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The spy story
An ordinary day in Auckland
It began as ordinary day for most of Auckland's residents. It would be just another working day for Becky Hayter, a receptionist who recently moved from downtown to the airport branch of Newman's, one of New Zealand's biggest travel and car rental firms. Taxi-driver and Devonport mayor Jim Titchener began his day's work, while his wife Barbara planned a visit to the hairdresser. Another taxi-driver, Mike Harris, was looking forward to drinks with his mates that evening at the Auckland Outboard Boating Club on Tamaki Drive, overlooking Hobson Bay. He was happy that it wasn't his turn to be on the regular two-man nightly patrol of Hobson Bay neighbourhood watch, set up following a spate of thefts and vandalism to boats in the Bay. In Marsden Wharf, just along from the recently arrived Rainbow Warrior, Warren Sinclair started his day on the Explorer, a 140-tonne vessel, sprucing her up in readiness for the coming tourist season.
By
7pm Jim Titchener was enjoying his evening meal, listening to his wife
Barbara's account of her day. She broke off as she spotted two
strangers in the adjacent Blair Park, a quarter-acre grassy area with a
narrow zig-zagging concrete path through a copse and down to a long
wooden slipway into the waters of Ngataringa Bay. Between them they
carried an inflated Zodiac rubber dinghy. It was the light grey colour
that attracted Barbara's attention, an unusual colour for an inflatable
among the other boats in this so-called 'City of Sails'.
Around 9:30pm, Mike Harris was also enjoying his evening, having that drink with his mates at the Outboard Boating Club. They thought little of the small inflatable Zodiac they spotted pulled up on a wooden ramp leading up to the roadside. Just then, the two patrolling vigilantes passed by. They had seen the driver of the Zodiac climbing out of the inflatable and jogging away down Tamaki Drive, returning moments later in a white camper van. Helped by another man, the Zodiac driver offloaded a large bundle from the boat and into the back of the van. Their suspicions aroused, they telephoned the police. One of the vigilantes had managed to jot down the vehicle details at it sped away - - a white Toyota Hiace, registration plate LB 8945. However, by the time the police arrived, all that was left was a light grey Zodiac, securely locked to the railings, and nothing else to indicate anything was amiss.
Around 11.50 pm, across the harbour Warren Sinclair had just switched
off his marine radio and was about to bunk down for the night aboard
the Explorer, when there was a muffled thud. A sudden wave lifted his
boat, bumping it against the dock.
July 11, 1985
At around 3am and within seven minutes of sliding into the water, one of the team of New Zealand navy divers called to inspect the Warrior wreckage, surfaced with the body of Fernando Pereira in his arms. He had been found lying face down on the floor of the cabin next to his own. Exactly what had happened to him is unclear. After the first explosion he rushed below decks with Martini Gotje and Andy Biedermann to check if anyone had been left behind. Martini went to the cabin he shared with Hanne, and found it empty. Andy roused Margaret Mills who was still asleep. The pair was first out. Martini remembers that Fernando was 'right behind him' when the second bomb went off.
With all the remaining crew and visitors' safe, the police had a new priority. If what had seemed impossible really had happened, if the Rainbow Warrior had been the victim of sabotage and Pereira had been murdered, who did it?
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It began as ordinary day for most of Auckland's residents. It would be just another working day for Becky Hayter, a receptionist who recently moved from downtown to the airport branch of Newman's, one of New Zealand's biggest travel and car rental firms. Taxi-driver and Devonport mayor Jim Titchener began his day's work, while his wife Barbara planned a visit to the hairdresser. Another taxi-driver, Mike Harris, was looking forward to drinks with his mates that evening at the Auckland Outboard Boating Club on Tamaki Drive, overlooking Hobson Bay. He was happy that it wasn't his turn to be on the regular two-man nightly patrol of Hobson Bay neighbourhood watch, set up following a spate of thefts and vandalism to boats in the Bay. In Marsden Wharf, just along from the recently arrived Rainbow Warrior, Warren Sinclair started his day on the Explorer, a 140-tonne vessel, sprucing her up in readiness for the coming tourist season.
Engineer Davey Edwards aboard the Rainbow Warrior, 1985
Around 9:30pm, Mike Harris was also enjoying his evening, having that drink with his mates at the Outboard Boating Club. They thought little of the small inflatable Zodiac they spotted pulled up on a wooden ramp leading up to the roadside. Just then, the two patrolling vigilantes passed by. They had seen the driver of the Zodiac climbing out of the inflatable and jogging away down Tamaki Drive, returning moments later in a white camper van. Helped by another man, the Zodiac driver offloaded a large bundle from the boat and into the back of the van. Their suspicions aroused, they telephoned the police. One of the vigilantes had managed to jot down the vehicle details at it sped away - - a white Toyota Hiace, registration plate LB 8945. However, by the time the police arrived, all that was left was a light grey Zodiac, securely locked to the railings, and nothing else to indicate anything was amiss.
Two magnetic limpett mines sunk the ship: one on the hull and one on the propellor shaft.
July 11, 1985
At around 3am and within seven minutes of sliding into the water, one of the team of New Zealand navy divers called to inspect the Warrior wreckage, surfaced with the body of Fernando Pereira in his arms. He had been found lying face down on the floor of the cabin next to his own. Exactly what had happened to him is unclear. After the first explosion he rushed below decks with Martini Gotje and Andy Biedermann to check if anyone had been left behind. Martini went to the cabin he shared with Hanne, and found it empty. Andy roused Margaret Mills who was still asleep. The pair was first out. Martini remembers that Fernando was 'right behind him' when the second bomb went off.
With all the remaining crew and visitors' safe, the police had a new priority. If what had seemed impossible really had happened, if the Rainbow Warrior had been the victim of sabotage and Pereira had been murdered, who did it?
< Previous Page Page 2 of 4. Next Page >
Book by former crewmember
Eyes of Fire
To mark the twentieth anniversary of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, David Robie's Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior has been republished. The book is the remarkable tale of the last voyage of the bombed ship to the Marshall Islands.
