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Barrett Reef

 
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The cluster of rocks that is Barrett Reef (often known as Barrett's Reef) is one of the most treacherous reef
Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a Rock , bar , or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water .Many reefs result from abiotic processes?deposition of sand, wave erosion planning down rock outcrops, and other natural processes?but the best-known reefs are the coral reefs of tropical waters developed through biotic processes do...
s in New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
.

It lies on the western side of the entrance of Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour

Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is located on the western side of Wellington Harbour....
, on the approaches to the city of Wellington
Wellington

Wellington is the Capital of New Zealand, situated at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington Urban Area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and ranks as New Zealand's third most populous Urban areas of New Zealand with residents....
, at coordinates . The reef is named after Richard (Dicky) Barrett
Dicky Barrett (trader)

Richard "Dicky" Barrett was one of the first white traders to be based in New Zealand. He lent his modest translation skills to help negotiate the first land purchases from Maori in New Plymouth and Wellington and became a key figure in the establishment of the settlement of New Plymouth....
 (1807-1847), a whaler and trader. Its Maori
Maori language

Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
 name is Tangihanga-a-Kupe. It is popular with recreational underwater divers.

Dangerous entrance
The reef, much of which is exposed even at high tide, is located to the west of the two-kilometre-wide channel that links Cook Strait
Cook Strait

Cook Strait is the strait between the North Island and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east....
 with Wellington Harbour, close to the shore of the Miramar Peninsula
Miramar Peninsula

The Miramar Peninsula is at the southeastern end of the city of Wellington, New Zealand. It contains the suburbs of Miramar, New Zealand, Maupuia, Strathmore and Seatoun....
.






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The cluster of rocks that is Barrett Reef (often known as Barrett's Reef) is one of the most treacherous reef
Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a Rock , bar , or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water .Many reefs result from abiotic processes?deposition of sand, wave erosion planning down rock outcrops, and other natural processes?but the best-known reefs are the coral reefs of tropical waters developed through biotic processes do...
s in New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
.

It lies on the western side of the entrance of Wellington Harbour
Wellington Harbour

Wellington Harbour is the large natural harbour on the southern tip of New Zealand's North Island. New Zealand's capital, Wellington, is located on the western side of Wellington Harbour....
, on the approaches to the city of Wellington
Wellington

Wellington is the Capital of New Zealand, situated at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington Urban Area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and ranks as New Zealand's third most populous Urban areas of New Zealand with residents....
, at coordinates . The reef is named after Richard (Dicky) Barrett
Dicky Barrett (trader)

Richard "Dicky" Barrett was one of the first white traders to be based in New Zealand. He lent his modest translation skills to help negotiate the first land purchases from Maori in New Plymouth and Wellington and became a key figure in the establishment of the settlement of New Plymouth....
 (1807-1847), a whaler and trader. Its Maori
Maori language

Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
 name is Tangihanga-a-Kupe. It is popular with recreational underwater divers.

Dangerous entrance


The reef, much of which is exposed even at high tide, is located to the west of the two-kilometre-wide channel that links Cook Strait
Cook Strait

Cook Strait is the strait between the North Island and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east....
 with Wellington Harbour, close to the shore of the Miramar Peninsula
Miramar Peninsula

The Miramar Peninsula is at the southeastern end of the city of Wellington, New Zealand. It contains the suburbs of Miramar, New Zealand, Maupuia, Strathmore and Seatoun....
. Due to the channelling effect of Cook Strait, which lies between the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 and the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea

The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately 2000 kilometres across. It extends 2800 km from north to south....
, the currents are strong and fickle and gales are common. Add to this the volume of traffic which uses the channel (including several crossings daily of the inter-island ferries to Picton
Picton, New Zealand

Picton is a town in the Marlborough, New Zealand region of New Zealand. It is near the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand near the north-east corner of the South Island....
), and it is not surprising that the reef has a lengthy roll-call of shipwreck
Shipwreck

A shipwreck is the remains of a ship that has wrecked, either in it having sunk or been Beaching . A shipwreck can refer to a wrecked ship or to the event that caused the wreck, such as the striking of something that causes the ship to sink, the stranding of the ship on rocks, land or shoal, or the destruction of the ship at sea by vio...
s.

History of vessels damaged, stranded, or wrecked on Barrett Reef

  • 1866 Tui, iron steamer. Wrecked, north end of Barrett Reef
  • 1871 Lady Bird, schooner (3-masted), 303 tons
  • 1874 Earl of South Esk, wooden barque, 336 tons
  • 1874 Cynthia, schooner, 63 tons. Stranded; partial loss. Abreast of north end of Barrett Reef
  • 1876 Hunter, schooner, 90 tons. Stranded; total loss. Southernmost rock of Barrett Reef
  • 1876 Shepherdess, schooner, 38 tons, Stranded; partial loss
  • 1921 Polly Woodside, three-masted iron barque, 678 tons. Stranded; refloated and repaired.
  • 1927 Norma
  • 1936 Rangatira, inter-island ferry, 6,152 tons
  • 1947 Wanganella
    Wanganella

    TSMV Wanganella was an Australian-registered merchant vessel constructed by the Harland and Wolff shipyards and entering service as a trans-Tasman passenger liner in 1933....
     liner, 9576 tons. Stranded; refloated and repaired.
  • 1968 Wahine
    Wahine disaster

    The Wahine disaster occurred on 10 April 1968 when the TEV Wahine, a New Zealand inter-island ferry of the Union Company, foundered on Barrett Reef at the entrance to Wellington Harbour and capsized near Steeple Rock....
    , inter-island ferry, 8,948 tons, 53 lives lost. Wrecked; total loss.