Doubtful Sound

The reason why we came to Te Anua was to visit Doubtful Sound.

Doubtful Sound is very large and natural fjord.  It is far bigger than its counterpart Milford Sound but not as famous.

To get to Doubtful Sound you first travel about 15 minutes from Te Anau to Lake Manapouri, and from there you jump on a boat to cross the lake.

The boat took us across the Lake to the visitors center and the Lake Manapouri Power Station which we are going to see on the way back. 

From here we hop on a bus to travel over the Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove where we enter Doubtful Sound. 

The view from the top of Wilmot Pass to Doubtful Sound is stunning and thankfully we have a bit more blue sky! 

Then to Deep Cove and on the boat that takes us through Doubtful Sound....

We were very lucky as because the weather was so good we were able to go out of the Sound and into the Pacific Ocean and see Doubtful Sound exactly the way Captain Cook saw it.  

We also got to see Seals and an Albatross. 

When we came back into the Sound we went down Crooked Arm which is a much smaller part of Doubtful Sound and because it is protected from the wind and the sea swell it is so quiet and so still.  The reflections in the water are breathtaking. 

Once we have finished out trip on the Sound we head back over Wilmot Pass and to the Lake Manapouri Power Station. 

The Lake Manapouri Power Station has a really interesting history .... but I will leave you to read that here if you want to. 

The tour however took us 193 meters under ground down a winding tunnel - as long as you didn't think about it too much it wasn't scary.

This model is to scale and we were right down in that yellow bit at the bottom!!

After our huge day we headed back to Te Anau.  We were lucky to catch a beautiful sunset before we turned in for the night as tomorrow we are on the road again.