In January 1827, the French explorer Dumont d'Urville arrived in Tasman Bay in the north of the South Island.

[4] On 19 December 1827 Astrolabe came into Hobart to repair, refresh, and seek out information relative to the wreck and remains of La Pérouse's shipwreck.

Astrolabe then visited Fiji, after which Jules Dumont d'Urville executed the first relief maps of the Loyalty Islands (part of French New Caledonia) and explored the coasts of New Guinea.

He therefore directed the two ships towards Talcahuano, in Chile, where he established a temporary hospital for the crew members affected by scurvy.

The expedition followed the coast of Antarctica then carried out experiments to determine the approximate position of the South magnetic pole.

They sighted the schooner USS Porpoise of the United States Exploring Expedition commanded by Charles Wilkes, but due to poor communication, contact was not made.

[5] On 1 February 1840, Dumont decided to turn to the north heading for Hobart, which the two ships reached 17 days later.