New Zealand has a strong connection with English explorer Captain James Cook.

While the find may not be confirmed for some time, the speculation some months back that a wreck found recently off the coast of the United States is that of Cook’s barque, HM Endeavour, holds great interest for this South Pacific nation.

So, just how is this most famous navigator and explorer remembered here? There is one place that remains as idyllic and timeless today as it must have been when Cook sailed into its clear, calm waters in 1770.

That place is Ship Cove in the Marlborough Sounds at the top of the South Island of New Zealand. Here is a scenic and historic reserve known as much for being the start of the Queen Charlotte Track as it is for the great sailor who made it his South Pacific sanctuary over a number of years.

Modern day adventurers such as Southern Wilderness NZ (www.southernwilderness.com), who offer guided walks along the Queen Charlotte Track, say Ship Cove provides a wonderful living memorial to Captain Cook.

“This place has changed very little over the centuries and when you stand at Ship Cove today, it is not hard to imagine the Endeavour anchored in the bay,” says company owner, Steve Gibbons. “Time stands still at a place as beautiful as this,” he says.

With just one small man-made memorial to mark its significance in New Zealand history and world sea-faring exploits, the small bay is perhaps one of the most untouched ports of all those Cook once frequented. Surrounded on all sides by native bush (plenty of good strong timbers for repairs), a fresh stream, ample bird life and sea life, one does not have to wonder for long why it held such appeal to the seafarer.

To explore this piece of historical paradise, you can join Southern Wilderness NZ for a four-day walk over the entire Queen Charlotte Track staying at lodges and resorts located conveniently a day’s journey by foot apart. Call it a walk in Cook’s footsteps if you like as there is considerable history associated with his visits that the guides will share with you along the way. Much of it is evident in the local place names including Endeavour Inlet and Resolution Bay (the sister ship on Cook’s later visits to the area).

For those with less time you can experience the company’s new one-day guided walk - this includes a visit to Ship Cove, boat cruise and guided walk with full interpretation about the area’s historical significance.

The Marlborough Sounds with its labyrinth of coves, inlets and sheltered bays has become a haven for people New Zealand-wide and the world over in the search for solitude, wilderness, adventure and pure relaxation.

So it was for a weary Captain Cook in January 1770 when he stumbled across Ship Cove while making his way down the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island.

He is heralded as the first European to have sailed into the Marlborough Sounds proper. In January 1770 after many months at sea, men and ship wary, he sailed into what is now known as Ship Cove in the outer reaches of Queen Charlotte Sound. Having found the going heavy, sailing south through wild seas, on January 16, 1770 he found shelter in “a very snug cove” in the great bay Tasman had sketchily charted on his earlier visit.

This small cove was to provide a welcome respite for Cook five times between 1770 and 1777 during his exploration of the South Pacific. Today it still provides a respite of sorts for those hankering for adventures of their own – mainly on two feet walking the popular track.