More Info →The Wreck of the Fusilier

Ingram and Wheatley's book "New Zealand Shipwrecks" relates the story of the "Fusilier", an iron barque of 404 tons net register. She went ashore, between Turakina and Rangitikei Rivers at midday on the 16th January 1884, but no lives were lost. Since 1884, the sand has moved westward and today the remains of the Fusilier are situated behind the first line of sand dunes, about 200 yards from the present high water mark. When this photograph was taken one of the masts was still standing, but by 1965 (when the writer first visited the wreck), this mast had collapsed and was partially buried by sand.