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Kayak Doubtful Sound in the Remote Fiordland's of New Zealand

Published by Andy Hayes, Writer

Country: New Zealand

The Experience

Nestled deep in the lush and alluring Fiordland of New Zealand, lies one of the world's most striking Fiord's, Doubtful Sound. Ten times larger than the more well known Milford Sound, Doubtful is only accessible via sea or a lengthy bus-boat-bus journey. Doubtful Sound was named so by its finder Captain James Cook in 1770, as he thought the inlet was unnavigable. It is now also often referred to as the "Sound of Silence" due to its remoteness and natural sanctity.

The rugged and plush tapestry of the surrounding cove are best explored by kayak, allowing you to view first hand the natural treasures that engulf this area. Kayakers have the ability to camp in the untouched Rainforest that surrounds Doubtful Sound and probe the exquisite terrain that hosts flourishing wildlife such as seals, penguins and bottle nose dolphins. There are also a number of waterfalls - especially during or after a large rainstorm - which coat the walls of the cove with a magnificent web of white cascades. With over 200 days of rain a year, the plant life that clings to the rocky cliffs is extremely lush and green.

Doubtful Sound has the unusual natural feature of two layers of water, a top layer of freshwater, and an second lower layer of colder seawater. This makes the Sound's waters dark and murky, but on sunny days the mirror reflection of the surrounding slopes is unimaginable. The silence of the glacially carved Sound is without parallel, providing you with the perfect stage for an intimate and rare nature retreat.

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Puzzle

When to Go to Doubtful Sound

With all the rain finding a dry day can be difficult if not impossible, but not to worry as many argue to see Doubtful Sound under siege is to see it in its full glory, netted in streaming white waterfalls. New Zealand's Fiordland gets 21 feet of rainfall a year, meaning that it's not always the easiest to find a dry day! The best time to visit Doubtful Sound is the summer months December - February which are are the warmest, a word of caution though that this is also peak tourist season. If your after the Fiordland Crested Penguins, September is the best time to visit.

Odds n' Ends

While Doubtful Sound is the deepest and the most majestic, the nearby Milford Sound is more easily accessed and thus more popular, definitely worth checking out if in the area.
It is possible to explore either Sound by boat, day/night cruises, hiking or by our method of choice, kayak. The nearby village of Te Anau makes a good base for exploring the attractions of Fiordland.

Want a Guide?

South Island Sojourn - GAPAdventures.com
New Zealand’s South Island is a land of jaw-dropping contrasts: snow-capped mountains, shining lakes, hidden coves and plunging fjords. It’s like a giant outdoor playground, and however you travel through this Tolkien-worthy landscape—feet, bike or boat—it’ll leave you breathless.
Fjordland Wilderness Experiences
Operator of kayak tours in-and-around Doubtful Sound.

More Experiences Nearby

Experience the Sweeping Scenery at Sutherland Falls
As one of the tallest and mightiest waterfalls in the world, those who make the long trek into the remoteness of New Zealand’s south island are rewarded with a beautiful treat, Sutherland Falls. Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, call Sutherland Falls Te Tautea, or the White Thread. It is possible to walk directly to the base of Sutherland Falls; here, the sheer force of water is felt as a damp whirl wind, visibility is reduced as the air fills with mist, and the roar of the falls is so loud one might expect an airplane to appear from ...53 miles away.

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Books and DVDs

New Zealand Travel Guide Lonely Planet
The freshness and majesty of New Zealand will give you an electric charge like no other. These outdoors are truly great, showcased by misty Milford Sound and Rotorua's thermal pools, and the indoors ain't so bad either - dip into Wellington's art scene or the latest restaurants in Auckland.
Milford Sound (Hardcover)
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009: 850 Trends, Destinations, Journeys & Experiences for the Year Ahead

Elsewhere on the Web

Wikipedia Entry on Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound is a very large and naturally imposing fjord (despite its name) in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located relatively close to the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound. It took second place after said Fiord as New Zealand's most famous tourism destination
Fiordland Doubtful Sound Homepage
Visitors feel humbled yet uplifted by the atmosphere of powerful solitude in the presence of the superb physical grandeur of Doubtful Sound.

Media References

New Zealand - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
Of the dozen or so fjords in southwestern New Zealand, only two - Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound - are available to the tourist by an overland route.
New Zealand: Exploring the State of Adrenaline - NationalGeographic.com (magazine)
Here, in the southern part of the South Island of New Zealand, you could jump off enormous cliffs, climb back up on iron rungs, then rocket down the same hill again on a kind of combination luge and bicycle.
BUZZING NEW ZEALAND - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
Wearing jeans, sneakers, a parka and goggle sunglasses, the helicopter pilot turned to his two passengers, after carefully checking his instruments, and asked whether they wanted the flight to be the regular one or ''a bit of a buzz."
A Walk Through New Zealand’s Watery Wild - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
IN 1908, The Spectator magazine called the 33.5-mile Milford Track through Fiordland National Park in New Zealand “the finest walk in the world,” an honorific still credible to knowledgeable hikers — one fan was Sir Edmund Hillary — a full century later.

Language Guides

Hindi , Japanese are some of the languages spoken in New Zealand. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!

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