Ferry Loses Both Life Rafts in Hauraki Gulf Swells

The raw power of the Hauraki Gulf has once again reminded Aotearoa's maritime community of nature's upper hand, after a SeaLink ferry lost both of its life rafts to heavy swells while traveling from Great Barrier Island.

The incident, which unfolded on a recent voyage from Tryphena Wharf, has sparked a full investigation into the safety equipment securing vessels on one of the country's most exposed routes. It also raises pressing questions about the resilience of our marine infrastructure as climate shifts bring increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.

Bruce Hopkins, an actor well known for his role as Gamling in The Lord of the Rings and a veteran of commercial fishing, was aboard the ferry. He described the conditions as the vessel navigated the swell, noting the skipper's careful handling of the rough seas.