New Zealand's Worst Disasters: True stories that rocked a nation

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.

Graham Hutchins has been writing books for over thirty years. Most of these have been non-fiction, but fiction and humorous yarns have featured in his body of works. Despite his propensity for writing in a humorous vein, he has also written several serious accounts of aspects of New Zealand’s history, including Highwater: Floods in New Zealand (2006). Subjects covered in his other books include rugby, cricket, popular music and railways. Among his books published by Exisle are Stop the train! I want to get on, Great New Zealand Railway Journeys, Last Train to Paradise and Eight Days a Week. Married with two daughters and two grandsons, Graham is a full-time writer living in Hamilton. He and his co-author Russell Young have been close friends since the age of five.

Russell Young was born in Te Kuiti and educated at Te Kuiti High School before attending the University of Auckland. In 1969 he returned to Te Kuiti to work in his father’s accountancy practice, completing his professional qualifications in 1977. He carried on the business 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 book-writing and aviation. Since gaining his private pilot licence at the age of 23 he has enjoyed flying, and nine years ago acquired a Piper Cherokee 180. He returns to Te Kuiti on a regular basis to maintain contact with a number of long-standing clients in the King Country. In 2013 he published The Story of Te Kuiti. He and his wife Julia live in Blenheim and have three adult children.