Tory Channel / Kura Te Au (Cook Strait) Virtual Cache
Tory Channel / Kura Te Au (Cook Strait)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(virtual)
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The wild and remote Tory Channel entrance is a difficult place to get to hence the high terrain rating. Never fear! You can complete this virtual cache from the ferry whilst travelling between Picton and Wellington or vice versa. To qualify for this virtual cache you must post a picture of yourself with the entrance of Tory Channel / Kura Te Au in the background.
Tory Channel entrance is an interesting place. Wild and rugged in a southerly swell yet peaceful and scenic in a northerly. It represents a challenge for both small craft and large due to the strong currents (up to 6kts) and forms the last hurdle before reaching the safety of the sounds when crossing from Wellington to Picton in a small boat. The regulars through here still appreciate the natural beauty of the area just as much as the many tourists who travel on the ferries through these waters.
Tory Channel also has an interesting history. Little is known about the early Maori use of the area but as they had several pa's and a large population is the Sounds they undoubtedly used Tory Channel. Captain Cook on the other hand was unaware of the hidden entrance and his other surveys of Queen Charlotte Sound failed to identify the channel, mistaking it for a bay. Arapaoa (previously Awapawa) Island to the North was considered by Captain Cook to be part of the mainland. From the late 1700's Sealers and Whalers frequented Tory Channel setting up the a whaling station in the late 1820's that operated right up to Christmas of 1964, remains of the station can be seen on the Arapaoa Island of the channel. The old spotting post is still visible above East Head and is now used for conservation whale counts. Looking at Tory Channel from seaward some people wonder where the ship is going to go, the ships look as though they might be going in to the beautiful bay when suddenly a passage opens up and they are swallowed up by the Marlborough Sounds.
In recent history there have been a couple of close calls where ships have actually hit the rocks on their way through the Tory Channel, notably the cruise ship Azamara Quest in 2016. The fishing vessel Hans met a watery end when it missed the entrance and hit the rocks and sank just to the south of the entrance in 2001
An interesting animation of the tidal flows can be found here
The nautical chart (NZ6154) of the area can be found on the LINZ website
NIWA have a bouy that records wave height just north of the entrance, data found here
Nearest accommodation - link here
TO LOG THIS CACHE
I expect that the vast majority of people completing this cache will do so from one of the five ferries, either Bluebridge or Interislander. I hope that there will be a few who collect this cache from other vessels anything from super yachts right down to kayaks. Kudos to anyone who gets there in their own vessel. For those with access to a flying machine photos from the air will also count provided you are in the photo and Tory Channel is clearly visible. Those of you who are land based... unfortunately this is about the entrance and that is best viewed from outside the Tory Channel, however, photos taken from the old whaling lookout post on the East head side or close to West Head light looking down at the entrance will also be accepted.
Please include a brief explanition of how you came to be at Tory Channel and include a photo with your log - the photo must be identifiable as Tory Channel entrance, preferably taken from Cook Strait looking in and must contain the geocacher logging the find. Logs without photos may be deleted.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gnxr n cubgb naq nggnpu vg gb lbhe ybt! Guvf vf n iveghny pnpur.