D’Urville Island 2022

A little over a year ago I posted about D’Urville Island, one of our favorite cruising destinations near Marlborough Sounds. Robin and I revisited the island this year on a 2-week trip and like last year the photography was great which is not always the case as it is very weather dependent.

At some point I will merge photos from both posts into a single D’Urville blog, but in the interim I wanted you to see this year’s shots on their own.

D’Urville is a rugged and remote-feeling destination without being too far from the ports of Nelson, Havelock and Picton (where our boat is located). For example, it is roughly 92 km / 50 nautical miles from Picton to Stevens Island Passage on D’Urville’s north coast or to French Pass in the south. Vessels from Havelock or Picton have to go through one of these narrow tidal passes as the majority of safe anchorages are on the island’s west or Tasman Bay shore. This is a significant factor in making D’Urville isolated and remote.

The gallery photos are arranged according to the trip track: from Picton through French Pass and on to Manuhakapakapa Harbour, north up the west coast of D’Urville Island, around Nile Head and into Port Hardy and its numerous arms, then through Stevens Island Passage for return to Picton. I have included a few nautical charts at the end of the gallery pictures for those who want a better idea of the locations and distances.

Enjoy the pics!