Now here’s a shipwreck tale with a difference. First, it’s a shipwreck tale, well-known and here re-told; but this time from an unexpected angle. A cricket team from Lincoln University (then College) was on the Lyttelton-Wellington ferry Wahine on that fateful voyage in April 1968, which ended in New Zealand’s worst modern-day maritime tragedy.
The cricket squad of 15 young men all survived. And that makes this book again unique – it’s so far (and surprisingly) the only book written about the Wahine disaster by a survivor. Peter Jerram, the author is captured in the famous cover photograph. That’s him in the foreground carrying another young survivor ashore.
The book grew from a 25th year anniversary reunion of the cricket team. Far from vowing at the time to never talk about the tragedy again, the team now opens up to us, in biographies and reflections. Jerram also researches in depth (he’s had a career in science) the reasons behind the tragedy – ranging from human errors of judgement, to design faults in the ship itself.
Beyond the storm, the navigational challenges, the rescue, the front-page news, The Team That Hit The Rocks is also a very human story of enduring bonds formed under great duress. With a fascinating glimpse into a New Zealand culture long-gone, almost disappeared.
by Damon Salesa
2023, Bridget Williams Books
