S1-E33: New Zealand: Toward Bleaker Shores

After months of abundance and warmth among the tropical islands of the Pacific, the 33rd episode of our journey marks a turning point: the Resolution leaves Tongatapu and heads back toward the southern latitudes of New Zealand. On the Friendly Island of Tongatapu, the crew follows in Abel Tasman’s footsteps—130 years after the Dutch explorer’s brief encounter. They find cultural continuity, material traces of Tasman’s visit, and fascinating parallels to Tahiti. Georg Forster observes social hierarchies, gender roles, architecture, and environmental adaptations, offering rich ethnographic insights. A sudden theft attempt during a forest excursion reminds the naturalists of the risks of trust, while a farewell gift from King Latuh marks the closing of this chapter in mutual respect.

Night falls as the Resolution approaches New Zealand—jellyfish drift past the hull, their phosphorescent glow so bright that the sea seems more star-filled than the sky. – Click on the image to listen to this episode on YouTube.

As the Resolution sets sail once more, the tropics fade behind them. The crew braces for colder weather, stormy seas, and the unknown challenges that lie ahead in the vast South Pacific. They encounter Māori once again off the coast of New Zealand—this time with new gestures of exchange, iron tools, and cultural understanding. But nature reminds them of what’s to come: bitter cold, violent gales, and the sobering return to exploration in harsher lands.

This episode captures the moment between warmth and wind, song and silence, ease and hardship.