Earthsea Gallery

The first detailed exploration of the coastline of Abel Tasman National Park was made by Dumont D'Urville He anchored in the shelter of an island off the western shore on January 16 1826, and named the sheltered stretch of water Astrolabe Roadstead after his ship, and the island after his wife, Adele. Other features named were Observation Beach, where an observatory was set up and Watering Cove, where freshwater supplies were taken. Ballon Rock, another feature named by D'Urville that has managed to retain its name, is a small granite island off Torrent Bay. These ‘granite sculptures’ which feature often along the Abel Tasman coastline, were once part of a granite ridge that has been eroded over time by waves and wind. These islands are formed from harder granite that has resisted the power of the sea.