Doubtful Sound, NZ

After three nights in Queenstown we drove two hours south and west to get to the edge of the Fiordland region. When planning our trip we debated whether to visit Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound - the two major attractions of the area. In the end, we decided to see both. Doubtful Sound is the bigger of the two and quite remote. To get to it you need to cross Lake Manapouri and then take a bus over the Wilmot Pass. We opted to take the overnight tour and I'm thrilled we did.

We took this trip largely on the recommendations of others. Friends said it was amazing - one of the best parts of their trip throughout New Zealand. We had seen pictures of the area but nothing really prepares you for the amazement of being there. It was serene, soulful and spectacular. I loved to just look and drink it all in. We took hundreds of pictures but even as we took them I knew they could never fully convey the beauty. 

Doubtful Sound is actually a bit of a misnomer. Sounds are carved out by rivers whereas fjords owe their existence to carving work of glaciers. The glacier carved granite mountains reminded me a lot of the Adirondacks. When we got this first glimpse I felt like I could be on Indian Head looking down the Lower Lake. This association made me love this area even more while also appreciating how lucky I am to have a place like the Adirondacks close to home. It also helps take some of the sting out of missing time in Keene Valley this summer. I'm getting my mountain and lake fix now. 

I feel very at home in this landscape. I also found that boat trips work well for our family. We all enjoy them and we can all relax, have fun and get different things out of it. Brian and I marvel at the scenery. The girls enjoy that too but they also love the freedom of walking around the boat. They thought of a thousand excuses to run back down to our room and get things. They also befriended everyone. There were a few other kids on the boat (all older) but our girls seemed most at ease talking to adults. Many of the adults were parents whose kids had grown up or stayed behind and they loved chatting up our friendly girls. 

Emily took a few turns with our good camera and even got this nice picture of the two of us.

 Here the girls check out our quad bedroom. They loved sharing bunk beds with their parents.

On the afternoon of the first day we dropped anchor and went out on smaller boats. The girls and I went out in the tender. This allowed us to be down on the water and closer in to the sides of the fiords. We saw waterfalls and got a closer look at the mossy rainforest.

Our wonderful driver Mike gave the girls a turn at the wheel. His wife was on the boat with us and helped hold onto the kids while I took photos. We ended up hitting it off with her and even left with her business card and an offer to come by her house in Te Anau and visit her bunny rabbits.

Brian went out in a kayak. 

He also opted to go for a brief, spectacular and thoroughly chilly swim because hey, how often do you get to swim in a fiord.

There are many advantages of taking the overnight boat. For one, it allows you cruise all the way down to where the fiord meets the Tasman Sea. There we saw furtive blue penguins peaking out of the water, a pod of dusky dolphins and a relaxed colony of New Zealand fur seals. We capped it all off with a lovely sunset.

The next morning we found ourselves entirely socked in but then the mist began to lift slowly. We brought our coffee and tea out onto the decks and enjoyed the damp quiet.

We experienced some drama for a bit when these little crawfish got caught up in the anchor line and gummed up the engine filters for half an hour or so. Afterwards the crew brought them out for everyone to check out.

Around mid-morning we pulled into one of the arms of the fiord, turned off the motor and observed a peaceful few serene minutes of silence.

We then spotted a pod of dolphins in the water.

They started far off but then came in close and played along the side of the boat.

I could go on and on about our experience and perhaps I'll say more in future posts but for now I'll just say it was amazing. Pictures will never do it justice. We had an experience that I know I will never forget. If you ever plan a trip to New Zealand I highly recommend you stop here. And p.s. traveling with kids can be a lot of fun. They have their limitations and their difficult moments but I feel like we formed some incredible memories together and given them a chance to see an amazing part of the world.