EXPLORE Wahine Disaster, 1968 BROADWAY Though there have been worse shipping The Eastern Walkway extends GORE disasters in New Zealand with greater along the southern end of B EASTERN STEWART E loss, the sinking of the Wahine on STRATHMORE AVE A Miramar Peninsula from the MONORGAN RD WALKWAY C April 10 is by far the most well known. O Pass of Branda to Tarakena Bay. Scots N The tragedy can be attributed to one INGLIS ST Fort Dorset EXPLORE H College STRATHMORE major cause – the weather. The storm I The track is 2.5 km long and L LYONS L Walk overleaf HECTOR ST which exploded upon Wellington was takes about one and a half hours to complete. The track surface is BEACON Miramar PARK HILL RES one of the worst ever recorded in New mainly gravel and much of the track is exposed. Golf Zealand. Its ferocity was due to a A WELLINGTON D SIGNALLERS START combination of two storms which Discover Wellington’s Town Belt, reserves and walkways The route is described here from the Pass of Branda to Tarakena Bay, Course N P A A happened to merge directly over R R A but marker posts mean it can be walked in either direction or in the T B U F Wellington. DUFF DRIVE DUFF O recommended circular route back along Breaker Bay Road (see map). W Wellington SS A T PA At 6.41am the Wahine struck on the L S There is also an extra walk which can be done out to Point Dorset, D E LEVESON C 2 southernmost rocks of Barrett Reef where International E T DY allow one hour to discover World War II gun batteries and observation N ANNA the vessel grounded and suffered severe Airport AVE damage to her hull whereby seawater posts. Please don’t climb or enter the observation posts as they RES E BREAKER entered parts of the ship. She was then are unsafe and near collapse. The track is steep in places and very Breaker Bay driven northward by the storm towards W ST exposed. LA A Point Dorset, slowly dragging her anchors SID BAY NGATIAPA Point Dorset E along the western shoreline until she Along the way you will see many Maori historical sites and spectacular R O reached a position where her stern was views of Wellington Harbour. You will also learn about some of the M close to Steeple Rock. Here her anchors H T T THMOR U fascinating history behind the geological formation and diverse local A gripped and held. K R RAUKAWA ST A ST history of Miramar Peninsula. N Reservoir At about 1.20pm Captain Hector Robertson A Eve Bay E SID gave the fateful ‘abandon ship’ order. From the city, take the No.11 Seatoun bus to the Seatoun terminal. LA T TUKANAE W S EASTERN WALKWAY VIA MIRAMAR PENINSULA, STRA Between 2.15 and 2.30pm with her THE PASS OF BRANDA, TARAKENA BAY Refer to the map for the Pass of Branda start (the walkway entrance stability completely lost, she heeled over AND ALSO POINT DORSET is signposted). Sewerage and crashed heavily to the seabed where Treatment BIRKHALL she rested on the sandy bottom. Fifty- All along the route are numerous seats and picnic spots. Dogs are S S Plant GA T E one lives were lost. Remnants of the N W E WHAREKAURI permitted but must be on a leash. The walkway is closed to O Flax Bay R ST BURY Wahine are present at both Wahine and RI B E URI mountain bikers. K AH Churchill Parks (both on the map and E K mentioned further on). www.feelinggreat.co.nz From the Pass of Branda, the track a I Wanganella, 1947 Turn right here and a short The Beacon Hill Signal Station played ROAD POINT MOA Reef Bay ascends steeply by steps and zigzags The Wanganella, nearing the way up the track is the its part in supporting the shipwreck for about 300m, partly in a pine completion of a voyage from Sydney Beacon Hill Lookout. disaster Wahine in 1968. RANGITATAU plantation. A track to Beacon Hill Road to Wellington, ran onto the rocks at Contrasting views can be HISTORIC RESERVE The walkway descends from Beacon Hill is signposted. At the top a resting place the southern end of Barrett Reef on enjoyed – Baring and Pencarrow heads Ranger Lookout past the Sidlaw Street and Bury overlooks Point Dorset, Chaffers and the Cook Strait are in one direction D Point January 19. She remained in this R Crescent tracks. Signposts indicate the Y Passage, Barrett Reef and vessels perilous position for 18 days and after with the eastern suburbs, the Wellington B A B entering and leaving Wellington International Airport, Evans and Lyall main route. The walkway rises enroute 3 a remarkable spell of fine weather she Poito Pa R to Palmer Head and the Ataturk E Harbour. bays in the other. Ataturk K floated clear. The ship was on her first C A Memorial Historic Reserve. Memorial E Palmer Bay 1 I Barrett Reef post-war civilian voyage across the Rangitatau R B Tangihanga-a-Kupe) 2 I Beacon Hill Tasman Sea and had 400 passengers 3 I Ataturk Memorial Pa D Signal Station on board. No loss of life occurred and If you follow the line of the Wanganella was repaired and back The Memorial rocks from Point Dorset The Beacon Hill Signal WAHINE in service after two years. commemorates Mustafa Southwest of southwest you will see Barrett Reef. Station has been in 4 MEMORIAL Kemal Ataturk, defender Point Dorset operation since 1864. Parts of the PARK The row of jagged rocks at the entrance b I Hunter, 1876 of Gallipoli and first president of modern to Wellington Harbour was named Te original building remain today although On April 8 the schooner became Turkey. The memorial, funded by the MOA POINT Tarakena Tangihanga-a-Kupe. much of it has been rebuilt and stranded on the southernmost rock of Turkish government, was dedicated in CONSERVATION equipment upgraded over the years. Bay Barrett Reef. No lives were lost but the 1990. The site was chosen because of RESERVE There are two stories behind the name; The station maintains a 24-hour all year Palmer Head vessel was completed damaged. its physical resemblance to Anzac Cove the first is because of the fancied round “harbour control” service, much in Gallipoli. Beneath the memorial is a resemblance of the rocks to a row of like airport traffic control. c I Earl of Southesk, 1874 mourners at a Maori tangi (the wailing container of soil from Anzac Cove. party of Kupe). The second story is On May 28 the barque struck heavily The Greater Wellington Regional Ataturk’s mathematics teacher gave him Moa Chaffers about the place that Kupe stopped to on the southern end of Barrett Reef. Council Harbourmaster's Office operates Passage the second name of Kemal (which Bay. Tarakena cry for those whom he left behind in Rough sea conditions caused the the station. Public access to the station Point means perfection), in recognition of his of views spectacular to sites Maori historical many past the area, including his daughter Matiu master and 12-member crew to is restricted by the Maritime Security KEY Act 2004. very clever abilities. At that time very da, an Br of ass P the om fr you ides gu y wa lk Wa Eastern and niece Makaro (after whom Somes abandon the wreck five minutes before PARKS The few Turkish people had a second name /RESERVES and Ward islands are named after), she slipped off the rocks and sank in 1 Visit the Beacon Hill webcam web site or surname. while he continued his voyage of 12 fathoms of water. DEPARTMENT OF COOK STRAIT early history of the area. the of history early www.wrc.govt.nz/beaconhill or Greater CONSERVATION some and discovery of Aotearoa. Continue along the undulating track Wellington Regional Council’s web site BARRETT REEF , una fa and a r lo f ng unni t s ews, vi esque ctur pi er v EASTERN disco This is the site of many shipwrecks which leads around Beacon Hill. A track at www.wrc.govt.nz/em/manhar.htm WALKWAY in the past century including: to Signallers Grove is signposted. Further to see more. OTHER TRACKS and parks beautiful Wellington’s of some through Walk along a sign points to Beacon Hill Road. From the Ataturk Memorial, The propeller was not POINT DORSET Early in World War II the Seatoun SAFETY AND REGULATIONS look west over the erected until 1978, when Opposite the entrance to the Eastern area was used as a satellite Wharf Rangitatau Historic the Town Clerk wrote to Walkway at the Pass of Branda is the camp with accommodation INELANDS MARINE PDE EASTERN Reserve. the Director of Parks track which leads to Point Dorset. for mainly the heavy Dogs must be kept on a leash WALKWAY suggesting the propeller The start of the track is steep and artillery regiment. Its headquarters were No Fires EXPLORE Before descending to Tarakena Bay and be mounted in the park with a plaque. exposed so take care. Follow the track situated here at Fort Dorset. It provided Moa Point Road, enjoy the views of This was confirmed by the Cultural, up the ridge and enjoy stunning views accommodation for about 200 military CHURCHILL Wellington Harbour heads and on a Libraries and Civil Defence Committee south across the Harbour along Breaker personnel as well as messing facilities FORRES ST 5 PARK No Mountain Biking fine day the South Island and the VENTNOR ST April 3, 1978.