As James Cook rounded the northern tip of the North Island from east to west, the French explorer Jean François Marie de Surville was in the same waters, sailing in the opposite direction. A storm prevented any chance of an historic meeting.
Image: satellite view of the northern tip of New Zealand.
Read more on NZHistory
European explorers – Early explorersHistory of New Zealand, 1769-1914 – A history of New Zealand 1769-1914
External links
- French explorers (Te Ara)
- De Surville biography (DNZB)
How to cite this page
'De Surville first sights NZ near Hokianga', URL: /de-surville-first-sights-new-zealand-near-hokianga, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 15-Jun-2016
