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Kayaking and tender craft (small boat) excursions are complimentary and available to all guests. If relaxation is more your style, then you can choose to soak up the views from the deck, read a book, or interact with our knowledgeable crew. As evening falls, enjoy a lavish three course buffet carvery in the dining saloon (vegetarian option available – please advise if required at the time of booking). Then relax in the company of fellow travellers or indulge in some star-gazing before retiring to your private cabin. In the morning enjoy a cooked breakfast, served in the dinning saloon. Join us and experience this spectacular Fiord with your hosts aboard the MV Southern Secret.
Trip Duration / Available Time
Remember that these long rides are part of the journey and experience of Doubtful Sound where you can still see beautiful views and learn a lot from the guides. There’s a reason Doubtful Sound isn’t as busy as Milford Sound – it’s harder to get to! To reach Doubtful Sound you’ll need to get to Manapouri (by car or tour bus), take a one hour boat across Lake Manapouri and then an hour bus ride across Wilmot Pass. All trips to Doubtful Sound leave from Manapouri, a small town just 30 minutes from Te Anau or 2-3 hours from Queenstown.
Is Doubtful Sound worth visiting?
Overall, a Doubtful Sound cruise is a unique experience that will give you a glimpse into this raw and stunning region of New Zealand. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed. So go on, book your cruise and get ready for an unforgettable adventure.
About the Milford Mariner
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It was magical to experience the fiord waking up with the clouds rising off the still water and over the cliffs. The only time I felt seasick on our Doubtful Sound cruise was when we went out to the Tasman Sea. We experienced this on our Milford Sound cruise too but the sea wasn’t as rough that day. On our Doubtful Sound cruise, the captain took us out to the sea for 5-10 minutes; I hear it’s usually 30 minutes in better weather. Because the sea was fairly rough (though, according to the crew, not as bad as it could be), the captain brought us back into the calm fiord sooner. But even those few minutes at sea were enough to make my stomach rumble all night.
It also rains a lot here, so a few dry sets of clothes are definitely a good idea. Once onboard and the formalities are complete the captain will lead you off on an adventure to explore the fjord. As you cruise the peaceful waters you will see amazing vistas. The mountains rise directly from the seafloor to the highest of peaks in near vertical cliff forms where trees unexplained hanging on; and waterfalls cascading from top to bottom.
Doubtful Sound is located in the heart of Fiordland National Park where the mountains are still very impressive but not as high as Milford Sound. Doubtful Sound is three times longer and has a sea surface area roughly ten times larger than Milford Sound. It is famous for its wilderness scenery and wildlife sightings. To get to Doubtful Sound visitors first take a launch trip across Lake Manapouri and drive over Wilmot Pass. Kick off the next day with a hearty cooked breakfast or a nourishing continental selection and get ready to explore the other arms of the fiord. Before long, you’ll return to Deep Cove, and take the trip back to Manapouri where you’ll tell the story of your experience in the remote wilderness of New Zealand.
With a head full of fresh memories and a belly full of divine food, you can retire to your comfortable quarters or choose to relax and enjoy the great company. Here you’ll get a chance to learn about the fascinating history of the power station and how it generates electricity from the water that flows from Lake Manapouri. It’s an incredible engineering feat, and you’ll be amazed at how it works. The day begins with a scenic cruise across Lake Manapouri, which is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in New Zealand. If you are not confident about driving in winter conditions then take a RealNZ coach to Milford Sound so you can relax and take in the stunning scenery.
Weather
Plus, you get to enjoy extra activities like kayaking and tender boat rides that you don’t get on the daytime cruises. You can also stay overnight in a comfy cabin and enjoy breakfast on board. Doubtful Sound is a stunning fiord that is one of the most beautiful places to visit in New Zealand. It’s incredibly remote and takes a while to get to, so doing an overnight cruise is a fantastic way to experience it. Not only do you get to discover the fiord’s pristine beauty, but you also get to spend the night and see the sunrise over the mountains and calm waters.
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Greg's New Zealand trip, tips, and recommendations.
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There’ll be plenty of local fare being presented at the table. If you’re up to it, have a go at fishing for your dinner. Meanwhile, just to be doubly sure, the crew will be harvesting lobster for the plate. Real Journeys is the largest local tour operator in the Fiordland region.
But lucky for me the water was extremely calm and I actually slept very well. They had warned us the night before that it was going to be a fairly early wake up, so we weren’t surprised to hear the captain’s voice booming over the speaker system at 7 am. Our first day on the boat was rainy, which meant grey skies, lots of fog and mostly staying indoors. Luckily we still got to see lots of Doubtful Sound’s powerful waterfalls from the windows. Colin and I headed back up to the mess hall just in time for the first snack of the afternoon, freshly baked scones with cream and jam.
We then sailed across the lake and arrived back in Manapouri around 12 pm. Deciding what kind of cruise to take on Doubtful Sound comes down to your budget and your itinerary. If you have the time and cash to spare, and really want to experience as much of the fiord as possible, I would definitely recommend the two night cruise. If time and budget are lacking, the day cruise can give you a little taste of Doubtful Sound.
After yesterday’s grey skies and seasickness, I was so excited to have this peaceful and beautiful time on the water with the sun shining and a light breeze. Following dinner, Colin and I walked over to the observation deck where our ship’s nature guide was leading a talk. He shared photos, maps and videos explaining where we had travelled on the fiord, where we were going the next day, the history of the area and, of course, the local wildlife. After the water activities, our boat sailed onto where we would moor for the night, a cozy cove with near still waters.
If you would rather not drive out to the departure point in Manapouri, we can arrange for transportation by coach from Te Anau and Queenstown. The rainier the weather, the more powerful and abundant the waterfalls! Just make sure to pack warm and waterproof clothing so you can enjoy them. Given my propensity for seasickness, I was nervous about sleeping on a boat in the middle of a fiord.
Meals provided are a three-course buffet dinner and a cooked breakfast. The journey begins by boat from Lake Manapouri, then transfer by coach over Wilmot Pass. These include kayaks (they have them on the Navigator) or with a dingy boat. We weren't too sure whether to spend a chunk of our holiday budget on an overnight cruise, but it was worth every penny. Milford Sound is great for a day trip, but Doubtful Sound offers much more diversity.The trip starts with a trip across Lake Manapouri, which is fabulous on it's own.
If you book the Doubtful Sounds overnight cruise, which we highly recommend, you will also enjoy a sunset and sunrise in the highly photogenic sound. If you are going to go through all the effort of visiting Doubtful Sound, we highly recommend the overnight cruise. You will see a lot of the same sights on either option. However, you do visit a few extra channels on the overnight cruise that you wouldn’t visit on the day cruise.
So if you’re thinking about booking the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise, stay tuned. This blog contains everything you need to know before you set sail. As weather shapes this landscape, it’ll also shape your experience of this pristine place. After dropping anchor in a sheltered cove, you can choose to explore the shoreline by kayak or tender boat, or simply relax onboard. For those looking to refresh, there’s even a chance to go swimming.
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