1968: Wahine

April 10, 2022

By AHNZ

If 1968’s tropical cyclone Giselle hit New Zealand today we would probably mumble that it was proof of Global Warming Climate Change or something. Combined with a sub-Antarctic storm coming the other way poor old New Zealand took a terrible battering.

Worst of it all was what happened to the Lyttleton to Wellington ferry on the night of 10 April 1968. Wahine was one of the largest ferries in the world and able to carry 927 passengers. She made it to Wellington harbor but crashed into the rocks so that of the 734 people on board 53 people died.

“Ex-tropical cyclone Giselle, among the worst storms ever to have hit the country, whipped up the strongest wind measured in New Zealand, gusting to 269km/h at a recording station near the exposed, hilly west coast of Wellington. Many homes lost their roofs, windows were smashed and several houses were blown down by the wind. Torrential rain caused flooding in many parts of the North and South islands and thousands of farm animals drowned.” – Wahine: ‘What the f*** have you done, that is my baby’ (re-titled to: WAHINE 50 Years of Pain,) NZ Herald (2018)

What happened today in history certainly marks New Zealand’s transition from a ‘First Turning’ Golden Weather High to a ‘Second Turning’ Nambassa Awakening.

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Image ref. NZ Herald colorised image c.2018

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