Doubtful Sound

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Doubtful Sound: Left Wellington to travel to the Doubtful Sound New Zealand's 2nd largest Fiord. Captain Cook named the lace after Doubting his ship could traverse through the Sound to land. Joseph Banks had wanted to explore the flaura and fauna of the area, but Cook decided they would be better left alone and sailed on leaving a dotted line on his map indicating he wasn't sure of the land's shape and contours. He also wrongly named the place a sound, the 10 sounds are fiords, they were created by glaciers pushing through the landscape hewing the rock.
Anyway, we were unprepared for the remoteness of this place. From Queenstown we took a bus 2 hours to Manapouri. Then you get a ferry for 45 minutes across lake Manipouri, off the ferry onto a bus over Wilcox pass, the oddest and most expensive road imagineable with the steepest gradients and oddest mosses and trees, to Deep Cove, the start of the overnight trip on this gorgeous boat!! Undoubtedly the highlight of our trip so far, Doubtful sound had the best views, wildlife, scenery, food, accomodation and experiences!!Saw a dolphin pod playing in the Sound the next morning, amazing!
A whole day of travelling later and we ended up in hicksville Naseby, goldmining ghosttown where we spent the night. Up early the next day o cycle the Otago rail trail, which I had really looked forward to, but disappointingly it rained the entire day and this meant hard work cycling and really soaked to the skin conditions. Never mind.
Next day we drove back through Marlborough wine country to get a 12 seater plane out of Blenheim to Wellington, fortunately with no wind till the Wellington OMG!!! Still it only takes 25 minutes- a better alternative than the ferriesthat day that had been cancelled due to a near miss with a small boat.
Next day(today) we woke up in Wellington and realised why it's called Windy Wellington, Never seen so much wind. Perfect conditions for visiting NZ.s best museum- Te Papa, and that was only part of the 4th floor. Interactive exhibits explaind all about the colonisation of NZ, starting with the Maoris- and it's free! Te papa also has quake breakes installed under the building. If there's an earthquake it shakes but stays put. Meanwhile everything else was shaking with the wind- All the trees and grasses point one way.

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Photos

Arrowtown
Chinese settlers house in goldmining town.

Deep Cove
View from the pass.

Doubtful Sound
This is DS on a good day!!

Looking for dolphins
Saw a pod of dolphins playing- no chance to take a photo, unfortunately!!

Tree Avalanche
It takes the trees 150 years to grow on the surface of the bare rock. This begins with a seed bed of moss which takes 5 years to grow.
Eventually 1 tree dislodges pulling others down with it. Lake creatures decompose the whole tree within a year.

Te Pau
Lovely seaside resort with access to Doubtful Sound.

Mueraki boulders
Most phographed igneous rocks.

Mueraki boulders
40 of these rocks strewn across the beach.

Sunset at Rangitata lodge.
There were hoohoos in the bathroom. Trust me you don't want to meet them!!

End of trip
Trip photograph. It was fun but the last few days were tiring. Looking forward to flying back to Wellington in the 12 seater plane!!