Captain Cook Memorial in safe hands

A plaque that marks the visit up the Waihou River by Captain James Cook in 1769 will be temporarily removed from its monument to allow for cleaning and repair work to be carried out.

Unveiled near the Waihou River to mark the 200th anniversary of Cook rowing up the Waihou River with naturalists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander in November 1769, the monument is located outside what was once the Kopu Public Hall on SH25 in Kopu and is maintained by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

The Ministry is working with Beca Carter Hollings, planning consultants Ferner and Thames-Coromandel District Council to find a new space for the monument as part of the proposed new ‘gateway’ and information area proposed in ‘a structure plan’ for future development of Kopu.

The structure plan is being drafted to assist in the required redevelopment of Kopu due to construction of the new Kopu Bridge later in the year. The plan will detail how the land from Kopu to the southern end of Thames will be developed in the future following consultation with landowners and taking into account various studies covering issues such as traffic flow, flooding and archaeology.