Southern SPECTACLE
Sebastian van der Zwan sets sail on Fiordland’s famed Doubtful Sound
It’s technically a fjord rather than a sound, but there’s no doubt that Doubtful Sound provides some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery. My overnight cruise with RealNZ was 24 hours of “wow!”, with a side serving of “yum!” to boot.
The adventure began in Pearl Harbour, Manapouri. After a two-hour drive from Queenstown, I boarded the Fiordland Flyer, grabbed a cheese roll and settled in to soak up the views on the 50-minute cruise across Lake Manapouri, which is studded with gorgeous emerald-green islands.
Landing at the opposite shore, we passengers were loaded on to buses for the drive to Patea/Doubtful Sound itself, an hour-long ride featuring more stunning vistas and a commentary heavy on dad jokes, before boarding the Milford Mariner at Deep Cove.
After the safety briefing, I ventured out on deck as the ship made its way past lush bush-clad cliffs and impossibly high waterfalls. My first thought was of Jurassic Park, but then I reminded myself this is just the way much of New Zealand used to look – prehistorically pretty.
As we entered sheltered Crooked Arm, the chilling wind eased and the sun came out, just in time for a guided kayaking excursion, which gave us a chance to paddle closer to the coast, with small birds flitting through the branches of overhanging ra-taand fish darting underneath.
The weather was so mild, many of us even opted to take an exhilarating dip in the icy water. (I wouldn’t recommend taking the plunge at this time of year!) Fortunately, the comfy cabins have decent hot showers and the bar is fully stocked with hazy pale ale, so I was toasty and warm by the time we sailed out into the choppy Tasman Sea for sunset.
The wind was back in full force, but it was worth braving the elements to see the
dramatic coastline, albatrosses and other seabirds, and the entertaining antics of the New Zealand fur seal colony.
Sailing back into the sound, it was time for dinner, where I piled my plate high with treats from the mouth-watering buffet, which featured roast meats and veges, mussels, lentil curry and several salads, plus a plethora of desserts.
After a talk about the area’s unique natural history, I rugged up and headed outside with a cup of tea to
marvel at the stars, then toddled off to my very comfortable bed, where
I slept like a log, waking just in time for the buffet breakfast – as if I needed any more food!
Our final stop before returning to Deep Cove was Halls Arm, where the ship pulled in close to the cliffs for a good look at how the plants survive on the steep, rocky landscape. Dropping anchor, we then took a break from raving about how beautiful everything was to enjoy 15 minutes of silence.
The enchanting bird calls gave us a taste of the sound of pre-human Aotearoa and I wanted it to go on forever, but as one of my fellow passengers loudly quipped, “That’s a long time to hold in a fart!”
And with that, we set sail for Deep Cove, ready to get back on the bus, then the other boat and then drive back to Queenstown. I may have only spent 24 hours with RealNZ (realnz.com), but it felt like a magical journey through time.