 "Bernicia" called at Nelson where Thomas was told by settlers of unexplored plains stretching north and west of Banks Peninsula.The surveyor's interest was aroused, so they proceeded to Wellington where Thomas wrote to Bishop George Selwyn saying he intended to head to Port Cooper (present-day Lyttelton) to inspect this area.The three, along with Sir William Fox (the newly appointed principal agent to the New Zealand Company) and five survey hands, arrived in Port Cooper aboard the sloop HMS "Fly" in December.