New Zealands Worst Disasters: True stories that rocked a nation by Graham Hutchi

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The 30 stories in this book describe some of the most devastating accidents and tragedies in New Zealand history, some famous – the Wahine disaster, Erebus and Tangiwai – but many now forgotten. Fires, tornados, earthquakes, drownings, rail and air crashes all feature in these dramatic retellings, as well as the sometimes heroic acts of rescue.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

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.

Back Cover

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 DC10 plunges into Mt Erebus; an earthquake destroys Christchurch . . . disasters like these are known to all New Zealanders: they are part of our history, part of our lives. But New Zealand has experienced many more disasters -- incidents less well known, but shocking, surprising, brutal, bizarre.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 truly eye-opening book. While it describes accidents and tragedies, it also reveals acts of heroism and valour. For when vulnerable human beings make mistakes, others often achieve superhuman feats of rescue and daring. Some of the stories in this book 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.

Author Biography

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.

Table of Contents

IntroductionMap1. The big one: The Wellington earthquake 18552. Of shipwrecks and flooding: The great storm 18683. No easy escape: The Cafe Chantant fire 18794. Blown off the tracks: The Rimutaka rail accident 18805. The big bang: The Tarawera eruption 18866. 'The New Zealand Death': The Motu River canoe sinking 19907. Things that go bang in the night: The Upper Hutt explosion 19148. A pall of gloom: Ralph's Mine disaster 19149. Without a trace: The White Island explosion 191410. For as far as the eye could see: The Raetihi bushfire 191811. But for a boulder: The Ongarue rail accident 192312. Bad vibrations: The Napier earthquake 193113. A wall of water: The Kopuawhara flash flood 193814. Out of mind, out of sight: The Seacliff fire 194215. Too much speed: The Hyde rail accident 194316. The secret crash: The crash of USAF Liberator at Whenuapai 194317. Out of a black sky: The Frankton tornado 194818. A rogue wave: The sinking of the Ranui 195019. Hollow victory: Wellington to Lyttelton yachting tragedy 195120. Because it was there: The Mount Egmont climbing accident 195321. The tragedy of the Royal Mustangs: The crash of two formation fighters 195322. The weeping waters: The Tangiwai rail disaster 195323. Battling the 'Kaimai Breeze': The Kaimai air accident 196324. 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, 199627. 'She'll be right': The Cave Creek platform collapse 199528. Sure to rise: Tongariro canyoning tragedy 200829. Cold comfort at the coalface: The Pike River Mine explosion 201030. On shaky ground: The Christchurch earthquake 201131. Sky High: The Carterton air balloon tragedy 2012BibliographyIndex

Long Description

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.

Feature

The 30 stories in this book describe the most devastating accidents and tragedies in New Zealand history.

Description for Sales People

* A fascinating collection of true stories covering 160 years, many of which will be new to most readers. * The book includes all kinds of natural disasters and accidents, from fires, earthquakes and tornados to drownings, mine explosions and air crashes. * Well researched and written with drive and intensity.* Experienced authors with excellent local knowledge and insight into New Zealand's national psyche.* The book offers a different way of learning about New Zealand's social history.* Includes photographs and other illustrations in every chapter.

Description for Press or Other Media

The 30 stories in this book 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? These and many other stories are told in this eye-opening book, which also reveals acts of heroism among the rescuers.

Details ISBN1775592707 Author Russell Young Pages 224 Year 2016 ISBN-10 1775592707 ISBN-13 9781775592709 Format Paperback Publication Date 2016-04-01 Imprint Exisle Publishing Place of Publication Auckland Country of Publication New Zealand Publisher Exisle Publishing DEWEY 993 Subtitle True stories that rocked a nation Illustrations 60 Illustrations, color Replaces 9781775592037 Short Title New Zealand's Worst Disasters Language English Alternative 9781775592037 Audience General AU Release Date 2016-03-20 NZ Release Date 2016-03-28 We've got this

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