Abstract U–Pb detrital zircon age patterns in sandstones from the Wellington and eastern Cook Strait area have broad Permian–Triassic and Precambrian–early Paleozoic age groups that confirm a previously established Triassic Rakaia Terrane correlation. Along the western Cook Strait coast, meta-psammitic Marlborough Schist samples have zircon patterns with a single age group, either Late Triassic or Jurassic, indicating a Waipapa Terrane ancestry. Similar data from the central Cook Strait region suggest that Waipapa Terrane basement continues northeastwards from Marlborough through Fishermans Rock to Kapiti Island. The Rakaia–Waipapa terrane boundary thus lies east of Kapiti Island and Fishermans Rock. The position of a Caples–Waipapa terrane boundary within the Marlborough Schist is less certain but most of the eastern Marlborough Schist is Waipapa Terrane.