A long-range shot of "Wellington Exporter" alongside in October 1969
JT Diamond collection, Auckland Libraries, JTD-19M-04002-2
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Built in Hamburg, she was launched on 30 April 1960, and had a service speed of 14 knots.
Acquired for the NZ Export Shipping Line in 1968, she operated a three-weekly service to New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, in tandem with "Auckland Exporter".
Sourced from Ships of NZ Facebook page
That proved a short-lived experience, and in 1973, after a lengthy period of time lying idle at Marsden Wharf, she was sold to the NZ Government. Her change of name to "Tangaroa" (pictured below) took place in Whangarei, along with a number of alterations to her appearance.
She served NIWA's research purposes from her base in Wellington until being broken up in Auckland in November 1984, having been towed north a month earlier from Wellington where she was declared unseaworthy when under survey in February.
As "Tangaroa" in Wellington. Sourced from USSCo NZ Facebook page
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