That was Bruce Kendall in 1988.
New Zealand was formally discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642. However, the Maori people were there long before that. The country was first discovered by Polynesian explorers, and settled by the Maori people. The common myth taught in New Zealand schools is that a Polynesian explorer named Kupe became the first person to discover New Zealand, around 950 AD. However, there is little evidence to substantiate this myth.
Captain Cook did not discover New Zealand. He circumnavigated New Zealand in 1769-1770. New Zealand was discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642.James Cook's expedition was the second European expedition to reach New Zealand, doing so in August 1769. Cook managed to circumnavigate and chart New Zealand, before going on to chart the eastern coast of Australia.
Jim Thorpe
James Cook was not the one who first discovered New Zealand. That aside, the islands of New Zealand could have been found by any of the other sea-faring explorers, possibly the French who would have been likely to colonise it first.
The Maori people in New Zealand did not discover gold first. Gold was discovered in New Zealand in the mid-19th century during the Otago Gold Rush. This discovery brought many European settlers to the country in search of gold.
To date, no raw diamonds have been discovered in the geography of New Zealand.
The kiwi was first discovered on the North Island of New Zealand.
No records exist regarding when Australia was first "discovered" by its indigenous people, whilst records concerning the Polynesians and Maori of New Zealand are not necessarily based on fact. It is likely, however, that Aborigines were in Australia long before any races were on New Zealand. Regarding discovery by Europeans explorers, to our knowledge, the Australian continent was discovered by Europeans, specifically Portuguese explorers, before New Zealand.
The first Moari believed to have discovered New Zealand was a man named 'Kope'.
New Zealand's first Olympic gold medal was won at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam by Ted Morgan in boxing in the welterweight division.
Penguins were first discovered in the 15th century. They were discovered by sailors sailing into the southern waters near New Zealand.
The first Olympics was held in 776 BC, when New Zealand had not yet been discovered by the western world.
the first Kiwi was found in the south island in nelson where it lives today. But today the Kiwi has moved all over New Zealand, we have over 2300 kiwi in New zealand and they are ding at a speed that we can not cotroll.
Abel Janszoon Tasman was the Dutch explorer who first discovered New Zealand but he did not set foot on land there.
The first Dutch explorer to arrive in New Zealand was Abel Tasman. He arrived in 1642.
Caitlin Cadogan