French Pass & D’Urville Island, Marlborough Sounds road trip

You have travelled from either Nelson / Picton on the major highway connecting the two towns. From Picton you will travel through the picturesque Rai Valley and have a convenience store / grocery / petrol station fill up if necessary. From Picton you have already been spoiled with the charms of the Pelorus River Scenic Reserve. The Reserve is a Marlborough, South Island highlight. Pelorus is a pocket sized gem with a beautiful river, gorges, waterfalls and walks. It is your appetiser for the main event, the signpost for French Pass.

Okiwi Bay offers visitors plenty of outdoor activities. Okiwi Bay is fishing heaven, snapper, moki, blue cod, kingfish, scallops, crays and scenery as a backdrop. Charter operators service the area for visitors without a boat. The holiday park hires guests scuba tanks, weight belts, scuba Air fills and kayak hire. Things to do include bush walks in virgin native forest, & bird watching from your accommodation or in the bush and on the water. Dense forest climbs up the steep harbour creating a sense of privacy and remoteness.

The road climbs the hills and valleys of the coast with dense bush or farm clearings on either side. The road is now unsealed with dense bush and glimpses of the sea. The seascape is amazing with its colour variations from pale blue to deep forest green. The bush is interspersed with rolling bare farmland stripped of any bush or trees. The land contours up and down the hills plunging into the distant bays.

This track takes you to a viewpoint over historic Te Aumiti/French Pass, where the tide rushes back and forth like a river. At 40 metres elevation is the perfect viewpoint of the tidal flows.

French Pass Lookout Track

• 10 minute short walk

French Pass village, a collection of weather beaten holiday houses, a store with a fuel pump, a tiny disused school (1885) now a memorial hall and a wharf.  In the bay is a Department of Conservation campground. The beach is stony.

This scenic camp is a great base for boating, fishing, swimming and kayaking and is the gateway to Rangitoto ki te Tonga/D’Urville Island.

Facilities

There is a boat ramp next to the campsite and a jetty nearby.

• Flush toilets, sinks and cold showers available.
• Wheelchair accessible with assistance.
• Water must be boiled, treated or filtered

The detour to Bulwer Bay is more brilliant Marlborough Sounds scenery. There are very few lookout points on the narrow, winding gravel road. The road to Bulwer is definitely a road much less travelled. The drive from the turnoff to Bulwer takes around 55 minutes on a no exit road. You cannot get down to sea level as most side roads are on private farmland.

TIP

The sign for Port Ligar is misleading. You will, much later on the dirt track see a sign for Port Ligar – No Beach Access’, Port Ligar is a farm and it’s surrounded by private farm land.