Barrett Reef
Barrett Reef (often Barrett 's Reef ) is a rocky reef and one of the most dangerous reefs in New Zealand.
It lies on the western side of the access road to Wellington Harbour and thus to Wellington city.
The reef is by Richard ( Dicky ) Barrett ( 1807-1847 ), a whaler and trader, named. Its Maori name is Tangihanga -a- Kupe. It is a popular diving destination for sports divers.
Large parts of the reef are visible even at high tide.
It lies west of the 2 km wide channel that connects the Cook Strait to the Wellington Harbour, near the coast of Miramar Peninsula. The currents of the Cook Strait are strong and unpredictable because of its location between the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea, wind gusts are not uncommon. There is also a strong ship traffic, including several daily ferries on their way to and from Picton.
Therefore already many ships were damaged or destroyed on the reef. The most famous disaster was the sinking of the Wahine ferry with 52 victims.