Around New Zealand

Elisabeth Easther dives into the history of the Marlborough Sounds’ best kept secret

Getting there: It takes about 15 minutes to cross French Pass by boat (after two hours of windy driving from Blenheim or Nelson) with the handy thing about taking the car ferry being you can navigate the 69km of road under your own steam. Better yet, bring your bike. Small planes and choppers also fly here, but are more expensive. Origin of name: Named for the French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville. Although d’Urville was a fan of retaining Maori place names so he would surely have preferred the original Rangitoto Ki Te Tonga. Rangitoto refers to red skies or sunsets and Tonga means south, differentiating it from Hauraki’s volcanic island of the same name. Population: About 52 permanent, rising moderately in summer. Claim to fame: At 163sq km, d’Urville Island is New Zealand’s eighth-largest island, about half the size of Great Barrier. Island flavour: d’Urville attracts an interesting mixture of people, all drawn to a wild and remote life of adventure and extremes. Quite a few households aim for complete off-grid, selfsufficiency. Island icon: A large bronze statue of Pelorus Jack was recently unveiled at Collinet Point to commemorate the plucky Risso’s dolphin, who spent much of his life in the turbulent waters of French Pass. He was famous for guiding ships safely across the dangerous waters of Cook Strait from 1888 to 1912. Hold please caller: Your phone won’t work everywhere, so make the most it. Island slogan: The Sounds’ Best Kept Secret. Literary local: Jeanette Aplin, author of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife and The Lighthouse Children’s Mother lives here and writes great yarns. True story: Angelina Criscillo left Italy’s tiny Stromboli Island in 1906 and moved to the even more remote d’Urville Island following an arranged marriage to a fellow Italian. Angelina’s grandson Gerard Hindmarsh has written a fascinating book about this remarkable woman, Angelina: From Stromboli to d’Urville Island: A Family’s Story. Best website: durvilleisland.co.nz Big business: Tourism, farming and fishing. An opportunity: If you want to move here, how about starting an avocado farm? The relatively pest-free environment and microclimate would make this a super fruity venture. Or offer bike hire over summer? What’s so good: Nature’s right in your face on d’Urville, with loads of rare birds, geckos, and even a teeny tiny bat calling the place home. Town fiestas: Aside from a few fishing competitions, the main events are the annual French Pass Christmas