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The voyage had two aims: the observations on Tahiti and (covertly) a search for the so-called [[“Great South Land”]]. The 94 men aboard included a team of scientists led by [[Joseph Banks]].  

The voyage had two aims: the observations on Tahiti and (covertly) a search for the so-called [[“Great South Land”]]. The 94 men aboard included a team of scientists led by [[Joseph Banks]].  

They  reached Tahiti in April 1779, made their observations, collected specimens; and set off for [[New Zealand]] – discovered by the [[Holland|Dutchman]], [[Abel Tasman]] 237 years before. They circumnavigated both islands and took formal possession, then continued westwards. They sighted what was to be named Point Hicks on the coast of “[[New Holland]]” (Australia), (just south of the Victoria/NSW border) on 19th April 1770. They sailed north, surveying the whole east coast; spending time at Botany Bay to scrape Endeavour’s bottom, and at present Cooktown for repairs after running onto part of the [[Great Barrier Reef]]. From there they passed through [[Luis Vaez de Torres|Torres Strait]] (where on Possession Island on 22nd August he took formal possession of the whole east coast of new Holland for the Crown) and made for Batavia (modern Djakarta), where they rested and made repairs before returning to England, arriving on 13th July 1771.

They  reached Tahiti in April 1769, made their observations, collected specimens; and set off for [[New Zealand]] – discovered by the [[Holland|Dutchman]], [[Abel Tasman]] 237 years before. They circumnavigated both islands and took formal possession, then continued westwards. They sighted what was to be named Point Hicks on the coast of “[[New Holland]]” (Australia), (just south of the Victoria/NSW border) on 19th April 1770. They sailed north, surveying the whole east coast; spending time at Botany Bay to scrape Endeavour’s bottom, and at present Cooktown for repairs after running onto part of the [[Great Barrier Reef]]. From there they passed through [[Luis Vaez de Torres|Torres Strait]] (where on Possession Island on 22nd August he took formal possession of the whole east coast of new Holland for the Crown) and made for Batavia (modern Djakarta), where they rested and made repairs before returning to England, arriving on 13th July 1771.

On his second voyage of discovery, (1772-5) Cook, promoted to commander, and with two vessels – his own ''Resolution'' and the ''Adventure'' under [[Tobias Furneaux]] – became possibly the first European to cross the [[Antarctic Circle]] when he circumnavigated [[Antarctica]] at high latitudes confirming that no “Great South Land” jutted up into any of the temperate oceans. The voyage is more important for what it didn’t discover than finding anything new. New lands were found near the tip of South America, some sub-Antarctic islands were discovered and the ''Adventure'', separated by fog and gales in the Southern Ocean, visited New Zealand, then poked around the southeast of Tasmania before exploring the east coast and discovering Flinders Is. at the western entrance to  Bass Strait. (Tasmania, though, was still assumed to be connected to the Australian mainland.)

On his second voyage of discovery, (1772-5) Cook, promoted to commander, and with two vessels – his own ''Resolution'' and the ''Adventure'' under [[Tobias Furneaux]] – became possibly the first European to cross the [[Antarctic Circle]] when he circumnavigated [[Antarctica]] at high latitudes confirming that no “Great South Land” jutted up into any of the temperate oceans. The voyage is more important for what it didn’t discover than finding anything new. New lands were found near the tip of South America, some sub-Antarctic islands were discovered and the ''Adventure'', separated by fog and gales in the Southern Ocean, visited New Zealand, then poked around the southeast of Tasmania before exploring the east coast and discovering Flinders Is. at the western entrance to  Bass Strait. (Tasmania, though, was still assumed to be connected to the Australian mainland.)