During my time at E C Gough, Hardings, NZWTA and even once fully self employed,.there was a continual need to travel between North and South Islands ( usually with a vehicle).
Until the service was withdrawn I usually preferred to use the Lyttleton to Wellington overnight service with full cabin service.
It meant leaving Lyttelton about 8 p.m. And arrived in Wellington pretty much after a good nights sleep at 7 a.m. Breakfast was available on the ship.
A similar journey was undertaken in the reverse direction.
Originally the service was undertaken by the ships Maori, and Hinemoa, backed up by the older Rangitira when annual surveys etc made one of the others unavailable, that one always had a noticeable lean.
Vehicles were hauled aboard by crane, secured to the deck and then lifted off again at the other end next morning.
Once the Picton ferries started the Maori was sent away to be converted to a RORO (Roll On Roll Off) configuration and Rangitira was called into service!!
Then Hinemoa was then converted too.
I must stress that these two ships did really sterling service, each doing a daily trip between the islands for many years.
Although my involvement was mainly because of a vehicle it was the premium way to travel between the islands (after all you got a nights accommodation as part of the deal, and still have all day available to work).
I well remember Norman Kirk travelling this way when he was Prime Minister.
The ships were getting older and thus USSCO (Union Steamship Company) bought a wonderful new ship the Wahine!!
Wrongly, in my opinion they then scrapped the old Rangitira, and sold off the Hinemoa – a move they would come to regret.
However the Wahine was, indeed, a wonderful ship, a fully enclosed bridge, the very latest radar (obviously an interest of mine) and licensed restaurants etc for passengers.
I was, by then, not only a regular passenger, but thanks to other connections also a VIP. This meant that usually (not always) I was given an 'owners cabin'. There were two of these both amidships one each side – port and starboard. This meant they didn't roll, and were exceptionally large compared to other cabins. I REALLY enjoyed travelling on the Wahine !!
Then the 'Wahine Storm' of April 1968 changed all that.
The ship went down inside Wellington Harbour with the loss of 53 lives, all the cars on board etc and was, indeed a disaster.
The purchasers of the Hinemoa refused to sell it back so the service was stuck with just the Maori, USSCO pushed it to its limits doing return crossings (one night one day) several days a week but instead of a simple crew roster (nightly) their staff saw this extra work as a way of making money out of the unhappy situation and lots of problems arose because of their demands.
However the building of a new ship the new Rangitira was soon underway, but by then the disruption was encouraging more and more people to go by air or travel to Picton.
I think we were up to ARA5 by then – Aramoana was the first, then Aranui, then Aratika, then a freight only Arahanga – ARA5 became the Arahura.
Rangitira was also a lovely ship, I think modelled very much on the ill fated Wahine, but by then the writing was on the wall.
USSCO just leased it rather than buying outright and from memory it lasted just over a year – having to do the job the Maori had done since the Wahine disaster.
The Maori having been gracefully retired to give Rangitira more of the available passengers.
So once there was no more Lyttelton service I like so many others had to make the trek to Picton – thus wasting at least one working day in reality probably more.
I can still remember the announcement given when a ship arrived “Would those passengers with motor vehicles on board the vessel please proceed to the vehicle deck and seat themselves in their cars ready to drive ashore. Please do not start your engine until asked to do so, and a reminder that smoking is not permitted on the vehicle deck”
The modern version really just says the same thing – I have no idea why they changed it unless like me so many passengers could chant it in unison.
Because of my Radar Simulation involvement, I also got several trips in the ARA ships, on the bridge or the captain's day room.
I am, I think, brave enough able to relate a somewhat memorable occasion (yes it was after Pat and I had separated). I was heading for Napier and waiting to 'Proceed to the vehicle deck.......' when I was approached by what can only be described as a gorgeous young girl and asked if I had a car on board and so could she come off with me. Affirmative!!
It turned out that she was heading for New Plymouth and, of course I was heading for Napier!!
During the trip north towards Sanson I kept trying to get her to come to Napier with me and stay until the weekend when I could take her to New Plymouth.
But she really wanted to get there sooner.
She did want to know though if she did come to Napier could we possibly sleep together another affirmative !! After all at that time we had a company flat in Napier.
But when we got to Sanson she really felt she should head to her destination, so while disappointed I agreed and let her off.
But about 100m down the road I had second thoughts , so what if I was a day or so late for work, this was an opportunity not to be missed. So I turned around and went back for her! Just in time to see her being picked up by another car heading her way.
I didn't even get a phone no. Bugger!