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
Geology of Canterbury, New Zealand Geology of Canterbury, New Zealand Canterbury in New Zealand is the portion of the South Island to the east of the Southern Alps, from the Waiau River in the north, to the Waitaki River in the south (this is smaller than the area administered by the Canterbury Regional Council). To the west of the Southern Alps lies the Alpine Fault, a major fault boundary, that passes through the South Island from Fiordland in the south, to the Marlborough Region in the north, where it divides into multiple faults. The Pacific Plate lies to the east of the Alpine Fault and