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Cape Turnagain is a prominent headland on the east coast of 
The cape was named by Captain 
Cape Turnagain is north-west of Chatham Island, making it the nearest point of mainland New Zealand to Chatham Island.
The cape is one of the windiest places in New Zealand, frequently recording annual extremes for wind speed. Winds gusts of were recorded at the cape on 10 September 2021, on 14 June 2022, and on 17 September 2023.
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
's North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
, part way between Hawke Bay and Cook Strait
Cook Strait () is a strait that separates the North Island, North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, ...
, between the mouths of the Pōrangahau and Ākitio River
The Ākitio River is in the North Island of New Zealand. It flows generally southeast for , entering the Pacific Ocean at Ākitio to the south of Cape Turnagain on the east coast.
In July 2020, the name of the river was officially gazetted as ...
s.
The cape was named by Captain James Cook
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
in 1769. On his journey of discovery, he sailed south to this point where he was met with atrocious sea conditions, typical of the area. Being unable to safely proceed, he decided to turn and head north and sailed anticlockwise around the North Island of New Zealand and upon reaching the same place turned again southwards and named the point as a result of his decision.
The Māori name for Cape Turnagain is Te Aho a Māui, which means "Māui's fishing line", in reference to the Māui and his brothers fishing up the land mass now known as the North Island.
Cape Turnagain is north-west of Chatham Island, making it the nearest point of mainland New Zealand to Chatham Island.
The cape is one of the windiest places in New Zealand, frequently recording annual extremes for wind speed. Winds gusts of were recorded at the cape on 10 September 2021, on 14 June 2022, and on 17 September 2023.
Climate
References
Landforms of Manawatū-Whanganui Turnagain, Cape Manawatū-Whanganui {{ManawatuWanganui-geo-stub