Mercury Bay

Coordinates: 36°47′S 175°47′E / 36.78°S 175.78°E / -36.78; 175.78
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Memorial of Cook's observation of a transit of Mercury, incorrectly located across the bay from where Cook made his observation, at Shakespeare Cliff lookout near Cooks Beach.
The boom, Mercury Bay, Coromandel Peninsula in early 1900s.

Mercury Bay is a large V-shaped bay on the eastern coast of the

Captain James Cook during his exploratory expeditions. It was first named Te-Whanganui-a-Hei, the great bay of Hei, by the Māori
.

On 9 November 1769 Cook landed on the shores of the bay to observe a

plinth
was established there also.

The brig Trial and the schooner Brothers were attacked by Māori on 20 August 1815 in Mercury Bay, when several sailors were killed.[3][4] The bay was the resting place of HMS Buffalo, a ship that transported passengers and prisoners to Australia that was wrecked in a storm in 1840.[5]

The mouth of Mercury Bay is ten kilometres across, and its coastline extends some 20 km. On the shore of the bay is the resort town of

Whanganui A Hei (Cathedral Cove) Marine Reserve
is in the southern part of the bay.

Named locations along Mercury Bay include Buffalo Beach, Wharekaho, Ferry Landing, Shakespeare Cliff, Lonely Bay, Flaxmill Bay, Cooks Beach,

Purangi Estuary, Cathedral Cove and Hahei
.

Mercury Bay is a good location for

game fishing, with the Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club being one of the largest in New Zealand. The bay is also widely known for its yachting. The Mercury Bay Boating Club in Whitianga was the challenging club in New Zealand's first challenge for the America's Cup
, in 1987.

There was an arched rock in Mercury Bay which collapsed. It was illustrated in the 1700s aboard James Cook's Endeavour. It was depicted with a pā on top of the rock.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ Bailey, Susan (1966). "Mercury Bay". In McLintock, A.H. (ed.). An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2019 – via Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  2. ISSN 1173-7263. Archived from the original
    on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  3. ^ "The Missionary Register". Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library. 1816. p. 523. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  4. ^ "The Missionary Register". Early New Zealand Books (ENZB), University of Auckland Library. 1817. pp. 522–523. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  5. ^ Heritage Department of the Auckland Regional Council. "Duder Regional Park – Our History" (PDF). Auckland Council. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Arched rock, Mercury Bay". teara.govt.nz.
  7. ^ "'... arched Rock, on the Coast of New Zealand; with an Hippa, or place of Retreat...'". Royal Society Print Shop. Retrieved 2 August 2023.

External links

36°47′S 175°47′E / 36.78°S 175.78°E / -36.78; 175.78

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