Doubtless Bay
North Island, New Zealand
Unlike Doubtful Sound, which Captain James Cook was uncertain could be safely entered, Doubtless Bay is unquestionably inviting for seafarers, and served as an early base for whalers on the North Island of New Zealand.1 With over 40 miles of coastline, the bay borders several popular beaches, some of which are fringed with pohutukawa trees.
French explorer Jean-François-Marie de Surville formally christened Doubtless Bay “La Baie de Lauriston” in 1769, but Cook’s written reference to the body of water—“doubtless a bay”—proved to be a more enduring moniker.2
References
- Information About This Area. Doubtless Bay Online. Accessed 6 Aug. 2013.
- Doubtless Bay. 100% Pure New Zealand. Accessed 6 Aug. 2013.
Published 2018-06-18