Hi Ian Dunford I total agree every one please leave personal attacks out of any posts and lets enjoy the Information that is Posted

Location: TINOPAI NZ

Here is the article from the Austin Magazine that describes the sinking of the Tahiti.







Regards
Bryan

Location: Hertfordshire

Great news that I first heard of from Chris Garner. It is amazing what has come out the woodwork in the last year or so. Firstly Russell Curtis managing to copy the film featuring parts of Penryn Goldman's trip 'To Hell and Gone' and now this ! Almost 100 years after the events ! For those who missed out on this excellent pioneering travel book across Australia, Ian Itter of Australian short run publishers is re-releasing an improved version of it soon. I don't think it's advertised on his website yet but if you contact him through it, he'll provide more up to date details.

Location: Worthing

My Grandad William Wilby Hainsworth went to war in June 1915 on the Tahiti. It was requisitioned for the Duration as an NZ troopship. Grandad,a Yorkshireman in NZ to find a better life for his family at the time war erupted, Joined up with the 2nd Expeditionary force attached to no 2 Stationary Hospital in Cairo. He sailed from Wellington (as Did Hector McQ.) They arrived in Cairo just in time to receive the casualties of the slaughter at Gallipoli. He must have seen some terrible things.
Grandad was later transferred to Brockenhurst nr Beaulieu in 1916 where No 2 NZ general hospital relocated from Cairo. He travelled back to Cairo several times to ferry more casualties and survived the Torpedoing of the Brittanic (sister ship to Titanic) by the Germans on one of those trips.
If you Google RMS Tahiti you will see she also cut a Sydney harbour ferry in half in 1927 with the loss of 40 lives.
When first built for the west Indies Trade as the "Kingston", she was beached in a major earthquake ,luckily she was re-floated successfully.
Despite all this she was a well liked and handsome ship in green and white livery. That she survived 25 years in many roles was a tribute to her makers.
I wonder if anyone will ever exhume the Remains of Emily 1 from the wreck?

Location: Wellington NZ

One can't help thinking you were waiting for Bob to contribute to vent your spleen yet again. I suspect there is more to this than this excellent forum. I concur with Ian D.

Colin, if you are going to reprimand me at least have the courage to not to be anonymous. It is no secret that I do not like Bobs continued attempts to derail, antagonize and upset members this forum, I can not abide blatant racism in any form and make no apology for picking him up for it once again, especially when it added nothing to this thread. I am however sorry that I chose this thread to do so, Steve should congratulated on getting this film released and neither Bobs bigoted racism, nor my dislike of it should detract from that. If anyone else wants to tell me what they think of me perhaps they would be kind enough to do it via private email, as I have in the past done with Bob. Sadly he is not willing to listen and takes perverse pleasure from peddling his drivel, generally stirring the pot and "winding up the Pom's", his words not mine!

Location: Auckland NZ

I regret I cannot be held responsible for attitudes which Hector from classless NZ likely acquired during his sojourn in university in England, or work in Colonial service. And my recent observation of the chateau area in season is strictly factual. (On reflection I think the snow scenes are somewhere else.)

The Round the World book (not Around) commences with the sinking. So, perhaps fortunately, anyone seeking Hectors views on any aspect of the Rotorua welcoming party will be thwarted. At least the choreography is now generally improved. I wonder if Hector escaped the obligatory koha (”donation”, often encouraged by intimidation. Undeclared for taxation. )

As I have mentioned before my grandmother had a collection of centre page photos from a weekly magazine back to WW1. These included several photos of the crew activity and as a small boy these intrigued me. I gather Hector and mate did quite well from the sale of the photos. Initially the sea was rough and all were very concerned. Looking at the lifeboats they had reason. Modern boats very different.

At recent UK prices for original vintage Sevens with patina, the car would be worth salvage.

On the topic of corrugations it is likely many have never encountered. Well into the 50s and beyond many roads to smaller towns here were unsealed river metal, with mile on mile of corrugations. The rear of stock Sevens immediately commence to shudder the car in a circle. Requires constant major correction. I found hydraulic rear s.as. the cure.

Location: Auckland, NZ

Back to reality - when I first read these books many years ago I got curious as to how the Tahiti developed trouble enough to sink mid-ocean in 1930. It might be significant that on 3/11/27 in Sydney Harbour, the Tahiti struck a harbour ferry amidships, cutting it in half and immediately sinking it. 40 lives were lost in the ferry and dozens more were badly injured. Checking the web, there are many accounts of the cause of the disaster, not many co-inciding with the Coroner's findings. There are also various reasons given for the Tahiti's later sinking, raging from leaking water to a broken tailshaft breaking out through the hull. (If correct, Could these two be connected?!!) But regardless, I wonder if any of the failures were caused initially in the Sydney collision. Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Old UK landmarks have been questioned on this Forum but can any Kiwis identify the snow scenes? Is the distinctive European style building the first Hermitage, Mt Cook? And whilst the thermal area has been hugely changed by thermal power stations and development, the background hills should enable locals to identify the valley.

The book begins with the sinking, but these earlier travels would have been written up. Has anyone traced? Their route would be interesting. The NZ VAR mag recently carried an account of a 1926 “non stop” foray from Auckland to Wellington return in a chummy, 1000 miles, 47 1/2 hours, 50 mpg!. From the centre of the NI took a circuitous route to the west presumably to avoid the then very basic pumice sand and other unsurfaced roads to the east and south. Would be interesting to know which route Hector took (Of the routes east from the thermal region, one was not sealed until the 1960s or later and one remains unsealed today. The central region is somewhat changed. The population of Taupo given as 200 in 1930, now 24,000)

Location: Auckland, NZ

Hi Bob,

Your thinking of the second Hermitage built in 1914 to replace the first.
Here is a photo of the second building, while the view is of a different side, I reckon its the same building.



It was destroyed in a fire in 1957.

Marcus

Location: Auckland

Thanks Marcus

For anyone overseas who might be interested the first large (and little changed) hotel is in the middle of the NI amongst the 3 (occasionally active) volcanoes to 9000 ft. (and near to Smash Palace, the famous car scrap yard, still with acres of 1940s, 50s rusty ruins.) The film switches abruptly to the equivalent in the middle of the SI at the foot of the Alps, on the east side. I suspect the shot with the wagon is taken facing opposite direction to the following of car approaching the building. The “hill” in 1st background is continuation of the one in Marcus photo where it blocks view of distant Mt Cook 12300ft.

I am not sure of the river valley scene, possibly just closer to the “hill" with the main divide centre background..

Snowfalls were markedly more heavy in the past. A glacier nearby has retreated miles over a century. The area is a bit remote and through sparse country and the cuppa stop probably on the way. Sadly, now yet another boring modern road albeit with somewhat grand views. With a modern cast sump and trans axle would have to watch for those boulders!

The term bush encompasses all to dense forest.

Judging by the pennants a calm day for Wellington
My car spent much of its life in a Wellington suburb more elevated than the one in background. Second hand Seven stood conditions better than a new Model A.

Location: Auckland, NZ

I recently re read the chapter about the Damascus to Baghdad crossing, the most interesting motoring part of the book. Unfortunately Hector was so non mechanically minded he did not even note the makes of the vehicles used in the convoy. If anyone has info it would be of interest. Meanwhile searching the Nairn Transport on the net gives some info.

Location: Auckland, NZ

Small world. I had a grandfather who worked for Nairns for a time. Before they started using the big buses I thought they had American cars. I will have a dig around in the attic.

One of the Cook Strait ferries lost its propeller a year or two ago. I reminded the media of the Tahiti incident but contrary to modern trends, they did not seize the chance for a bit of sensationalism. I guess such technical matters are way beyond modern staff. A report on the incident was recently released. The basic problem seems to have been that the guys who fitted the propeller had no Seven experience.

There is much on the net about the Sydney harbour collision of the Tahiti, and about the final sinking. It is not clear if the prop actually departed (although it seems inevitable) but the flailing end of the driveshaft broken inside the hull ruptured the hull. Reports read a bit like a post mortem of a Seven crank failure.

It seems the Nairn Co used adapted Cadillacs amongst otheres. Second hand V8 Cadillac cars were imported here, the chassis extended, larger bodies and twin tyres fitted, and used as inter town buses, often all on metal roads. The vehicles gave a performance and longevity far superior to various Brit commercials tried. Speeds well over 50 mph were claimed. Perhaps the cars in the desert were governed to 44 mph to keep speed resonable on the long drives.

Location: Auckland, NZ

I think I remember talk of large coracles used for crossing what I assume was the Euphrates, before the bridge was built?

I also think American vehicles were the vehicles of choice amongst the people working out there. My grandmother, whose grasp of English was not that great was heard to comment 'I cannot breed in the Buick'.