26
OUTDOORS
STORY BY SUSIE WILLIAMS |
TAMZIN HENDERSON
they are still engaged and happy
with what they do, and residents
are always invited to be a part of
the ‘team’ for the island experience.
They are locals themselves with
Rose and generations of her family
members having farmed on the
island and the mainland. The
island community means as much
to them as their community and
neighbours at their home on Dillons
Point Road and throughout the
entire Marlborough region. This
is their passion and making sure
their passion fills everyone’s cup is
important to them. Besides keeping
locals and tourists happy, every
trip sees them giving back to the
community monetary wise into the
stoat eradication project and local
community conservation efforts.
Five Day Tour
to D ’Urville Island
Come and explore the magic and
serenity of island life at D’Urville
Island with Rose & Will Parsons of
Driftwood Retreats & Eco Tours.
After chatting over a coffee with
Rose and Will it was easy to imagine
spending five days soaking up their
extensive knowledge of all things
Marlborough and being infected
by their passion for nature. Their
knowledge of plants, flowers, birds
and history to name a few is awe-
inspiring, and incredibly interesting.
Driftwood Retreat & Eco Tours run
five-day D’Urville Island Tours. The
island remains one of New Zealand’s
most intriguing and remote corners,
with a rich history, remarkable
conservation efforts, stunning scenery
and brilliant characters. Rose says
that the trip out to the island is an
enjoyable part of the journey itself.
“Heading out through the turbulent
waters of the French Pass is a scenic
and thrilling experience.” The island
offers some of the best scenery in the
country, with wild corners, rugged
bluffs, lush bush and a backyard of
surging ocean. Exploring the island
both on land and out on the water
gives the opportunity to have wildlife
encounters with forest and sea birds
and maybe even seals and dolphins. If
you wish you can also catch some blue
cod to take back and have cooked for
you for dinner! All tours are small in
size, 6-8 guests at a time, ensuring the
tour can be tailor made to the interest
of all guests. The friendships formed
between the guides and their guests,
and within the guests themselves
often become lifetime friendships,
adding to the charm of the tour. Out
exploring the rugged island life during
the day, having the resort prepare and
cook your meals, then relaxing in your
comfortable beach front cottages at
D’Urville Island Wilderness Resort at
Catherine Cove is a nice way to end
each fun filled day. Rose and Will run
two kinds of D’Urville Island Tours.
The Heritage Tour focusing more on
history, culture and fauna, with less
fitness required and their Adventure
tours focusing more on outdoor
activity, suited to people with good
fitness.
This is not just a tourist tour, but a
lot of thought and time goes into
ensuring that everything they do,
everything they show or talk about
is a benefit and wholeheartedly
welcomed by the local community.
Every season Rose and Will visit all
of the island residents and confirm
“We have special permission from
owners around the Marlborough
region and further down the South
Island” says Will. This gives the
uniqueness of taking interested
people off track and into their
special interest areas. Rainbow
and Molesworth Stations, Cape
Campbell and the Wairau Lagoons
are some of the locations they have
special access to. This increases the
uniqueness of each tour experience
with not just the scenery being
unique but also the specialised flora
and bird life.
Marlborough, get out and
explore your own back yard with
these incredibly knowledgeable,
passionate and friendly guides - not
only will you learn and see some
amazing things, but the experience
and time spent will be memorable
and stay with you for a life time.