Cape Jackson's history involves gold mining, sheep farming, and more recently carbon farming (growing trees for carbon sequestration purposes).
Cape Jackson is privately owned. The land is reserved as a private wilderness park known as Queen Charlotte Wilderness Park, and is available to the public via arrangement with the owners.[2]
The cliffs on Cape Jackson are known as Te Kupenga-a-Kupe, 'the fishing net of Kupe', named for their resemblance to nets being hung out to dry. According to legend Kupe left a fishing net here.[3][4]
Major efforts are underway to regenerate the native bush which once covered the six square kilometres (1,500 acres) of the peninsula.
Naming
Cape Jackson was named by James Cook on 29 March 1770, after Sir George Jackson, one of the Admiralty secretaries and a friend and patron of Cook.[3]
Te Taonui-a-Kupe is the Māori name for the point, literally 'the large spear of Kupe', the legendary polynesian explorer.[3][4][5]