The Wreck of the Penguin: New Zealand's Worst 20th Century Shipwreck

New Zealanders vividly remember the Wahine wreck, in which 51 people died. An even more tragic shipwreck occurred 60 years earlier, not far from where the Wahine went down. In 1909 the Penguin sank near Wellington with the loss of 72 lives, among them many women and children.

Until now the full story of this calamity has never been told - the drama and despair of that wild night in Cook Strait and the acts of fortitude and tenacity that ensued. One heroine was Ada Hannam, the only female survivor, who overcame dreadful odds but lost her entire family.

The Penguin has never been found, and mystery surrounds the cause and exact location of the sinking. Was it Thoms Rock, or did the Penguin hit the hulk of the Rio Loge? Was Captain Naylor unfairly blamed for the wreck? Many of the answers are in this book; others lie deep in Cook Strait, waiting to be discovered.