Barrett Reef lie close to the shore of the peninsula. On 10 April 1968 , an inter-island ferry, foundered on Barrett Reef and later capsized near Steeple Rock, a pinnacle just off Seatoun. 53 people were killed. Weather The peninsula is exposed to Wellington's prevailing northwest wind and the southerly wind. During southerly storms, big waves and swells batter the peninsula's rocky southern shore. The peninsula's topography, with its high ridges and small bays and coves, provides shelter from the wind in many places. On 15 August 2011, during a prolonged southerly storm, snow fell across the peninsula in the late morning, settling in light drifts on trees, streets and fields. Like other parts of Wellington, snowfall at sea level is a very rare occurrence. Notable landmarks Notable landmarks include: Wellington International Airport Its runway runs north-south along the western side, separating Miramar from Rongotai, Lyall Bay and Kilbirnie. A tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists runs on a west/east axis beneath the runway, from Miro Street in Miramar to Coutts Street in Rongotai. Massey Memorial The marble mausoleum of Prime Minister William Massey (1856 - 1925) sits on a headland at Point Halswell, at the northern tip of the peninsula. It can be accessed from Massey Road, along a short walking track. Atatürk Memorial A plinth on a cliff overlooking Tarakena Bay and Cook Strait commemorates Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, statesman and general, who led Turkish troops in action against New Zealand soldiers at Gallipoli in the First World War. Rangitatau and Poito Site of a Māori kainga (village) and pa in bush above Tarakena Bay, near the Atatürk Memorial. In pre-European times, people of the Ngai Tara and Ngati Ira iwi lived here, using the site for fishing in Cook Strait. In 1819-20, Nga Puhi and Ngati Toa raiders attacked and sacked the pa, and killed, enslaved or drove off its inhabitants. Eastern Walkway A walking track that traverses the main ridge from the Pass of Branda to Tarakena Bay. It runs for 2.5 km, passing mainly through regenerating native forest, and provides excellent views of Wellington city, the Miramar Peninsula, Wellington Harbour and Cook Strait. The CuttingThe Cutting was constructed through a low ridge on the peninsula's eastern side in the late 1890s, and widened in 1910. It provides a thoroughfare from Cobham Drive to Miramar Avenue and central Miramar. Wellington Blown Away