Page 28 - 2008 NZ Subantarctic Islands

Chapter 6. Ship’s Cove

This site connected with Captain James Cook’s expeditions to New
Zealand is an example of DOC’s administration of NZ cultural and

historical heritage. Ship’s Cove is a sheltered bay where Captain
Cook found everything he needed to refurbish his men and his

ship and its stores. The site included excellent sources of fresh
water, lots of sturdy trees for timber, plentiful greens to prevent

scurvy among the sailors, good anchorage for his ships and
comfortable terrain for the men to pitch tents and rest from the
rolling sea and constant motion of the good ship Endeavor. He

visited and revisited this area from 1770 to 1773 and spent a total
of 168 days there. For good or ill, Captain Cook is a seminal figure

in NZ history because he was the first European to have close
contacts with the Maori, some friendly and some not. But after

Capt. Cook came the European invasion and then the country was
never the same.

We hikers approached the site from the other side of the land spit
and walked through a lovely forest over some medium hills to

reach Ship’s Cove from the land side rather than seaside as the
good captain did. We enjoyed the well-maintained trail and

admired the lovely views towards the cove from the heights we
reached. Our hike took about 2 hours to complete. There is a

wonderful DOC pier that reaches far out into the Cove and that’s
where the Zodiacs unloaded the passengers who did not wish to

hike with us that morning. There is a monument honoring Capt.
Cook that had been placed in 1913. There is a small green lawn
area running down to the sea and we saw several wekas foraging

like chickens in the grass and among the pebbles closer to the
water. DOC also maintains a trail that takes about 45 minutes

roundtrip up to the double waterfall that is the source of the

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