Fiordland and Doubtful Sound

We hummed and hawed about going into Fiordland to see Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound, because of the amount of time it takes traveling for one day, but I must say the trip was well worth it, and it is something one shouldn't miss if you are in this part of the world.

Fiordland is a National Park in the southwest of NZ's South Island. It is home to the stunning fiords of Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, and the beautiful lakeside towns of Te Anau and Manapouri which offer many sightseeing and hiking opportunities. Fiordland is NZ's most impenetrable wilderness, with jagged, mountainous, densely forested landmass ribbed with deeply recessed sounds or technically fiords.

A fiord, geographically, is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides of cliffs, created by glacial erosion.
A sound, geographically, is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight(a curve or bend in a coastline or river), and wider than a fiord. Technically, Doubtful Sound, and Milford Sound are fiords.

Doubtful Sound was named Doubtful Harbour in 1770 by Captain Cook, who did not enter the inlet as he was uncertain whether it was navigable under sail. It was later renamed, Doubtful Sound, by whalers and sealers, although it is technically not a sound but a fiord.

Our Doubtful Sound Cruise was a three-part journey. We took a 1-hour boat cruise through Lake Manapouri, bussed for 30 minutes to get to the sound, then journeyed on a second, larger boat, to cruise the fiord for another hour.

 This is the site of a slide from a couple of years ago that must have caused a few problems for buses trying to connect the two cruises.

                                          We are now in the fiord of Doubtful Sound.

                                        This lovely sailboat is the overnighter.

                     This little guy was calling for his mom who went fishing in the sound.

                    We thought we said goodbye to the Tasman Sea. but here she is again!