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You can also pre-purchase a picnic lunch up until the day before the cruise. Or, you can let the tour operators know when you book online. It’s pricey, but an overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound is the kind of thing you only do once!
Fiordland
May day call made after tourist cruise ship runs aground in Fiordland - Newshub
May day call made after tourist cruise ship runs aground in Fiordland.
Posted: Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Then, when you get to Doubtful Sound, you’ll board your catamaran and glide through the fiord. I absolutely love this cruise because it’s so picturesque. Keep your eye out for wildlife, including dolphins, NZ fur seals, Fiordland crested penguins, and whales. Because it’s so remote and untouched, this place feels absolutely serene. The native wildlife here is incredible and includes Fiordland crested penguins, bottlenose dolphins, and fur seals.
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My favourite part of our Doubtful Sound overnight cruise was this morning. After breakfast we headed out onto the outside decks and I stayed out there until it was time to disembark. Yesterday’s rain was replaced with a slight wind and sun trying to peak out from the clouds. It was magical to experience the fiord waking up with the clouds rising off the still water and over the cliffs. I’m glad we decided to do the overnight cruise as our first day on the boat was grey and rainy, which is typical for Doubtful Sound.
Cooper Island Restoration Fund
With fewer visitors, it’s a more intimate, quiet experience. It’s like the difference between attending a bustling concert and an intimate acoustic gig. The main thing that I love about this specific cruise is that it allows you to experience an insanely beautiful and incredibly remote part of New Zealand.
But just as enchanting as its views is the region’s culinary landscape, a delicious blend of tradition, innovation, and nature’s bounty. These agile swimmers can often be seen lounging in the sun, playfully wrestling, or diving into the deep in search of a meal. With their endearing faces and keen senses, they serve as sentinels of the Sound. Their playful nature and acrobatic displays are a delight to behold. If you’re lucky, you might witness them in their social pods, nurturing their young or hunting schools of fish. Nestled in the heart of New Zealand’s Fiordland, Doubtful Sound isn’t just a scenic marvel—it’s a thriving sanctuary for a myriad of wildlife.
Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
Check-in was 30 minutes before the start of the excursion. There is a small café here selling coffee and pastries and the place to pick up your lunch, if you ordered one as part of the excursion. You also have the option to pack a picnic lunch and bring this instead of the provided lunch. We awoke to clear skies and lots of sunshine in Te Anau the day we took this cruise (we did this April 4).
Is a Doubtful Sound overnight cruise worth it?
The Southern Secret has just five double cabins on board, each with a private ensuite bathroom. Cabin 1 is our Master Suite, it is the largest cabin with the largest bed, and its ensuite bathroom is divided into a separate toilet room and shower room. Cabins 2, 3 and 4 are standard double cabins, each containing a large double bed and an ensuite bathroom. As well as containing a large double bed and an ensuite bathroom, it also contains two single bunk beds set on the wall above the double bed. This makes Cabin 5 suitable for up to four passengers sharing (please note that an extra person rate applies). Price is inclusive of transport from Te Anau, all meals onboard, and activities, but you would need to bring your own alcohol.
Bottlenose Dolphins: The Playful Navigators
This means that people wanting to SCUBA Dive must have their own "Diving Activity Supervisor" or DAS. Please note that there is no dive compressor available onboard. We do recommend two nights, as you will then have time to explore more of the Sound. It was actually really nice to disconnect for 24 hours and not have as many distractions from the beautiful nature all around us.
Conclusion: Is the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise worth it?
Delicious lunch options available to purchase from Manapouri Café and coach connections are available from Queenstown (extra cost). On the other side, our group boarded two coach buses that would drive us across the Wilmot Pass. The drive is only 21 km but due to the terrain and lots of stops at points of interest, it takes about 45 minutes. I highly encourage you to treat both the lake boat ride and the bus as part of the tour experience instead of just transportation to get you to the fiord.
This is one of the best places to visit if you want to escape civilization for a while. When coming here, all your stress just melts away as you listen to birdsong, spot wild animals, and breathe in the fresh air. And with such few visitors, you’ll pretty much have the place to yourself. Most people who visit Doubtful Sound use Te Anau as a base. It’s the closest place with a wide variety of accommodations, and although only a small town, Te Anau boasts lots of amazing places to stay.
This area receives a lot of rainfall, so I definitely recommend a good waterproof jacket, as well as sweaters and gloves. If you’re visiting New Zealand in winter, you’ll want thick layers. But even in the summer, you can get chilly when you’re out on deck, so be prepared. There’s free overnight parking in Manapouri on View Street. It’s a 2-minute walk from the Visitor Center, where you check in for the cruise. The next day, you’ll make the return trip home, arriving back in Manapouri around midday.
In 1971, the Manapouri Hydro-Electric Power Station, New Zealand’s largest hydroelectric facility, was completed on the western arm of the lake. The road over Wilmot Pass was created as part of the project and provides our access to the fiord. This is an awesome place where you’ll experience the raw power of nature. The sheer scale and beauty of the fiord makes for a profound experience for any holiday itinerary. With no direct road access, the only way you can to get to Doubtful Sound is by a cruise across Lake Manapouri and a coach trip over Wilmot Pass.
Jason thank you for going the extra mile to ensure this was indeed the trip of a lifetime. Below decks forward are three passenger cabins; below decks aft are two passenger cabins and staff quarters. Each cabin has an ensuite bathroom, including a toilet and shower.
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