Just popping in to explain why I've disappeared and to let you know that I am still working on things in the background! Apologies if there are a few plosives and other audio issues, I'm a little out of practice and I have a new microphone! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 11, 2026•4 min
We round off Cook’s first expedition with what they got up to upon their return, how Cook’s reports were received and how this set the stage for his next voyage. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 31, 2026•49 min•Ep. 185
We see how Cook and company get on in the capital of the Dutch East Indies before we follow their journey back home. Many of them will not survive the journey. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 24, 2026•27 min•Ep. 184
The Endeavour limps her way to a spot where she can be temporarily repaired after her disastrious crash in the Great Barrier Reef. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 17, 2026•28 min•Ep. 183
Cook and his crew will continue up the eastern coast of Australia and end up in probably the most dangerous situation they have been in thus far. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 10, 2026•29 min•Ep. 182
We left the Endeavour last time as she sailed away from Aotearoa on the last day of March 1770 so today we will see how hre crew got on crossing the ditch towards Australia. Guardian Article about spears being returned to Gweagal people of Kamay Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 03, 2026•26 min•Ep. 181
Just a quick update on the release schedule over the next few months as well as what you can expect to be coming up in the Patreon feed! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 29, 2025•4 min
Cook and his crew continue to gather supplies, clean the ship and talk some more with Māori in Tōtaranui before he finally does what both Tasman and de Surville failed to do. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 22, 2025•42 min•Ep. 180
As Cook and company begin to make their way down the west coast of the North Island they look for a place to stop and careen the ship. What they find is a place that Cook will return to again and again. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 15, 2025•29 min•Ep. 179
The Endeavour continues exploring the eastern coast of Te Ika a Māui and Cook ends up in a spot of bother... Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 08, 2025•24 min•Ep. 178
Cook continues to explore Te Ika a Māui, attempting to trade with Māori, getting into arguments with this crew and probably going blind by looking at the sun too much. You know, the usual. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 01, 2025•41 min•Ep. 177
Everyone is trying to steal everyone else in events now immortilised in the naming of the landscape. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 25, 2025•37 min•Ep. 176
We left off when Cook opened his sealed orders which instructed him to head south in search of the Great Southern Land, Terra Australis, at the direct contradiction of Tupaia, who wanted to go west. Today the Endeavour heads south in search of the holy grail of European explorers in the Pacific. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! You find the Gisborne Port Authority report mentioned in the episode here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 18, 2025•41 min•Ep. 175
James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour no longer have a reason to remain in the Society Islands. As such, they need to decide where their voyage will take them next. To do this, Cook pulls out his secret, sealed orders from the Admiralty and cracks them open. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 11, 2025•26 min•Ep. 174
Cook starts to explore more of the Society Islands, with Tupaia’s direction and knowledge proving invaluable. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 04, 2025•27 min•Ep. 173
Now that the Endeavour no longer has any need to remain in Tahiti, a bunch of people start making decisions about their future, some less well thought out than others. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 27, 2025•30 min•Ep. 172
Cook finally does the thing he came halfway around the world to do: Observe the Transit of Venus. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sep 20, 2025•43 min•Ep. 171
It's that time of year again! BOTY is back! As is tradition, I've picked a bird to tell you all about and hopefully pick up your vote. This year we are discussing the ngutu pare, the wrybill! birdoftheyear.org.nz Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 13, 2025•31 min
We return to May 1769 where the quadrant, a vital piece of equipment for observing the Transit of Venus, was stolen and then recovered. In the course of this, Tutaha had been arrested against Cook’s orders, being handled rather roughly and in such a way to cause great insult. Today we see how this affected the pair's relationship. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 06, 2025•32 min•Ep. 170
Tupaia is trying to navigate his way through the ever changing and deadly world of Tahitan politics as the two major leaders of the island clash. Can he come out the other side unscathed? Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 30, 2025•28 min•Ep. 169
Tupaia has escaped to Tahiti and soon realises that if he wants to survive he needs to make himself useful. The island is going through a rather chaotic time politically and Tupaia is known to be a smooth operator, in more ways than one, so he hitches his wagon to Purea. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 23, 2025•26 min•Ep. 168
James Cook has now met Tupaia, high priest of Tahiti and advisor to the chief Purea. He is going to become very important to our story so it is worth going back a few years in the timeline to talk about his early life as well as the culture and history of the Society Islands through his eyes. This will set us up nicely for the next episode where we will explain the backstory of the conflict that the Europeans had found themselves in the middle of! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Pa...
Aug 16, 2025•35 min•Ep. 167
Final preparations are underway for the Transit of Venus as the equipment is calibrated only to find shock a vital instrument is missing! Where did it go?! We also meet the other power player that Tutaha is competing against for control of the island of Tahiti; the supposed queen herself, Purea. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Aug 09, 2025•32 min•Ep. 166
Now that they had made contact, Cook quickly sets to work establishing friendly relations with the Tahitians while also trying to assess who the movers and shakers are in their society. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 02, 2025•30 min•Ep. 165
The Endeavour crosses the Pacific and arrives at her destination, Tahiti. However, pretty quickly Cook is concerned that his crew will run amok so he puts procedures in place to ensure everything goes smoothly between them and the local Polynesians. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 26, 2025•29 min•Ep. 164
Cook's expedition finally gets underway as they sail across the Atlantic bound for the South Pacific. But not before they get into a spot of bother in Rio along the way... Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 19, 2025•32 min•Ep. 163
Just as he was about to head off, James Cook was told that he had to take on a new group of people on his expedition, which caused a number of issues. However, the Royal Society were adament they come along. The leader of these late arrivals was none other than famed botanist Joesph Banks, who will become a key player in our story. Today, we talk about who he was and why he wanted to sail to the South Pacific. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Jul 12, 2025•40 min•Ep. 162
Now that we have looked at the HMB Endeavour , it's worth introducing the colourful cast of characters that will be sailing her. From lofty lieutenants all the way down to salty seamen! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 05, 2025•30 min•Ep. 161
We look more closely at the ship that will be taking Cook and his crew into the Pacific for his first voyage, such as how she was acquired by the Royal Navy, her overall physical characteristics and how she was modified to be fit for this expedition. Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 28, 2025•30 min•Ep. 160
What was Cook's first voyage actually hoping to achieve? What was the background of the collaboration between the Royal Society and the Admiralty? The answers to these questions and more in this episode! Check out the website and shownotes! Become a Patron! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 21, 2025•29 min•Ep. 159