Discussions over what will replace the controversial Captain Cook statue in Gisborne are already underway.
The council has made the decision to move the statue from mountain to museum after on-going protests and vandalism.
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He's been soaking up the view for almost 50 years, but Captain Cook's time atop the sacred Mt Titirangi, also known as Kaiti Hill, is over.
Councillor Meredith Akuhata-Brown says the decision has been made to take him down off this maunga.
It hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for the famous British explorer; he was erected without iwi consultation, quickly dubbed the 'Crook Cook' by opponents and repeatedly defaced.
But for the local iwi, this is no joke.
Local iwi spokesperson Nick Tupara says the statue has always felt uncomfortable to them.
"It's a strange thing to have on the mountain; Cook didn't have an association with the mountain, and he landed at the base of it."
When he landed there in 1769 - the first place he landed in New Zealand - Mr Tupara says Cook's crew shot nine Maori men, his ancestors, and having him atop their mountain has always rankled.
"They've always been looking for ways that they can turn that around and make our mountain strong again," he says.
The wave of Captain Cook criticism is not unique to New Zealand, with monuments also vandalised in Australia and Hawaii.
But with the 250th anniversary of Cook's arrival in Gisborne just a year away, the council has decided it's the time to right history.
"James Cook never actually climbed this maunga - this position and this space right here right now should be for the whole region to celebrate, and maybe a dual opportunity exists for iwi and Pākehā," says Ms Akhuata-Brown.
And while a new design is in the works, locals are clinging to the old statue.
"I think it's the wrong move. It's been a part of Gisborne for so many years - I think it's historical and it should stay where it is," says one resident, adding that Cook's "an icon".
An icon that, like it or not, is trading in his graffiti-filled nights atop the maunga for a quieter life in the local museum.
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