Australia Highseas

These waters form part of the Tasman Sea, the broad sea between eastern Australia and New Zealand. It meets the Coral Sea to the north and the Southern Ocean to the south. A warm East Australian Current moves down the coast, carrying tropical heat into middle latitudes, while seasonal winds raise steep waves. The sea covers a wide shelf between the two landmasses.

The coast behind the sea changes from tropical bays to temperate estuaries and exposed headlands. Sailors could use river mouths for shelter, but the current and variable weather often pushed them offshore. The sea connected coastal communities with New Zealand, island groups and the wider South Pacific.

Abel Tasman made the first known European crossing in 1642, and James Cook navigated the sea extensively during his three voyages in the 1770s. Their routes followed a maritime world already travelled by Pacific peoples. For later European shipping, currents and prevailing winds determined how fast a vessel could return north or beat south against the weather.