Awatea was built by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd., Barrow in Furness in 1936. Awatea was acknowledged as being the greatest ship ever built for the Union Steam Ship Company to be engaged on the Auckland Wellington Sydney Trans Tasman run with accommodation for 528 passengers in first and second class accommodation. Powered by twin screw turbine engines she had a maximum service speed of 23 knots and managed to make record passages both ways, Auckland - Sydney in 55 hours 28 minutes and Sydney - Wellington in 55 hours 47 minutes. In December 1939 Awatea was used to transport Commonwealth troops and was subsequently requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport as a troop ship in late 1941. Awatea was bombed and sunk 1 mile north of Bougie breakwater, Algeria on 11th. of November 1942 when outward bound from Bougie to Algiers.