Te Koko-o-Kupe, known to European settlers as Cloudy Bay, is a significant coastal bay on the eastern side of Marlborough’s South Island, facing directly into the Pacific Ocean. The bay is bounded by the rocky headland at Rarangi to the north and the White Bluffs separating it from Clifford Bay to the south. Its shores are characterized by gently sloping sand and gravel beaches, with the Wairau River being the primary river entering the bay. A notable feature is the Wairau Lagoons at the southern end, an important salt marsh ecosystem for birdlife, separated from the bay by a narrow shingle strip known as Te Pokohiwi or The Boulder Bank. This coastal environment supports unique plants and invertebrates. The area holds deep cultural significance, with archaeological evidence indicating the Wairau Bar was one of the earliest points of human settlement in New Zealand.