Wakefield's Expedition Landing Place

A final reference to historic places at Port Nelson, must be the spot on Haven Road where the first pakehas who discovered Nelson Haven landed in October, 1841. Wakefield had anchored his expedition off Kaiteriteri and sent off a party in a Deal boat to explore the coastline. This party consisted of Captain F. G. Moore, the surveyor Brown, with J. S. Cross as coxswain, McDonald a boatman and a Maori Pito. The story goes that this party had slept at White Bluffs (presumably Ruby Bay) on the first night and then they rowed down as far as Mackays Bluff on the following day. They were quite unaware of the haven behind the Boulder Bank. They were returning cold and tired when they decided to land on the boulders. Moore jumped out, climbed the Boulder Bank and saw "a sheet of water considerable in extent and to all appearances a good harbour". Later, they found the "old entrance" and the Arrow Rock and they entered the Haven, pulling in at the spot which is now appropriately marked by the Historic Places Trust.