Ever wonder about those silent sentinels rising from the sea? Those are D’Urville Rocks. They stand as a stark reminder of nature’s power. D’Urville Rocks are located off the coast of North Auckland. These rocks are more than just stone. They are a geographical feature that marks this coastal area. D’Urville Rocks are islands. They are bodies of land surrounded by water.
D’Urville Island itself is named after the French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville. He navigated these waters long ago. The island’s Māori name is Rangitoto ki te Tonga. It means “Rangitoto of the south”. This distinguishes it from other places called Rangitoto in the North Island.
D’Urville Island is the largest island in the Marlborough Sounds. The island extends about 35 kilometres northeast to southwest. It is just over 10 kilometres wide at its widest point. Its convoluted coastline tells a story of peaks drowned by the sea.
The island is separated from the mainland by the dangerous French Pass. This pass is known to Māori as Te Aumiti. Water rushes through it at up to 8 knots. That is about 15 km/h at each tide. Explorer d’Urville investigated this passage. He even damaged his ship navigating it.
D’Urville Island has about 60 square kilometres of public conservation land. This land consists of regenerating farmland coastal broadleaf and beech forest. The island is free of possums feral goats ship rats Norway rats and weasels. This makes it ecologically important. However red deer and feral pigs are present.
Stoats once caused local extinctions of native birds on D’Urville Island. The D’Urville Island Stoat Eradication Charitable Trust formed to remove them. A large-scale stoat eradication program was funded. Land access issues unfortunately put it on hold. The rare South Island long-tailed bat still lives on D’Urville Island.
Today small group tours explore D’Urville Island’s heritage and ecology. Visitors learn about its unique features from its residents. The island’s solitude fosters biodiversity. Though farmed for years it remains a haven for future generations. The rugged beauty of D’Urville Island and D’Urville Rocks continues to inspire. The rocks remind us of the delicate balance between land and sea. They connect us to both the area’s past and future.