Page 69 - 2008 NZ Subantarctic Islands
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animals are under the protection of DOC too. However, Kay and I

                   were  not  on  a  Zodiac  where  these  creatures  were  spotted.  We
                   were so thoroughly and heavily rained on that we saw a virtual

                   white-out  between  the  rain  and  the  clouds.  Just  as  we  had
                   accepted  this  limited  palette  in  the  scene,  we  were  told  to  get

                   ready for an unexpected disembarkation!

                                                Astronomer Point



                   Now  the  world  became  infused  with  wet  and  shiny  greens.  We
                   were landing on shore among huge trees and low bushes, all of

                   them drip, drip, dripping. This is another DOC site associated with
                   Capt. Cook. During the first of his voyages to the South Seas, he

                   was  interested  in  the  Transit  of  Venus  and  had  been  sent  to
                   observe it from Tahiti. Observations were also being made at the
                   time at other points on the globe. A Transit of Venus occurs when

                   the planet Venus passes between Earth and the Sun, obscuring a
                   small  portion  of  the  solar  disk.  A  transit  usually  lasts  around  6

                   hours  or  so  and  before  the  space  age  these  observations  were
                   very  important  in  aiding  scientists  in  determining  the  distance

                   between Earth and the Sun exactly. Transits are among the rarest
                   of predictable astronomical events, occurring approximately every

                   243 years. Capt. Cook was aboard the Resolute during this voyage
                   and  he  stopped  in  Dusky  Sound  to  make  astronomical
                   observations connected with the Transit of Venus responsibility.

                   He  found  good  anchorage  here  with  fresh  water,  greens,  and
                   timber for ship’s repairs.


                   From his ship logs, modern historians and scientists know that this

                   is very spot he stopped and took his measurements during June
                   1769. DOC has built a walkway and ramp up to this point so that

                   modern  visitors  can  see  what  Capt.  Cook  saw.  For  the  non-


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