Tramping: Doubtful Sound

This corner of New Zealand is known as Fiordland and that is what the 2 most famous Sounds - Doubtful and Milford - really are, deep fiords carved by the ice. Milford is perhaps more dramatic with steeper sides but is also the more accesible and popular. I chose instead remote Doubtful Sound named by Captain Cook who passed by the mouth and was 'doubtful' that the prevailing winds would allow the ship out again. The trip began with a bus from Te Anau to Manapouri and an hour's cruise across the lake of the same name:

At the end of the lake is a giant power station built inside these mountains (like our own Ben Cruachan):

From the power station a road leads up to the Wilmot Pass with views down to Deep Cove (5m of rain a year!) at the start of the Sound. The wharf is cantilevered due to the depth of the water:

The day turned cloudy and this added to the atmosphere:

Here I am at the bow of the Fiordland Navigator (click for video). The boat sleeps 70 but it never felt like there were that many on board. Met some nice people, the crew were great and the food fantastic:

During the trip we saw bottlenose dolphins twice and heard penguins. I woke very early and looking out the porthole saw dozens of barracuda splashing at the surface in the running lights of the boat. We also spent some time watching this colony of southern fur seals at the mouth of the Sound:

We explored several of the arms of the sound. Here we were able to go for a kayak trip:

And swim (including jumping off the side of the boat):

It was cold (about 16 centigrade) and the top few metres is fresh water run off from the forested hills around stained a dark peaty colour. The next morning was magical with the mist clearing and the sun catching the mountains:

The trees come right down to the waterline. In places they have covered sheer rock faces by interlacing their roots. Sometimes a tree slip occurs and a patch of bare cliff is exposed taking decades for the scar to heal: