Also known as Rangitoto Ki Te Tonga, at the very tip of the South Island, D’Urville Island geographically lies between Golden Bay and the Kapiti Coast nestled in the outer Marlborough Sounds. Taking the barge ride from French Pass settlement, across the waters to the remote island and meet some of the locals to hear about the rich culture and heritage of this unique outpost of New Zealand.
Drive your own 4WD to follow our lead vehicle on D’Urville Island on this unique adventure. One nights stay in central Blenheim, and three nights stay on the island to enjoy island life at the resort. Drive to the outer Marlborough Sounds with a barge ride to D’Urville Island. Hear about the rich history and life on the island from our guide as you drive over this remote island. Enjoy a half day fishing trip! A unique 4WD trip to a hard to get to piece of NZ, great food, comprehensive commentary, and great company.
*A deposit of $200 per person is payable on booking. Deposits are non-refundable but can be transferred to another tour.
*Pre/post tour accommodation or travel to and from the tour departure point in Blenheim is at your own expense.
Blenheim Railway Station
Tours depart Blenheim from 8.30am so we recommend spending the night before your tour in Blenheim.
Tours finishes in Havelock by 3.30pm on the last day of the tour.
4WD with a high and low ratio gearbox or equivalent.
Ground clearance recommended of 225mm ground clearance both front and rear.
Tyres: ‘all terrain’ tyres with a good amount of tread on them are required.
SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) type 4WD are not suitable for this tour.
Please contact us if you are unsure if your vehicle would be suitable.
All vehicles must have a current registration and WOF.
You need to have a good knowledge of your vehicle and have some previous 4X4 off road driving experience.
REFUELING: Make sure you have fueled up before leaving Blenheim; refuel in Havelock.
Today we are driving round Port Underwood, with loads of views and history with morning tea along the way. We will then visit a back country station in the Waihopai Valley to have lunch and a look at the woolshed before driving to a remote Musterers hut for a cuppa and tales with the owner of the land. Lots of amazing views today and farm hospitality, we return to Blenheim and dinner out tonight. B, MT, L, AT, D
After breakfast, we drive through ‘The Mussel Capital of the World’ on the way to French Pass in the outer Marlborough Sounds. Here we meet our barge to transport us to D’Urville Island. Catching the boat to the resort for our three-night stay after a picnic lunch. The accommodation is modern styled cabins with ensuite bathrooms with views across the bay of the South Island. Enjoy the bar facilities and dinner the lodge overlooking the bay. B, L, D
After a boat transfer, we pick-up our vehicles and drive in convoy over D’Urville Island with our local guide, learn about the rich history and what it is like to live on this remote island. Enjoy morning tea with views of the coastline, and lunch at a scenic spot overlooking a lagoon with native flora and fauna. Enjoy a fishing trip to catch your own dinner, which will be cooked for you tonight back at the resort. B, MT, L, D
After breakfast we will set out on a half day fishing with two locals onboard to help with your catch. Enjoy seeing more of the island from the water. Species could be Snapper, Blue Cod, Trevally, lunch onboard. The afternoon is free time to walk, swim or relax, enjoy the peace and quiet of the island with a drink on your veranda. B, L, D
Boating back to the southern part of the island to meet the barge to transport our vehicles back to French Pass on the mainland. Enjoy the views of the outer Marlborough Sounds and across to the Abel Tasman and Golden Bay areas, we then drive back to Havelock for a seafood lunch and our end of tour goodbyes. B, L
Contact us with your preferred tour date and we will check availability for you. To confirm your place, you will need to fill in our booking form and pay a $200 per person deposit. We can send you an invoice with bank details for online banking or we can process Visa or Master Card credit cards either give us a phone call with your details or fill in your card details on your booking form. We accept NZ cheques. We will send you a receipt and pre-trip documents detailing what to bring, departure times etc.
Deposit, Cancellation and Refund Policy: All deposits are non-refundable but can be transferred to another tour.
Final payment is due one month prior to your tour departure date. For cancellations received after final payment has been made there will be no refund. We understand that cancellations can occur due to illness or an unexpected event and therefore we recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance.
Thank you so much for an enjoyable trip.
We had a great group and guides.
It was really nice having the commentary.
D’Urville Island and the farm tour were most probably our highlights. We love seeing different scenery and parts of the country
The trip was super.
The driving was not quite as challenging as on Molesworth but definitely challenging enough! Each day was very interesting and enjoyable.
We loved the day on the two stations up the Waihopai Valley , the views on the drive to D’Urville were stunning and the stay on the Island was great fun. All in all another great trip.
Everything lined up to make our trip with South Island Tours a very memorable one. Geoff as our leader, was very knowledgeable and entertaining whilst also thoughtful re the history and day to day running of the areas we visited. Loved our time in the Waihopai Valley. Our hosts Alison & Aiden shared their day to day operations and time amazingly. Being from the Waikato where there is an abundance of grass and for the most part the hills are rolling. Steep was a new word for us and your eyes are forever up. D’Urville Island was well worth the visit from the fishing to the amazing visuals. Cathy & Craig at the resort we stayed at gave us an insight into their way of life. All in all a very relaxed way to travel and great to be able to go into a different area. Many thanks Lee & Geoff for your time and effort into making this trip possible and awesome too the weather played a huge part. We look forward to going again somewhere different with you folk.
We thoroughly enjoyed our five day D’Urville Island and Marlborough High country tour. Chris was a great guide, made it all come alive for us. He was helpful and good company. We found each day was different and interesting. The food and catering was great and was plentiful. The host and hostesses were very welcoming and helpful.
