Erebus disaster: Local families tell stories of the victims

Forty years ago, 257 people died when Air New Zealand Antarctic sightseeing flight TE901 crashed into Mt Erebus.

At least three of those who died were from Whanganui and neighbouring regions. Two of those stories are told here, by the families of Geoffrey Kerr and Shirley MacDonald.

The Herald and Whanganui Chronicle have launched an interactive memorial which tells the stories of their lives, through the words of their loved ones.

Over six months, reporter Cherie Howie tracked down family of passengers and crew all over the world.

We heard about the former junior All Black who never met his unborn namesake, the newly engaged, the newlywed and the newly retired.

There was also the loving parents whose children gifted them tickets, and the war veteran who won his seat by guessing the weight of a block of ice at a mall opening. And then there's the teenagers just starting their adult lives.

Adventurous souls all, off to see a frozen frontier in their shirtsleeves.

For those we haven't yet heard from, we combed the archives for details. If your relative is one of those we could not find family for, and you would like to send a tribute and photo, please email cherie.howie@nzme.co.nz .

See data journalist Chris Knox's interactive below. The victims appear in alphabetical order. Click on a face to see a name. Click again to jump to their story.