Cape Kidnappers facts for kids
Cape Kidnappers / Te Kauwae-a-Māui is a special piece of land in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It's like a finger of land, about 8 kilometers long, that sticks out into the Pacific Ocean. This famous spot is about 20 kilometers south-east of the city of Napier.
Many visitors start their trip to the Cape from Clifton, as the road ends there. Between the Cape and the nearby town of Te Awanga, you'll find the Cape Kidnappers Golf Course.
Why is it Called Cape Kidnappers?
This headland got its name after an event that happened on October 15, 1769. Captain Cook and his ship, HMS Endeavour, were visiting the area. A young boy named Taiata, who was about 12 years old, was on board. He was the nephew or helper of Tupaia, a man from Tahiti who was helping Cook as an interpreter.
Cook's diary says that Taiata was near the side of the ship. A Māori fishing boat came close, offering to trade fish. Suddenly, the people in the fishing boat grabbed Taiata and tried to take him away. Sailors on the Endeavour quickly fired their guns at the fishing boat. Two Māori people were killed, and one was hurt.
Taiata bravely jumped back into the water and swam to the Endeavour. He was not hurt. The remaining Māori paddled their boat back to shore. A cannon was fired from Cook's ship, but the Māori boat was too far away.
Captain Cook wrote about this event:
“…one of the fishing boat came along side and offer’d us some more fish, the Indian Boy Tiata, Tupia’s servant being over the side, they seized hold of him, pulld him into the boat and endeavourd to carry him off, this obliged us to fire upon them which gave the Boy an oppertunity to jump over board and we brought the Ship too, lower’d a boat into the Water and took him up unhurt. Two or three paid for this daring attempt with the loss of their lives and many more would have suffered had it not been for fear of killing the boy. This affair occation’d my giveing this point of land the name of Cape Kidnappers…’
Cook described the Cape as having tall, white cliffs on both sides. He also saw two large rocks that looked like stacks of hay near the headland.
In 2018, the name of the headland was officially changed to Cape Kidnappers / Te Kauwae-a-Māui. The Māori part of the name, Te Kauwae-a-Māui, means 'the fish hook of Māui'. Māui is a famous hero in Māori stories.
A Home for Birds
The Cape is known as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. This means it's a very important place for birds. Over 3,000 pairs of Australasian gannets come here to breed and raise their young. It's an amazing sight to see so many gannets nesting together!
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Cliffs showing 2019 landslide
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Over 5000 gannets nest here
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Gannets with chicks
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Cape Kidnappers gannet sanctuary, New Zealand
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Gannet sanctuary Hawke's Bay
See also
In Spanish: Secuestradores del Cabo para niños
