Cook Strait Cook Strait Cook Strait () is a strait that separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast, and runs next to the capital city, Wellington. It is wide at its narrowest point, and is considered one of the most dangerous and unpredictable waters in the world. The strait is named after James Cook, the first European commander to sail through it, in 1770. In Māori it has the name "Raukawa" or "Te Moana-o-Raukawa". "Raukawa" may mean "bitter leaves". In Māori legend, Cook Strait
Southern Division (New Zealand electorate) a by-election on 8 May 1858 and was elected. He represented the electorate until the end of the term in 1860, when he was defeated for the Raglan electorate. Key Table footnotes: Southern Division (New Zealand electorate) The Southern Division was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the Auckland Province from 1853 to 1860. It was a large two-member electorate south of the town of Auckland. The New Zealand Constitution Act 1852, passed by the British government, allowed New Zealand to establish a representative government. The initial 24 New Zealand electorates were defined by Governor George Grey in March 1853.