Hundreds Stranded When Ferry Unable To Berth

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30028, 12 January 1963, Page 10

Hundreds Stranded When Ferry Unable To Berth

(W«w ZMtawd Press Areoctatton)

BLENHEIM, January 11. About 1200 persons, who had intended crossing Cook Strait in the road-rail ferry, Aramoana, on its two scheduled trips today, are still in Picton. They are bedded down tonight in the lounges and passages of already-full hotels, public halls, railway carriages and private homes. Attempts to berth the Aramoana, which arrived at Picton at 120 pun. today, were abandoned at 8.40 pjn. after the ferry had spent most of the afternoon anchored two miles off shore waiting for a south-westerly gale to abate.

Berthing this afternoon was prohibited by the Picton harbourmaster. Captain W. A. Morris. because ot the gale and also because Ito presence of the 12ff00-ton cargo ship, Port Napier, tied up at the Waitohi wharf, dose to the ferry terminal, restricted room for manoeuvring. The ferry anchored two miles out in the lee of Mabel Island and about 450 passengers were brought ashore by launches so that they could make their travel connexions.

Luggage was also brought ashore and the disembarkation was completed about 4 pjn. Cars and other vehicles had to remain aboard and are still there.

Three attempts to berth were made in the early and late evening, but the gale was still too strong and at 8.40 p.m. it was decided to abandon fufrther attempts until 5 a.m. tomorrow.

After its last unsuccessful berthing attempt, the Aramoana returned to its anchorage off Mabe) Island. Shelter Provided In the meantime, passengers and cars for the two planned trips to Wellington kept arriving in Picton. They faced an uncomfortable night, but local organisations made arrangements to open public halls to provide shelter while

the Railways Department made four railway carriages available. Hotels, already fully-booked for the holiday season, opened their lounges. The manager of the Terminus Hotel, Mr G. Hall, said most travellers considered the delayed "quite a joke." _The three lounges and moot of the passages of his hotel were crammed and extra efforts had been made to provide everyone with either a mattress or an eiderdown, he said. “Two people booked into the hotel have given up their rooms, which have been turned into nurseries for babies.” he said. “Most lights were out by 9.30 p.m.” At short notice, Picton’s Regent Theatre began a free, continuous movie programme for the night and most restaurant owners reopened fo- business. Problem In Wellington Railways officials faced a problem at Wellington tonigh 1 , too. Passengers booked on the 6.40 p.m. sailing of the Aramoana had to sleep in the city overnight and, with bowlers in Wellington for the nationrl championships filling up the hotels, it appeared that sleeping cars, the ferry terminal and the railway sta-

tion would be the only places for passengers to sleep. Provided it can berth at Picton at 5 a.m. tomorrow.

the Aramoana will sail from Wellington as soon after 10 a.m. as possible.

A Railways Department spokesman said the passengers delayed would be “fitted m” on tomorrow’s sailings if there was room.

Airport Closed Bad weather upset public transport schedules in other parts of the country. Three airports were closed. Wellington shut from 9.15 a.m. till 12.5 p.m. and flights were diverted either through Paraparaumu or Palmerston North. Wanganui and Palmerston North shut for short periods without causing major disruptions to airline time-tables.

Rain fell on the east coast from Invercargill to Gisborne.

Unusually low temperatures for this time of the year were recorded at Napier (55 degrees) and Ohakea (54 degrees).