Over the years, the Cook Strait, which is notorious, has a difficult location and difficult navigational conditions, has a very important communication value for the economy and public life of New Zealand.
Legends of the Maori tribes
The New Zealand Archipelago , where the Cook Strait is located , is territory at the end of the world. Due to its remoteness from Eurasia and large islands, this corner of the planet has long remained a secluded place where no human foot has stepped. The first Maori people who arrived here from Polynesia at the beginning of the second millennium called the strait between the North and South islands of the Raukava Moana archipelago ("Bitter Leaves"). Natives have many legends associated with this important waterway. According to one of them, the strait was discovered by the great leader Coop, chasing a huge octopus. The sea monster, which causes many problems to the inhabitants of the coast, was killed by a brave warrior in the Tory Canal.
On European maps
The first Europeans from the expedition of the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman appeared in this region only in 1642. But serious research of the area was carried out, almost 130 years later, by the prominent English traveler and cartographer James Cook. On the European maps were marked (for the first time in history) a large barrier reef and Cook Strait (named after the captain of the Royal Navy), hundreds of miles of the east coast of the Australian continent.
The first settlers from the countries of the Old World appeared on the islands in the 40s of the X X century. So the modern cities of Wellington, Nelson, Wanganui were formed. In 1858, the first lighthouse was erected - an eleven-meter cast-iron tower of an octagonal shape. Due to the proximity of the migration routes of whales, until the middle of the last century, many basic whaling stations were located on the banks of the strait. Until today, the fortifications of the Second World War have been preserved.
Geographic data
What is the Cook Strait ? This is a natural navigable artery formed as a result of tectonic metamorphoses during the last ice age. Connects the waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. The length of about 107 km. Width ranges from 22 to 91 km. The prevailing depth is 80-100 meters, the maximum is 1092 m.
Strong gales in the strait are not uncommon. Subtropical oceanic climate dominates. The average temperature in winter is + 8Λ, in summer - + 16Λ. Precipitation (up to 1445mm / year) falls in the form of rains. Snow falls only in some highland areas.
Navigation Terms
The steep shores of the South and North Islands, with a total length of more than 1.2 thousand km, where the Cook Strait is the only breach, form a natural "wind tunnel" in this area. Winds, especially southerly, can accelerate here to frightening speeds. Strong tidal currents and numerous underwater cliffs exacerbate the situation. In the waters of the strait, hundreds of sailors and dozens of ships found the last refuge.
The catastrophe of the TEV Wahine ferry serving the Wellington-Littelton route (1968) is considered the most tragic. Then 53 people became victims of the deep sea. The Strait of Cook is also notorious for the inhabitants of our country. It was here in February 1986, pushing against a pitfall, the Soviet passenger ship Mikhail Lermontov sank . All participants in the cruise were saved. but the mournful list of victims was supplemented by a crew member - mechanic P. Zaglyadimov. Experts still argue about what caused the shipwreck - a fateful combination of circumstances or a pilotβs mistake.
By the way, the most famous and popular pilot of this water area was the Pelorus Jack dolphin, who unmistakably escorted ships from 1888 to 1912. For impeccable service, he was awarded a special protection certificate from the Governor of New Zealand. The mammal accidentally died, falling under the ship's propeller .
Binder thread
The role of the Cook Strait in the social and economic life of an island nation is very difficult to overestimate. There are numerous ferry routes connecting the capital with major cities. For example, a trip from Wellington to Picton (70 km) will take about three hours. According to representatives of the most promising Cook Street ferry service, its average annual cargo turnover is about a quarter of a million cars and up to 4 million tons of various cargoes. More than a million passengers used the company's services for the same period. Electric power and communication lines are laid along the bottom of the strait.
Often, Mother Nature makes adjustments to the functioning of ferry crossings; Due to strong hurricane winds, communication between the islands is interrupted.
Present and future
There has long been a project to build a tunnel under the Cook Strait, with a total length of about 67 km. The main obstacle to translating the idea into a concrete structure is not the high cost of work and structures, but the seismic hazard of the region. Perhaps this is a matter of the near future. It is hoped that the construction of the tunnel will cause the least damage to the pristine beauty of nature and the habitats of unique mammals and fish. The creek, dolphin populations, giant squids, fur seals, sharks and jellyfish have long been chosen by the strait.
And in conclusion, a little about the records. History knows more than 70 enthusiasts who do not need ferry crossings to cross the strait. The first European to swim 16 nautical miles of the water barrier in 1962 was Barry Davenport. To do this, it took him 11 hours and 20 minutes. Of the women, the American Lynn Cox was the first to decide on a sea marathon (1975, 12 h. 7 min.). It is necessary to mention the New Zealander Philip Rush, who made eight such swims (moreover, two of them occurred on the same day on March 13, 1984).