Doubtful Sound Photo Gallery

We arrived at the docks in Doubtful Sound and boarded the Fiordland Navigator for our overnight cruise.

Fiordland Navigator at anchor

We got settled in our small stateroom, and then the ship cruised out through the sound to the mouth of the sound to a seal colony.

We went to a protected area of the sound where the we anchored for the night. We then had the opportunity to go for a short kayak around the bay and go on a short forest walk before dinner.

John kayaking

Ken Kayaking

Heading ashore for the nature walk

The nature walk, was pretty short and a little hokey, but we were shown some of the native flora, including the Rimu. Apparently, you should always hug a Rimu, I think we might have been talking when our guide told us why, but we all participating in a little Rimu grope nonetheless.

John hugging a Rimu

After our afternoon adventures in the rain and battling sand flies, we returned to the boat and got cleaned up for dinner.

Cath and Ken on the overnight cruise

The next morning following an early breakfast, the ship pulled anchor and began the return trip up the sound. The weather was marginally better and allowed for some better photos. We could now make out the steep walls of the found with the many waterfalls full from the previous day's rain. We also found the trees growing on the steep cliffs to look almost surreal in the rain and mist of the sound.

Doubtful Sound

One of the guides/helmsman of the cruise was a Kiwi guy we spent some time with. He and his partner owned a 50+ foot boat in Dunedin. They are starting to talk about cruising, and were interested in our passage to New Zealand.

Ken on the bridge of the Fiordland Navigator

John amusing himself aboard the Fiordland Navigator

We returned to the dock, disembarked and took the bus back over to the pass to Lake Manapouri. Some of the heaviest rain clouds had lifted as we reached the top of the pass, and provided a fantastic view of Doubtful Sound.

Doubtful Sound

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