Facing the aftermath 40 years on

In 1987 Sally Wenley was the driven, fun-loving and at times naughty sports prefect of her Hawke’s Bay school with everything to live for. When a bus crashed on a school trip, five people were killed and she became a paraplegic, her sporting dreams in tatters.

Now an award-winning radio reporter, in this engaging, uplifting and at times hilarious memoir she looks back at the angry, defiant, risk-taking younger self who used alcohol and arrogance to mask physical pain and trauma. And, for the first time in 40 years, she also looks squarely at the accident.

As she explores what happened, and acknowledges that the bus crash also devastated other lives, she comes to understand why she was so driven to escape the limitations of her wheelchair and she counts her blessings.

To look inside, click here. 

Pre-order now, books will be shipped 9 April 2026

‘The Crash is a vital, brave, exuberant read. They say courage is the virtue on which all the others climb, and this is a book about that.’ — Jim Mora, RNZ