Cook Landing Site (Waimea) that the land has actually grown since 1778 due to deposition of sediment, so the exact spot is unknown. A small plaque was erected by Kauai County in 1928 which maintains a small county park. The landing site is accessible via Lucy Wright Park. Across the river Russian Fort Elizabeth is preserved in a state park. Cook Landing Site (Waimea) The Cook Landing Site in Waimea on Kauai island in Hawaii, is where Captain James Cook landed at the mouth of the Waimea River on January 20, 1778. Cook was the first European reported to have sighted the Hawaiian Islands,
Manuae (Cook Islands) 4 km. Manuae has an area of 2.1 km², and Te Au O Tu of 3.9 km². The lagoon is 13 km² in size, shallow and subject to large shifting sand banks. A coral reef surrounds the atoll and there is no passage through the reef. The island is a marine park and is an important breeding ground for seabirds and marine turtles in the Central Pacific. The offshore waters of Manuae are good fishing grounds. Captain James Cook sighted Manuae on 23 September 1773, the first of the Cook Islands he voyaged to. Initially he named it Sandwich Island