(photograph © Kiwidutch)
“Cook Straight (Raukawa) is 22km wide at its narrowest point, a formidable barrier dividing New Zealand in two.
The origin and meaning of the Māori name are obscure. The English name first appeared in Cook’s chart of 1770. Captain Cook confirmed the existance of Cook Straight when, from his base in his base in Ship Cover, he climbed to the top of a hill on Arapawa Island and saw clear passage to the east. The straight can be flat, calm and peaceful.
However it is frequently subjected to strong winds with an average of 22 gales per year. The local rip tides are also notorious for both their strength and unpredictability, especially an area between Cape Terawhiti and Sinclair Head known as the Karori Rip.
One intrepid kayaker attempting to paddle the straight reputedly spent 18 hours battling tidal rips before making landfall – and that was back where he started. The strength of local tides is influenced by the fact that high water on the western (Tasman) side of the straight occurs 5 hours later than high water on the eastern (Pacific) side.
Captain Cook narrowly avoided disaster when leaving Queen Charlotte Sound in 1770. The “Endeavour” was becalmed when the wind dropped and a rip tide threatened to carry the ship onto The Brothers. Ferry passengers are not always aware that when they disembark after their voyage that they are really no further north or south than when they started. ”
“The Sea Floor: The Narrows Basin is the deepest feature at the narrowest part of the straight, with depths of up to 200 fathoms (350m). The ferry crosses close to the southern end of the basin which extends north as far as Fishermans Rock.
To the south of the map can be seen the fingers of the Cook Straight Canyon, itself a 1500m deep tributary of the Hikurangi Trench which extends from Kaikoura to East Cape. This is a southern continuation of the Kermadec Trench, part of the subduction zone between the Pacicic and Australian plates. Depths in the Hikurangi Trench reach 3000m within 80km of shore.’
“The Marlborough Sounds is the collective name given to the labyrinth of winding ridgelines, sheltered waterways and indented bays on the western side of the straight. For the past 15 million years or so these hills have been gradually tilting to the north east – a classic example of a drowned river valley system.
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
The Queen Charlotte Sound occupies a valley that once drained into a south westerly direction through Linkwater, the Kaituna, ad the Wairau Rivers. Dotted with hundred of “batches” (holiday homes), the Marlborough Sounds is also charactorised by numerous conservation reserves, exotic plantation forests, a marine (mussel) farming industry, recreational fishery, and in the outer sounds, pastoral farming. The 1750 km length of coastline in the Marlborough Sounds is comparable to that of Portugal.”
“Wellington Landforms. New Zealand’s capital city lies on the boundry of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. In 1855, and earthquake lifted the shoreline around Wellington and Petone by 2 to 3 metres, conviently creating a raised rock platform for the construction of coastal roads and the Hutt Valley rail link.
Earthquakes probably also contributed to gradual uplifting of the former island that is now the Miramar Peninsula. The region is charactorised by several strike-slip faults, most of which are aligned along a south west – north east axis. the most prominent of these is the Wellington Fault, a key factor in the formation of both the Hutt Valley, and Wellington Harbour. The fault line is easily traced from the south coast (between Tongue Point and Sinclair Head), through the suburb of Thorndon, along the north westerns edge of the harbour and up along the course of the Hutt River”.
‘Swimming Cook Straight: A Ngati Kula woman, Hinepoupou, is reputed to have swum from Kapiti island to Rangitoto (D’Urville island) in the mid 18th century. The swim apparently lasted 3 days and she was accompanied on her journey by a guardian dolphn called Kahurangi. Another Maori, this time a Ngai Tahu prisoner of Te Rauparaha, is said to have swum back to the south Island in the 1830’s.
The first successful swim of modern times was completed by Barrie Devenport in November 1962, in a time of 11 hours 20 minutes. since then the stright has been swum more than 70 times, including 3 double crossings. The fastest crossing to date took just 4 hours 37 minutes. The youngest successful swimmer was just 11 years. The swim is renowned for treacherous tides and cold water temperatures. It can be undertaken in either direction however the usual start/end points are Ohau Point on the North Island and Perano Head on Arapawa Island.”
“Whales and Whaling; More than 20 species of whale have been sighted in Cook Straight waters. Southern right whales were so common in the early 19th century that their mating antics in Wellington Harbour caused a visitor to complain they kept him awake at night.
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
Commercial whaling in New Zealand dates back to the 1790’s.
However it wasn’t until the late 1820s that the first shore-based whaling station was established at Te Awaite in Tory Channel.
This was soon followed by others in Tory Channel, Cloudy bay, Port Underwood, Porirua, on Mana Island, Kapiti and its surrounding islets.
The whalers initially targeted southern right whales, but as numbers declined rapidly in the 1830s and early 1840s the focus shifted to humpbacks, sperm whales, and the occasional blue whale.
The industry continued to decline and the last commercial whale was taken by the Perano Tory Channel station in 1964. Whale numbers have since recovered, though they are still nowhere near former peak levels.
An estimated 300 humpbacks migrate northwards though the straight each winter. Southern right whales may also be seen, and there was a small population of sperm whales resident all year round. Other species sighted may include orca, common and bottle-nose dolphin.”
“Pelorus Jack – was a Risso’s dolphin tha routinely accompanied the Nelson-Wellington ferry as it sailed between French Pass and the entrance of Pelorus Sound. Something of a celebrity and tourist attraction, Pelorus Jack became, in 1904, the first dolphin ever to be protected by law.
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
