ARRIVAL OF THE ORARI
From the "Lyttelton Times" July 28, 1879

Arrived July 26, Orari, ship, 1015 tons, Mosey from London. New Zealand Shipping Company agents.

On Saturday morning a ship was signalled from the south, and it was at once conjectured that it must be the New Zealand Shipping Company's ship Orari from Plymouth with immigrants as she was ninety-two days out. The ship must have been a long way off, as up to dusk there was no signal hoisted to denote what ship it was. The Orari has been ninety-two days on the passage and eighty-eight days from land to land. The weather has been fine throughout, the top-gallant sails only having been taken off the ship on one occasion. Following is the captain's report on the passage:-

Left Plymouth on April 25 and took final departure from the Lizard at noon on April 26. Experienced light airs and calms to 31 north, May 7. During the calm weather passed a boat bottom up and caught a number of turtle. The north-east trades were light and left the ship on May 20 in 8 north, when the customary spell of doldrum weather was met with to 4 north, when the south-east trades were caught on May 23. Crossed the equator in 24 west on May 24. The south-east trades were moderate, and were lost in 21 south on June 2. Light weather acceded to crossing the meridian of Greenwich in 40 south on June 18, that of the Cape being crossed four days later in 43 south: moderate north-west to south-west were experienced while running down the easting the average running being 205 miles a day. Passed the meridian of Cape Leuwin on July 14 and Tasmania on July 21. The Snares were passed on July 21. The Snares were passed at 3 a.m. on July 24, a heavy gale with snow and sleet at the time with very high sea. Had southerly weather to passing Otago then north-west winds up the coast. The land made was Banks Peninsula on Friday with a light north-west breeze and was towed into anchorage off Ripa Island by the s.s. Lyttelton, dropping anchor at midnight. On May 2, spoke the ship Loch Cree from London for Wellington in 6 degrees north 21 degrees west.