Dive SS Wairarapa

Rediscovering and exploring the wrecks of New Zealand deeply saddens me that relics and plaques that pay tribute in remembrance to the lives lost have been removed. The bronze plaque that was cemented onto the wall in remembrance of the lives lost of the ill fated Wairarapa has been removed. I personally urge all divers to observe these wrecks resisting temptation towards removing artefacts especially in relation to lives lost at sea.

SS Wairarapa Specifications - Dive SS Wairarapa

Wairarapa No. 84,8478

Construction:steel, screw steamer

Tonnage � 1786 tons gross 1023 tons nett

Built: Dumbarton, in 1882, by Messrs. Denny Brothers

Launched:May of 1882

Value �30,000

Length 285.2 ft.,

Beam 36.3 ft., depth 23.7 ft.

Power - two engines were of 292 h.p.

Ownership - Union Steam Ship Company

Crew and Passengers SS Wairarapa

Commander - Captain John McIntosh

Crew of 65 persons

186 passengers

Lives lost from this tragic accident

121 deaths with only 82 bodies recovered. Bodies were still being recovered up to three weeks after this tragic event.

Wairarapa's Port of Departure

Sydney, Australia.

Basic Overview Leading to the Loss

The Wairarapa was heading to Auckland from Sydney when the Wairarapa started to encounter moderate weather and winds crossing the Tasman Sea passing the Three Kings Islands on October 28 being a Sunday at 7.45 a.m. This weather became thick and foggy at 10.30am as she passed Cape Maria Van Diemen. By noon she was laying off Spirits Bay close to the North Cape, and then by the time of 12:40pm a very thick fog was looming obscuring everything.

Having a course set and steered for Cape Brett, that was continued until about 10 o'clock on the Sunday night until the course was altered to take the ship outside of the Hen and Chickens Islands. It was around 10 minutes past midnight when the vessel forcefully struck the cliff face that was between 600 - 800 feet high with no access of landing easily. This was a very dark night with no land to been seen with a heavy running swell prior to the initial impact. As the Captain was on the bridge at the time he immediately gave the order to launch the boats. The passengers and crew all acted with a coolness knowing the vessel had struck foul ground.

Passengers and crew that had been on the rocks for over 30 hours, with nothing more to eat apart from a few cases of oranges that had been washed ashore from the wreck. The survivors were later discovered by a party of Maoris in boats, and were taken to Catherine Bay.

Sadly the vessel was totally wrecked on Great Barrier Island about one mile east of Miners Head. This was a tragic event in New Zealand shipping having a loss of 121 lives and only recovering only 82 of the bodies. In the history of New Zealand it has been recorded that on two other occasions loss of life has ever been so high. These other shipping disasters included the wreck of the HMS Orpheus and the Tararua that was a steamer.

Key Factors of this Tragedy

These steamers that were trading from Sydney to Auckland would follow a course calculated to take them either five miles inside, or five miles outside of the Little Barrier Island on approach to the Hauraki Gulf. The Wairarapa overran her distance being between 10 to 15 miles-out of her course when this disaster occurred.

She was steaming at full speed through the fog missing the warning lights of the Mokohinau Islands as the steamer continued to run bow on into the steep cliff.

The Captain ignored advice from the crew to reduce speed that may have avoided this tragic event unfolding.

At the time the court expressed the opinion that the Wairarapa was lost due to the master along with the first and second officers, as they failed to take the correct point of departure at the Three Kings. Also not allowing for the current which they should have known was running, to the east and south-east.

Since the captain was in charge and on the bridge or deck at the time of this tragedy, the court found that he alone was to blame for the catastrophe.

Diving the Wairarapa Wreck - Goat Island Dive

To get to this wreck location and explore the relics that one may find laying on the seafloor, here at Dive Planet we highly recommend the team of Goat Island Dive.

Skipper Brian has a wealth of knowledge about this wreck and all the other fantastic spots that they explore.

Things you will see when diving around the wreck of the Wairarapa.
This vessel has been down here for over 100 years and the most obvious sightings will include the steel keel and ribs taking on a new role habouring stunning marine life.

The boiler is visible along with shafts and other assorted debris.

The depth here is around the 17 metre mark.

This wreck is broken up so there is no penetration required.