Benign weather conditions over the last few days in Fiordland allowed us the rare privilege of making an expedition landing at the head of Goose Cove in Dusky Sound and making the short overland trek to Woodhen Bay this afternoon. This narrow isthmus of land is all that connects Five Fingers Peninsula to Resolution Island. It is nearly always difficult to access because of weather, tides and sea conditions.
Goose Cove was named by Capt. James Cook during his 1773 expedition to Dusky Sound. He wrote in his log “Having 5 geese left out of those we brought from the Cape of Good Hope…….I went with them the next morning to Goose Cove where I left them”. Eighteen years later when Capt. Vancouver revisited the cove there was no sign of the Geese. Cook named Woodhen Bay at the same time on account of the large numbers of woodhen (Weka’s) seen in the area. He did note that “woodhen eat very well in a pie”. We saw neither geese or wood. We were just pleased that the weather, tides and sea conditions allowed us this rare visit.
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