Doubtful Sound

Our overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound began with a bus ride from our B&B in Te Anau to Lake Manapouri (approx. 30 min south).

Then we cruised the crystal clear waters of Lake Manapouri with views of the Cathedral Peaks in the background.

Approaching the Manapouri underground power station and Wilmot Pass. The white clearing on the mountain side was caused by a tree avalanche.

The Wilmont Pass

A 12-mile road stretching from the Manapouri power station to Deep Cove. It was built in the 1960s and provides the only access to Doubtful Sound (by land).

Although it was cool and humid, we were just thankful for the dry conditions.  Our guide said it was the best weather they've seen all season. Truly a miracle considering they get rain 200 days out of the year. And the average rainfall is 275 inches/year.

 

Believe it or not, the sun came out. So, we joined our fellow cruise mates for a 45 min kayaking trip through Crooked Arm.

I'm not as experience with a kayak as I thought, so we took our time enjoying the view. You can see our ship in the background, just to the right of my head. Better get movin!

We were very fortunate to see a pod of bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat. They are not trained to do tricks. This one was simply having some fun along side our ship.

We also encountered fur seals hanging out on the rocks.

This one decided to slide down the rocks for a little dip in the water.

Our sleeping quarters was a quad-share suite. Very tiny, as you can see, but we only spent a few hours in there anyway.  I got the top bunk on the left. I was so afraid of plummeting 6 feet to my death in the middle of the night that I didn't sleep well at all. I was so happy to hear the sound of the anchor rising at 6AM the next morning.

 The morning view

So calm and peaceful

Truly stunning reflections

The Hall Arm in Doubtful Sound

I can't possibly find the right words to describe the fiords. It was an amazing experience. The landscape was so dramatic. To think about the forces of nature that formed this area or even flora and fauna that live here...it's truly remarkable. I would highly recommend the Fiordlands to anyone coming to NZ.