Ashburton Courier: April 21, 2022
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NEWS<br />
8 <strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>April</strong> <strong>21</strong>, <strong>2022</strong><br />
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Lions distributes funds<br />
More than $180,000 has been<br />
distributed by the Lion<br />
Foundation in its latest<br />
grants fundinground.<br />
Mid Canterbury Rugby<br />
Union received$80,000<br />
towards operating costs and<br />
building maintenance, the<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> PerformingArts<br />
TheatreTrust $30,000for<br />
operating costs andthe<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> Seniors Centre<br />
$12,000 for insurance and<br />
office costs.<br />
New Mid Canterbury<br />
charitable trust, Digital<br />
Waitaha, setuptosupport<br />
and helplearnersnavigate<br />
the digital world, receives<br />
$15,000, andMid Canterbury<br />
Plunket gets $34,988for<br />
operating costs and<br />
maintenance of its building<br />
on Wills Street.<br />
There is alsofunding given<br />
to <strong>Ashburton</strong> IndoorBowls<br />
Association towards aroof<br />
replacement ($7287), Rakaia<br />
Swimming Clubfor<br />
operating costs ($4135) and<br />
Allenton Rugby Football<br />
Club for akitchenupgrade<br />
($3000).<br />
Kevin Cartwright with abook aboutthe Wahine disaster.<br />
Wahine memories<br />
WELCOME TO<br />
WHEELS WEEK <strong>2022</strong><br />
30 APRIL UNTIL 1ST MAY<br />
Wheels events catering forall roads of life<br />
Major sponsor<br />
An exciting line up of action for<strong>2022</strong>with old favourites and new events,<br />
including the <strong>Ashburton</strong>Speedway with several NZ titles up forgrabs,<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>Car Club Street Sprints,Motorcycle and vehicle Showand Shines,<br />
aFamily FunRidetoLakeHood ...and forthe first time -aTractorPull!<br />
www.wheelsweek.co.nz plus facebook<br />
Check outthe <strong>2022</strong>programme on our website www.wheelsweek.co.nz<br />
Facebook pages or next week’s issue of the <strong>Ashburton</strong><strong>Courier</strong>.<br />
2474525<br />
BY MICK JENSEN<br />
<strong>April</strong> 10,1968 is adateetched on<br />
the memory of Hindsretiree<br />
Kevin Cartwright it’s the day<br />
the Wahine ferry wentdown,<br />
with him on board.<br />
Kevin wasafreshfaced<br />
<strong>21</strong>yearold travelling from<br />
Lyttelton to Wellington with two<br />
mates when the disaster<br />
happened.<br />
The trio were heading further<br />
afield to Australia for work, but<br />
the sinking of the rollon/rolloff<br />
ferryhaltedthoseplans and<br />
almost claimed their lives.<br />
The Wahine wascaught in a<br />
fiercestorm stirred by Tropical<br />
Cyclone Giselle andran<br />
agroundonBarrett Reef,later<br />
capsizing andsinking in the<br />
shallow waters at the mouth of<br />
Wellington Harbour.<br />
Of the 734 people on board, 53<br />
people died fromdrowning,<br />
exposureto theelements, or<br />
from injuries sustained in the<br />
evacuation.<br />
‘‘It was early in the morning<br />
and two big storms had merged<br />
over Wellington.<br />
‘‘I was on theEastbourne side<br />
of the boatand Ican still see<br />
thosehugewavesrisingupover<br />
it,’’ he said.<br />
Kevin said the ferry was<br />
slowly leaningover which<br />
meant the lifeboats on one side<br />
wereuseless.<br />
He and one of his mates slid<br />
downinto the water from a<br />
smoko room door andinto a<br />
rubber dingy.Others were able<br />
to scrambleupthenets of<br />
fishing boats andinto other<br />
rescue craft.<br />
‘‘It was cold andImusthave<br />
beenclose to hypothermic. I<br />
rememberIlost my shoes and<br />
hadbig ripsinmy trousers,’’ he<br />
said.<br />
Kevin lost his suitcase and all<br />
his belongings,but his wallet<br />
survivedthe ordeal.<br />
In the wallet was aferry<br />
boardingpass, amemento that<br />
he cherishes today and is a<br />
reminder of hisclose call.<br />
Threedays afterthe Wahine<br />
sinking, Kevin was grateful to be<br />
ableto celebratehis 22nd<br />
birthday.<br />
He returnedtoMid<br />
Canterbury and to concerned<br />
parents and friends.<br />
‘‘I can still picturethe whole<br />
Wahine thing in my head, as<br />
clear as day.<br />
‘‘I’ve been on boats since and<br />
in rough seas, but nothing<br />
comes close to that early<br />
morning in 1968.’’<br />
The 2010 Canterbury<br />
earthquake andaftershocks<br />
stirred up Wahine memories for<br />
Kevin and he started having<br />
nightmares.<br />
‘‘I needed sleeping tablets for<br />
awhile, but thankfully the<br />
nightmaresare gone now.’’<br />
Kevin, who is 76, drove atruck<br />
for abig chunk of his working<br />
life and was also afarm worker.<br />
While his two matesfrom the<br />
Wahine voyage arenolonger<br />
alive, Kevin reckons he’s used<br />
up all of his ninelives over the<br />
years, both before and after the<br />
Wahine incident.<br />
‘‘When Iwas kid in Hinds Ifell<br />
off atractor. I’ve been in car<br />
crashes and hadanumber of<br />
health scares, butI’mstill<br />
going.’’<br />
Superior one bedroom apartment<br />
now available<br />
This serviced apartment has open plan living/kitchenette, ensuite bathroom,<br />
laundry facilities and of course anurse call system for peace of mind.<br />
FOR ATOUR OF OUR VILLAGE<br />
contact our Facility Manager Donna Coxshall 03 307 6140<br />
–Love where you live –<br />
37 CARTERS TERRACE, TINWALD, ASHBURTON 7700<br />
WWW.TERRACEVIEW.CO.NZ<br />
2475982
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