Dusky Sound, New Zealand
While the waves of the open Tasman Sea swirled tempestuously nearby, we spent a placid night tucked away in the very same bay that sheltered James Cook and his ship Resolution, in 1773. This part of New Zealand has resisted human settlement for centuries and the vista we found was little changed from what Cook and his men, or earlier Polynesian visitors, would have seen. Steep, forested mountains rising from cold, clear waters and a profusion of islands over which clouds hung like wreaths. Cook would have recognised it immediately since the only obvious change from his time is that there is now a small bronze plaque commemorating his visit here.
We landed at the site of his Astronomer’s Point, and took a brief walk in the forest where his expedition set up their instruments of research. Our explorations along the coast revealed pockets of wildlife, like a colony of New Zealand fur seals that had taken over a small islet. Their slumbering bodies have worn away the vegetation in most places, leaving just a few scrubby trees. Unperturbed by our approach, some slept on while others played in the water close to the Xplorer. Little blue penguins also make their home here and we crossed paths with a pair of them as we returned to the ship. From here we’ll leave New Zealand’s wildest corner and make our way eastwards, toward civilisation.
