Doubtful Sound

Ferrying across Lake Manapouri

The head of Doubtful Sound as seen from the pass.

Getting a weather forecast on the VHF

Sandfly shelter

Our hike had taken us into Fiordland - a wild and very beautiful area in New Zealand's South West. We decided to make for Doubtful Sound, hiring sea kayaks for a 3 day trip exploring the fiord's many arms. It rains 2 days out of 3 here and winds can reach over 100 knots. Somehow though we scored 3 sunny days with light breezes. The area is completely uninhabited, with lush green temperate rainforest and steep cliffs dropping right into the water. Just getting there requires a boat trip across Lake Manapouri and a bus ride over a pass. A class trip shared only with dolphins, seals and about 3 billion sandflies!