A Talk About the Tuia 250 Cook's Lookout Legacy Project
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Cook’s Lookout Project
In the Marlborough Sounds
1. The Tōtaranui 250 Trust
The Tōtaranui 250 Trust was formed in 2016 by community and iwi representatives to
commemorate the significant encounters between Māori and Europeans in Tōtaranui/Queen
Charlotte Sound during Captain James Cook’s first voyage to Aotearoa New Zealand in 1770.
The volunteer charitable Trust was one of four throughout the country that worked together
to mark 250 years since the arrival of Cook, under the umbrella of the Ministry for Culture
and Heritage’s national Tuia 250 programme.
The Trust organised events and school programmes and hosted the national flotilla of waka
hourua and tall ships including the replica Endeavour at Meretoto/Ship Cove and
Waitohi/Picton. Thousands of locals gathered for the welcome which featured Ngāti Apa ki
te Rā Tō, Ngāti Kuia and Te Ātiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui in traditional waka built with support
from the Trust to share voyaging skills with future generations.
2. Cook’s Lookout Project
Proposal: To build a jetty and public walking track from Umuwheke Bay up to the heritage site of Cook’s Lookout on Arapaoa Island. As part of his explorations James Cook was given the task of solving the mystery of whether there was a Great Southern Continent. Geographers and scientists at the time believed there must be, in order to balance the
known landmasses in the north. It was during his 1770 stay in Tōtaranui/ Queen Charlotte Sound that Cook
cut through bush up to a lookout point on Arapaoa Island and saw the strait dividing Aotearoa New Zealand.
It was a momentous point in European exploration as it meant they were not on a great southern continent, but just some medium-sized islands. Cook later sailed deep into the southern ocean to categorically disprove the continent theory.
Aside from a small plaque placed on Cook’s lookout site in the 1960s, there is nothing to
indicate its historic importance. Very few people know about it, and even fewer have pushed
their way through the gorse and scrub to visit. In the spirit of voyage and discovery, the
Trust is keen to create easy public access to the lookout site and tell the story along the way.
This legacy project would involve:
- Building a jetty at Umuwheke Bay
- Creating a 900m graded track up from Umuwheke Bay to meet an existing ridgeline
track (maintained by Marlborough Lines) that connects to the lookout site
- Track width 1.5m. Total track length 1.5km. Three-hour return walk to the jetty
- Signage and interpretation panels
- Native restoration and planting
The Trust has resource consent and support from mana whenua Te Ātiawa, Marlborough
District Council and the Department of Conservation. Work is programmed to start in
2024/25. The Trust is seeking $510,000 from sponsors and grant agencies to meet the
project cost.
3. Benefits of the Project
- A legacy for the nationwide Dual Heritage-Shared Future commemorations
- A significant recreational and tourism opportunity for Marlborough, giving
360° views of Tōtaranui/Queen Charlotte Sound
- Strong alignment with the new Aotearoa New Zealand history curriculum for
schools
- Further educational and voyaging opportunities for schools visiting the
Sounds, including the Mistletoe Bay programme and Outward Bound
- A chance for the public to share, understand and enjoy a little-known part of
Aotearoa New Zealand’s history
4. Benefits for Sponsors
- Opportunity to support and be part of a signifcant legacy project and receive
ongoing recognition and exposure
- A direct association with a community-led project focused on education,
heritage and restoring native bush
- Your logo and acknowledgement on signage, promotional material and
publicity
Contact: Ivan Sutherland, Tōtaranui 250 Trust, ivan@dogpoint.co.nz Ph 021 731 725
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