Ferry 'Wairua' soon after leaving builders in Auckland,1961.
Wairua
Built: 1961 Mason Bros, Auckland, NZ
Tonnage: 627grt
Owners: NZ Marine Dept
Primary role of Wairua was to carry passengers and cargo between Bluff and Stewart Island, but was also used to service the meteorological station on Campbell Is, the Foveaux Strait lighthouses, and, during the muttonbird season, carry muttonbirders to and from the small outlying islands.
When built, Wairua was the largest all-welded steel ship and the most powerful to be built in NZ.
1985: Sold to Interport Shipping Corp; Suva
1993: Aground near Namalata Reefs, 13 miles NE Cape Washington, and became a total loss.
Report