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L’Austral has second accident in a month in New ZealandL’Austral has second accident in a month in New Zealand

Ponant’s L’Austral hit rocks while entering Milford Sound in New Zealand on February 9, causing only minor damage to its hull.

Helen Hutcheon, Australasia correspondent

February 11, 2017

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

The mega-yacht, which has 132 cabins, hit rocks while transferring passengers on Snares Island in January and had to call into Bluff for repairs.

Investigators from New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission will go on board L’Austral when she makes a scheduled call at Dunedin on February 11.

‘The fact that it is the second of these events in such a short space of time has given more of a sense of urgency for us to find out what’s actually happening,' Radio New Zealand reported TAIC’s chief, Tim Burfoot, as saying.

Burfoot said the investigators will check L’Austral’s navigation system.

 

 

About the Author

Helen Hutcheon

Australasia correspondent

Helen Hutcheon did her cadetship on a shipping magazine and worked in P&O’s Sydney office for seven years as a public relations journalist.

For 19 years she was deputy editor of Travel Week, which was Australia’s leading trade newspaper that covered major local and international industry events.

In 2008 the late legendary Rama Rebbapragada presented her with an award from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ‘in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the cruising industry.’

In 2010 she won the Neil Frazer Award for ‘outstanding contribution to the cruise industry,’ elevating her to CLIA Australasia’s hall of fame.

She has been the Australasia correspondent for Seatrade Cruise Review since 1997 and for Seatrade Insider (now Seatrade Cruise News) since its launch in 2000.

 

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