Doubtful Sound

Unchanged, pristine

nature

Getting to Doubtful Sound is an adventure in itself. With no direct road access, the only way you can to get there is by a cruise across Lake Manapouri and a coach trip over Wilmot Pass. 10 times larger and 3 times longer than Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound has three distinct, twisting arms, steep sided mountains clad with dense rainforest and several islands. Created by massive glacial forces and subject to one of the world’s highest rainfall levels, the fiord is home to some much wildlife on land as well as above and below the water, including bottlenose dolphins, fur seals and the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin. There’s no settlement permitted here, no easy access, and cruise vessels and fishing boats can only sail the waters seasonally so it’s unchanged, pristine nature. The appearance of the fiord is dominated by the weather – glorious and sparkling on a sunny day, tranquil and mysterious in the mist, or dramatic in the wet as hundreds of waterfalls thunder into the sea. With its rugged peaks, verdant rainforest and twisting, hidden inlets the sheer scale and beauty of the fiord makes for a profound experience. We started our journey in mist and ended in glorious sunshine.

Manapouri

Gateway to Doubtful Sound

Manapouri, with a population of 400, is a small town in Southland / Fiordland, in the south- west corner of the South Island. It is the gateway to both Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound and the starting point for many walking tracks. Lake Manapouri is often referred to as the loveliest of all of New Zealand's many lakes. A trip on the lake past untouched bush clad islands beneath the spectacular Cathedral Mountains reveals its beauty. Thirty-five wooded islands dot the lake, and the shoreline extends for 157 km, covered by lush rainforest interspaced with lovely beaches.

Pearl Harbour restaurant & bar  -  Dined on the outside patio of a beautifully restored 120 year old building that had been converted from a

old church. Sat and chatted to a sheep farmer from the east coast.