Doubtless Bay

The bay was named by Captain Cook who, after sighting the long curving coastline but unable to close it, is reputed to have said, “That is doubtless a bay.”

The first recorded whaling ship to visit New Zealand, William and Ann, put into the bay in 1792. Although neither sighted the other, Captain Cook when leaving the area passed the French navigator, Jean-Francois Marie de Surville, who made a closer inspection of the area and found that Doubtless Bay was indeed a bay.

He spent Christmas 1769 anchored at the northern end of Tokerau Beach on the western side of the bay. During a storm the 640-ton, 36-gun ship, Saint Jean Baptiste, lost two anchors. One was later recovered and is now on display in the Far North Museum in Kaitaia. Today a plaque commemorates de Surville’s visit. It reads: “Jean Francois Marie de Surville anchored his ship “St Jean Baptiste” in Doubtless Bay 17-31 December 1769 to refresh his men. He visited a Pa on this headland 30 December.”

It was a passenger (or supercargo) on the Jean Baptiste, M. Momeron, who first mentioned Northland’s kauri gum. His journal records that, “on the seashore is found a transparent gum brought there by the sea; it shows while burning a bright flame, and emits a rather sweet odour.” Captain Cook had earlier noticed the gum at Mercury Bay and thought it a product of the mangrove tree. It was Samuel Marsden who, half a century later, proved the gum to be from the kauri tree.

Just inland from Doubtless Bay is the ephemeral lake, Ohia, which later proved to be a rich source of gum.