The+Brynderwyns+bus+accident

The Brynderwyns bus accident



The story

A bus chartered to return passengers from Port Waikato, left Paihia in the crisp morning, 7 of February. It was Waitangi Day Celebrations, and lots of people were heading home. After the lunch break at Whangarei, with a load of 35 passengers, the bus headed to the Brynderwyn hills, a steep, narrow, and winding road. When the bus reached Pilbrows hill, the highest point on the road, the driver pulled to the side of a brief stop. When the bus continued, the brakes failed almost straight off. The driver tried to control the bus as it raced downhill with the handbrake, or changing gears, but the bus continued to increase it's speed, careering downhill. The driver decided to try and keep on driving down the hill, knowing there was a straight road at the bottom. He knew the wooden side of the bus would shatter easily if he slid into the bank. Very unfortunately the bus failed to take the last bend, smashing through a wire fence and rolling down a 30 meter slope to the Piroa stream below. The bus was completely smashed and fifteen people died.

The activity

Dear Diary

This is Katherine. Oh god, not another curve...Dad tells me to stop writing in my diary, that it would make me feel worse, but I want to, for no reason really. I just want to get off. I want the bus to halt, right here, at the bottom of the Byrnderwyn, and me to get out and walk through the cluster of pine trees back home. But that's silly. Home is a long way off. We'll be catching another bus after this one.

Dear Diary

We stop at Whangarei, the cute little lunch area with a waterfall, I am so relived. Off that stuffy bus with people breathing and listening to music which actually is not only assigned to their ears. I try and not sit next to the people listening to music but sometimes it's difficult not to. There's lots of little spiky brown things on the ground, and the trees are jade green and hang over our heads. I finish my sandwich happily with my family, then people start loading back on the bus again, a squirmy feeling starts up in my stomach again, and I know we have to get back on the bus.

Dear Diary

Come on, come on, COME ON!!! I'm absolutely WRATHING it in here! I'm scared to death, we're reaching the windy, narrow, steep, horrible Brynderwyn hills, and when the bus curves a corner, I feel the bus is going to tip. I want out. When we stopped at Whangarei for lunch, 35 passengers boarded again. The bus is so heavy and weighty I feel like it's going to tip and roll down the steep hill. It's been 10 minutes, Mum says, and I'd closed my eyes and think of nice, pretty things like frolicking lambs, or blooming flowers, or running in a meadow. But I open my eyes now, and we're still driving, driving. We're at the top of Pilbrows hill, and the bus stops and the driver calls out, 'taking a brief stop.' I suck on a cracker out of our backpack, which makes me feel a bit more okay. But when the bus starts again, I know something is wrong. Everyone has gone silent. I feel the bus roll slowly the opposite way, and my heart pounds. People are staring at the driver, eyebrows raised. He growls and presses down the break with all his might. Then he gives up. How could he? What's he doing? IDIOT! Before I know it the bus is charging downhill. Everybody is screaming. Bye, oh god, I'm gonna chuck my dairy on the ground, arrrrrrr!!!!!

Dear Diary

Hi, this is Katherine. I can't believe it's all over. 15 people have died, and I feel terrible. Though I am glad my family is alive and well, and me. A broken arm isn't much. It was so scary. I saw people get flung to the ground. Me and my family were near up the back and we clung to the safety bar. We, and others crawled through the emergency exit in the roof, since the bus was tipped sideways. I'm never taking the bus again. Ever.