I was a passenger on this vessel backend of 1970, Southampton - Wellington. So so many happy memories of that 5 weeks - especially the Southampton to Durban section. From a sea point of view highlights for me were the procession out of the channel, the doldrums, arrival pre-dawn in Table Bay, and the westbound tanker traffic round Cape Agulhas. I seem to recall the skipper was Larrive on that trip.
I recall also becoming violently ill on the local red wine at Las Palmas. I couldn't see me making Cape Town at that stage but an injection from the ship's doctor did the trick.
When I got to Wellington I'd felt I could cheerfully have stayed on board for the rest of my life!
Later we had a trans-Tasman trip on her from Wellington/Auckland to Sydney (Feb 1973) and Murison was indeed the captain.
I know the ship was plagued with engine problems all its life, but it was still a shock to me that its career lasted just 12 years.
I recall also becoming violently ill on the local red wine at Las Palmas. I couldn't see me making Cape Town at that stage but an injection from the ship's doctor did the trick.
When I got to Wellington I'd felt I could cheerfully have stayed on board for the rest of my life!
Later we had a trans-Tasman trip on her from Wellington/Auckland to Sydney (Feb 1973) and Murison was indeed the captain.
I know the ship was plagued with engine problems all its life, but it was still a shock to me that its career lasted just 12 years.
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