D'Urville Island
D'Urville Island (), Māori name ('red heavens look to the south'), is an island in the Marlborough Sounds along the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It was named after the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville. With an area of approximately , it is the eighth-largest island of New Zealand, and has around 52 permanent residents. The local authority is the Marlborough District Council. History. The official name of the island is Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island, with the Māori language name, associated with Kupe, meaning "Red Heavens Look to the South". The island was  a traditional source of argillite ("pakohe"), used in the production of stone tools such as adzes during the Archaic period (1300–1500). From the 1600s until the early 1800s, the island was a part of the rohe of Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri. In the present day, the island is within the rohe of Ngāti Koata and Ngāti Kuia. Geography. The island has a convoluted coastline, as is frequently found with islands formed from peaks between sea-drowned valleys. It extends for some northeast/southwest, and is a little over wide at its widest point. The eastern coast of the island is relatively smooth , marked mainly by the small D'Urville Peninsula, some halfway along its length. In contrast, the west coast is marked by three large inlets: Port Hardy in the north, Greville Harbour in the centre, and Manuhakapakapa in the south. Numerous smaller islands lie off the coast, notably Stephens Island, which lies off D'Urville's northernmost point, Cape Stephens. The island's highest point, Takapōtaka / Attempt Hill () lies close to the centre of the island, due east of Greville Harbour. Most of the island's residents live close to the more sheltered east coast, with the localities of Patuki and Mukahanga being  close to the northern tip of the island. French Pass. The island is separated from the mainland by the dangerous French Pass, known to Māori as Te Aumiti, through which water passes at up to at each tide. Several vortices occur near this passage. d'Urville investigated the passage for several days in 1827, and damaged his ship passing through it. Flora and Fauna. There is roughly 6,000ha of public conservation land on D'urville Island, this is mainly through the centre of the island. The conservation land consists of regenerating farmland, coastal broadleaf, and beech forest. D'Urville Island is free  of possums, feral goats, ship rats, Norway rats and, weasels making it important ecologically Red Deer and feral pigs are present on the Island and a permit can be obtained from the New Zealand Department of Conservation to hunt on the public conservation land. Stoats on the island has caused the local extinction of the little spotted kiwi, South Island kākā and yellow eyed kakariki. D'Urville Island Stoat Eradication Charitable Trust started in 2003 to attempt remove stoats from the island. A large scale stoat eradication programme was funded for the Island but after issues with land access the funding  was withdrawn There is a population of the rare South Island long-tailed bat on the island. Transport. Air. A small Department of Conservation maintained airstrip is located at Moawhitu, Greville Harbour. Pelorus Air has flights to D'Urville Island from Picton, Wellington and Paraparaumu. Boat. A barge service is operated by D'Urville Island Crossings between French Pass village and the settlement of Kapowai. There is also a water taxi operating between the D’Urville Island Wilderness Resort at Catherine Cove and French Pass. In 2016, Motueka based Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles hosted a number of charity cruises around D'Urville Island in  conjunction with the Rotary Club of Motueka. Tours. Driftwood Eco Tours take small group tours to D'Urville Island. The tours focus on the heritage and ecology of the island, meeting with local residents to learn about the island's unique features. Driftwood Eco Tours donate each year to 'DISECT' (D'Urville Island Stoat Eradication Trust).