Entry

Dear Diary,

The Ladies told me to write out my feelings so I don't bottle them up inside me all the time. Today something tragic happened. Let's start from the beginning. Today my family and I went on a ride around to wellington, but the ride did not go as planned. We came into wellington harbour at the same time as the biggest storm to hit New Zealand was coming in. I could only see off the ship for about half a kilometre. There was crying and screaming coming from the ship and we were scared. Mummy and Daddy were scared and so was I. The captain put it on the speakers that he was going to try to turn the ship out to sea but about twenty minutes later the waves had knocked the ship onto the shores of Barrett Reef. I asked mum and dad if they felt that. They said that they felt nothing but i think that it was when the boat scraped Barrett Reef. At about 1:35 the captain put it through the speakers that we were all to abandon ship. This is probably one of my most traumatising and scary scenarios of my life. Except for the time my dog (snuffles) was so close to eating the head off my doll. OMG I screamed and I was ready to kill him. After we got back to shore the nice men and women gave me a tinfoil like blanket that kept me very warm. Then we stayed in a nice hotel for the night and in the morning I flew in my first ever plane back to christchurch and Mummy and Daddy and I went home.