Overview

A full train plunges into a raging river at Tangiwai; the Wahine is tossed onto rocks at the entrance to Wellington Harbour; an Air New Zealand DC-10 plunges into Mt Erebus; an earthquake destroys Christchurch … disasters like these are known to all New Zealanders: they are part of our history. But New Zealand has experienced many less well-known disasters, some of them shocking and brutal. Graham Hutchins and Russell Young describe some of the most extraordinary events in New Zealand history. Who knew that a fire killed 39 people at Seacliff Mental Hospital in 1942? That 10 people died in a lahar on White Island in 1914? That a yacht race between Lyttelton and Wellington in 1951 resulted in 10 fatalities? That a tornado ripped through 150 houses in Hamilton in 1948? A fire raging through Raetihi in 1918 was so fierce it destroyed houses, shops and 11 timber mills. Drownings were so common here in the 19th century that they were called ‘the New Zealand death’. These and many other remarkable stories are told in this eye-opening book. While it describes accidents and tragedies, it also reveals acts of heroism. For when human beings make mistakes, others often achieve daring feats of rescue. Some of the stories show that we underestimate Mother Nature at our peril, but many also testify to the courage of the human spirit. Few books are genuine page-turners; this one is.

Full Product Details

Author:   Graham Hutchins ,  Russell Young
Publisher:   Exisle Publishing
Imprint:   Exisle Publishing
ISBN:  

9781775592709

ISBN 10:   1775592707
Pages:   224
Publication Date:   01 April 2016
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Introduction Map  1. The big one: The Wellington earthquake 1855  2. Of shipwrecks and flooding: The great storm 1868  3. No easy escape: The Cafe Chantant fire 1879  4. Blown off the tracks: The Rimutaka rail accident 1880  5. The big bang: The Tarawera eruption 1886  6. 'The New Zealand Death': The Motu River canoe sinking 1990  7. Things that go bang in the night: The Upper Hutt explosion 1914  8. A pall of gloom: Ralph's Mine disaster 1914  9. Without a trace: The White Island explosion 1914 10. For as far as the eye could see: The Raetihi bushfire 1918 11. But for a boulder: The Ongarue rail accident 1923 12. Bad vibrations: The Napier earthquake 1931 13. A wall of water: The Kopuawhara flash flood 1938 14. Out of mind, out of sight: The Seacliff fire 1942 15. Too much speed: The Hyde rail accident 1943 16. The secret crash: The crash of USAF Liberator at Whenuapai 1943 17. Out of a black sky: The Frankton tornado 1948 18. A rogue wave: The sinking of the Ranui 1950 19. Hollow victory: Wellington to Lyttelton yachting tragedy 1951 20. Because it was there: The Mount Egmont climbing accident 1953 21. The tragedy of the Royal Mustangs: The crash of two formation fighters 1953 22. The weeping waters: The Tangiwai rail disaster 1953 23. Battling the 'Kaimai Breeze': The Kaimai air accident 1963 24. Any port in a storm: The sinking of the Wahine 1968  25. Blind Faith: The Erebus air accident 1979 26. A trio of tragedies: The Marlborough air accidents 1985, 1986, 1996 27. 'She'll be right': The Cave Creek platform collapse 1995 28. Sure to rise: Tongariro canyoning tragedy 2008 29. Cold comfort at the coalface: The Pike River Mine explosion 2010 30. On shaky ground: The Christchurch earthquake 2011 31. Sky High: The Carterton air balloon tragedy 2012 Bibliography Index

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Author Information

Graham Hutchins has been writing books for over thirty years. Most of these have been non-fiction, covering such subjects as rugby, cricket, popular music and railways. In 2006 he published Highwater: Floods in New Zealand. He lives in Hamilton. Russell Young worked as an accountant in Te Kuiti for 30 years before moving to Marlborough in 2004, where he now conducts a small home-based practice which allows time for other pastimes, including flying. In 2013 he published The Story of Te Kuiti.

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