Ship Cove - Captain Cook's Monument

The early European explorer, Captain James Cook, took advantage of the shelter and natural bounty of the locality, making Ship Cove his New Zealand base. He spent more than 100 days here between 1770 and 1777.

There is a rather ugly, squat monument recording Cook’s visits. On each of his three voyages to New Zealand, he called at Ship Cove, it was there he discovered scurvy grass which cures Vitamin C deficiency. It’s easy to see why this magnificent bay was one of his favourite anchorages. The wide, flat grassy area at the water’s edge is surrounded by forested hills. A 1000 hectare reserve, the bush has splendid stands of tree ferns, rimu, tawa and nikau palms.

Ship Cove can only reached by walking track or by sea. It is the start or finish of the Queen Charlotte walkway - a 71 kilometre trip which takes 3 to 5 days. The walkway is also used by mountain-bikers.

WALKS FROM SHIP COVE
• Ship Cove - Resolution Bay - 2 hours one way

• Ship Cove - Endeavour Inlet - 5 hours one way You need to arrange a water taxi to take you to Ship Cove and pick you up at Resolution Bay or Endeavour Inlet.

From the Cove, you climb through bush and forest over a 200m saddle where a lookout gives you great views over Queen Charlotte Sound and Moutuara Island. From Resolution Bay the track follows an old bridle path over a lower saddle to Endeavour Inlet. The views over the water are lovely, but the track surroundings less so. Bush was cleared from the land for farming. When that proved uneconomic, gorse took over. Now native plants are regenerating amongst the gorse.

Image Credit - Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, circa 1788, England, by John Webber. Te Papa

SHIP COVE AND DOLPHIN ECO TOUR CRUISE FROM PICTON

Captain James Cook by Marika Jones