It is the real New Zealand, with a population of around 50 residents spread around its coastline. Around the top the water looked fine, although we could see the tidal rip across Stephens Passage. On New Year’s Day we caught up with Kirsty Woods, Dale, Greg Ord and their paddling party who informed us that they were practising a particularly advanced form of kayaking. D'Urville Island Travelling around the sounds in a Motorhome. The next day was dead calm and the barometer was on the increase so we decided to cover the west coast as far up as we could. The Aurore can comfortably accommodate a maximum of 12 people. You could actually see that the water level was higher on one side of the pass than the other, and the effect of the flow of so much water through such a small narrow channel made it look like a rapid on a river. Hike, bike, fish and dive in this outdoorsy paradise. Borders DOC land too . The west coast is a desolate place with huge cliff faces, underwater caves and huge arched islands. Encouraged, we powered on with our exceptionally heavy boats around the rocky southern point of the island and on to Te Puna Bay – a large sweeping bay with a steep surf-prone beach riddled with a whole forest of driftwood. Such a great blog. In hindsight this decision was perhaps not a wise one, as we were slightly late reaching the Stephens Passage and the tide had turned on us. They each had coffee plungers and wine glasses, stools strapped onto the decks of their boats and breakfasts consisted of bacon pancakes with maple syrup… Not to forget the collapsible Ortlieb washbowl! There are plenty of bush walks from the resort and d'Urville Island is possum free, as a result you can enjoy the very abundant birdsong. I bet Lyndsay’s mind visualised the huge bonfire he could have made!! 03 5765 330 or 021 151 4863. 6am the following day the weather was good and we headed out across the bay towards the top of the island. May between Nelson’s Tas­man Bay and the Marlborough Sounds lies d’Urville Island—literally, an island cast between two shores. Feral pigs and red deer are abundant on D’Urville Island. Boat from French Pass to Kapowai on D’Urville Island and head from there to Moawhitu in Greville Harbour. Fierce tidal flows, rocks, hidden reefs, and a fickle weather pattern […] To get to D’Urville Island from the small French Pass township, take a water taxi (will need to be booked – see below). It took some time to pack two weeks of food and gear for Jeanine and Wayne, and a week’s worth for Allan and Lyndsay, into our kayaks, but we managed to pack it all in. The island is separated from the mainland by the dangerous waters of French Pass, known as Te Aumiti. So much for the ice creams, but the beer was sure nice and cold. We made the most of this, and not only did we enjoy a tow but also went aboard for a few refreshments – it looked a nice way to travel. Note: if you are renting a vehicle, check whether your insurance covers unsealed roads. After waiting 5 hours for the tide to go slack we were ready. We would have liked to explore the inner reaches of the harbour, but decided to go on to Port Hardy that night and make the most of the calm settled weather. D'Urville Island to French Pass Barge Crossings: Cross the French Pass waterway straight to Kapowai on d'Urville Island with our barge vessel service. You […] Wayne finally tried fishing and had some instant luck and pulled in a few fish. Having got through French Pass and the Western side of the island without a hitch Cape Stephens was now the last challenge. It was a great way to finish a great trip. It was quite windy, however, we decided to proceed having timed the tides to be favourable. The more active can bike the downhill track to the resort from the Islands main road. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. However when we arrived a middle-aged Kiwi bloke who ran the store greeted us: “Ice creams – no way” he said, “we stock only the essentials of life – fuel for the boats, beer and ice to keep the beer cold”. The barge is also surveyed to carry up to 25 passengers. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), DoC: Visitor Centre – casual staff member wanted late Nov to Jan, Club Trips – need You! We entered Greville Harbour and landed on a sandy and rather soggy beach for lunch. If you'd like a day trip - we can carry your vehicle to d'Urville Island where you can drive around and see the sights, including the scenic reserve yourself. Date: December 1999 - January 2000. D'Urville Island is aiming to become stoat free, following the signing of a $3.1m funding commitment. We called in at the shop that lies in Bulwer- we had visions of eating ice creams and some nice food, while sitting in the sun. The great weather continued on for a couple of more days until New Year’s Eve, when it clouded over. We didn’t stay long at the pass, as the window of calm water, between the tidal flows, was only 30 minutes long. The sea was racing through the pass like a whitewater rapid at a speed of 13 knots an hour creating huge eddies on the sides. Finding dinosaurs and magic on the Leatham-Molesworth Circuit. Service providers can also travel direct to farms or families on the Island, as required. Through the first tidal rip it went fine, just a bit bouncy – then we hit it – a patch of really messy sea: huge waves, eddies, and a tidal flows that obviously did not agree with us. The forecast was great – a huge high was approaching the country and we were ready to tackle the notoriously exposed west coast. Diving and swimming all around us, they made great company. It was a bit like paddling in a washing machine – waves coming from everywhere. Beautiful D'Urville Island in the Marlborough Sounds is a place to get away from it all. We crossed over from D’Urville Island to the top of the South Island the follow day and camped on some farmland near Post Office Point. Exhausted I finally landed on terra firma. Some of these bays are quite impressive – we came across a sizeable gannet colony in Clova Bay and paddled over some huge stingrays. After about 8 days Lyndsay and Allan left us to head back to Wellington, while we both kayaked back out the Pelorus and explored a couple more of the side bays in the area. I got caught up in a huge eddy which was like paddling through thick mud. May between Nelson’s Tas­man Bay and the Marlborough Sounds lies d’Urville Island—literally, an island cast between two shores. Call us: Craig & Christine Aston Post was not sent - check your email addresses! We crossed over from D’Urville Island to the top of the South Island the follow day and camped on some farmland near Post Office Point. With our competitive pricing, you can enjoy an affordable adventure around D'Urville Island. After a long day we camped in Whareata Bay, had a swim and lazed in the sun, and found some mussels which we cooked up in wine and herbs and garlic – yum. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The Māori name is Rangitoto ki te tonga. Forest & Bird Wellington: We “Give Nature a Voice” — OK, so what do we actually do. The rest of the trip consisted of rain and more rain – but was a great place to be. or to stay at the d'Urville Island Community Hall (for bookings contact Sue Savage 03 5765 170). (Shout out for weekend phone cover volunteers). Quite a few households aim for complete off-grid, self-sufficiency. The Sounds seemed to be alive with club members on this trip, because in the Queen Charlotte Sound, en route to Picton, we came across Suzi Penny who was out sailing. Trampers: Jeanine, Wayne, Allan, Lyndsay. Book the whole resort and have the place … Location: Malborough Sounds. Not able to get legal access. Or if you're a keen mountain biker, get a group together and come ride the d'Urville Island's tracks and experiencing the stunning scenery here on the island. We found a great campsite just into Port Hardy and had a good rest before taking on the top of D’Urville Island. We were amazed that we had almost covered D’Urville and it had only taken us 2 and half days. How on earth are we going to get through there we thought as we made our way down to the lookout over the tidal flow at French Pass. Be aware that there are no gas stations or services between Okiwi Bay and D’Urville Island. Wayne thought this was just too much to take and demonstrated his approach to washing the dishes: throwing them into the sea. The next hour I paddled flat out covering perhaps a kilometer at the most – trying to keep up with Allan in front of me. Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club Recipe Book, Pumice on the Tops: A week in the Kawekas. There are many activities for you on this island, including mountain biking, fishing, scuba diving, and much more. Late in the day, we finally rounded Nile Head and could just see Cape Stephens in the distance – tomorrow’s destination. Island flavour: d'Urville attracts an interesting mixture of people, all drawn to a wild and remote life of adventure and extremes. In the distance was Stephens Island – a huge menacing rock. This is not your average island getaway. It was a beautiful sunny day and we had arrived in French Pass that morning to start our pre-millennial circumnavigation of D’Urville Island. 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