Never in doubt

Sunday 19th February

Today in New Zealand started on real low when I opened my phone to find that Gillingham had lost to bottom place Coventry F C.  This was a real doom and gloom moment and the trap door is beckoning for the Gills unless they can reverse current form.

However, my miserable mood only lasted until I opened the curtains - a lovely sunny morning for the organised trip to Doubtful Sound.  We were picked up at The Croft by our bus driver, Justin, who was originally from London and had a trans-hemisphere twang.  He was the font of all knowledge on our two bus journeys.

After the multiple pick ups in Te Anau we sped (actually that is a lie as this was a rattling ancient bus) to the lake jetty at Manapouri.  Here we transferred to our boat, the 'Fiordland Flyer' which took us on the one hour journey across this alpine lake.  It was lovely sitting on the top deck of the boat in hot sunny weather surrounded by mountains after mountains.  The lake had lots of islands which are submerged rouche moutonee - all those years of teaching geography in the classroom and now here it was in the flesh (and not in soggy Snowdonia but see later..).

Off the boat and onto another bus.  This one was even more rickety than the last and Justin had to battle with a recalcitrant gear box which did not make being a passenger comforting.  To make matters more exciting we were traveling onwards over the Wilmot Pass.  This is the most expensive road in NZ (and not connected to any other road) built to ferry machinery from the sea up to the pass at 671m and down to the lake where the largest hydroelectric power station in NZ now resides but all underground (like Dinorwic).  The gravel road took two years to complete and the whole project claimed 16 lives.  The 22km is very steep (1:5 near the summit) and we graunched our way uphill in first gear then downhill in first gear.  The old bus belched, rattled and rolled through mossy forest that clings to the vertiginous rock on a thin covering of moss.  The drops off the road were pretty scary as well - best just to look at the view!

We reached the sea just as our boat was cruising up to the jetty.  OF1 joked that the driver should be called Justin Time - how we laughed!
Transfer number four and we were on Doubtful Sound - actually a Fiord.  The weather had changed as the moisture laden winds rise up the mountains they form clouds.  However, it was dry and considering that this area has over 200 rainy days and over seven metres of rainfall per year (that's 7000 mm compared with west Cornwall at 1000) we were doing well and it gave a mean and moody atmosphere to the cruise.

I could go on about the flooded U shaped valleys, waterfalls, hanging valleys, etc. but will resist as we also saw a variety of fauna.  Albatross, Molly Hawk, Fiordland Crested Penguin and dolphins were all espied.  The dolphins were swimming around us but didn't put on a display of leaping out of the water, etc.

I was a little concerned that a three hour cruise could have been low on the excitement factor but it was anything but as our skipper was a very laid back chappy who gave a superb commentary on the geology, landforms, flora, fauna and history.  One interesting thing we discovered was that the fiord has a layer of lighter, fresh water overlying the salt water and the wildlife has adapted to this unusual environment.  There were only 42 people on a boat that had plenty of space and a coffee machine! 

At the end of the cruise we reversed the journey - back on the bus to go over the Wilmot Pass, onto the boat to cross Lake Manapouri, onto the bus which deposited us outside the B & B.  It had been an exhausting nine hours sitting on buses and boats!

We had delicious fish and chips from the chippy in town to end the day. Tomorrow we are planning a quiet day - coffee, strolling around the lake, painting and sipping local beers are all on the menu!

PS. It's called Doubtful Sound because Captain Cook noted that it was doubtful if it was suitable for a mooring.