The Doubtful Sound

We had a ton of recommendations to visit the Milford Sound, but we got scared. We didn't want to overnight near there, which meant a windy, five hour drive each way with children that catch motion sickness just looking at a car. Rob and I decided we weren't that brave.

As we explored other options, the Doubtful Sound was heralded as the wilder, more remote cousin to the Milford Sound, with much less traffic and grander views. More importantly, Doubtful Sound was only a two hour drive. Sold!!

We arrived at the starting point the next morning, taking a boat across a glacial lake that looked like it was part of a fjord. It was gorgeous. We were the only family with children. Most folks were empty nesters. It's the same group that lines up 30-60 minutes ahead of schedule to ensure the best seating possible, wherever they go. Needless to say, we were usually the last ones onboard the variety of vessels, lugging our huge cooler amid stares. At $25 per person for a boxed lunch, I personally think they were stares of envy.

Our ferry ride was followed by a 45 minute bus ride (last ones on board) through a temperate rain forest. It was the only road within hundreds of miles. It was also the most expensive road ever built in New Zealand, costing $5 an inch and taking two years to build. The foliage surrounding the road was dense and ancient. The guide said some of the trees were up to 1,000 years old.

We arrived at the start of the Doubtful Sound and boarded another ferry. Yep, last ones on again. It was a breathtaking three hour journey out to the Tasman sea. The pictures do not do it justice.

At one point, we entered a cove, cut the engines and sat in silence for ten minutes. We got to experience the peace and quiet of such a remote place. We could hear all sorts of birds and trees rustling. It was magical and my personal highlight.

The kids did not appreciate the majesty of the tour in quite the same way. As we rounded an island by the Tasman sea, signaling the halfway mark of our tour, Kai came out to the bow with a petulant look. He had been inside at a table for most of the trip, eating, sleeping and bugging his sister. With the best quote of the day, he looked at me and demanded, " When are we going to get to the Doubtful Sound and start the tour?" He demanded. Classic.

The tour finished with a pod of dolphins and a penguin sighting. The penguin looked like a duck. Then back to the bus for a ...power station tour? We didn't realize we had booked a tour of a power station. The kids slept in our laps as the bus drove a mile underground through a dark tunnel to the "viewing station". We piled out of the bus in the damp tunnel to look at.... I'm not quite sure. It was loud. We basically looked at a chamber out of a James bond movie for 10 min, then got back on the bus. The most exciting bit of the tour was watching the bus driver make a 10 point turn in a tunnel a mile underground to get us in the right direction. He had less than an in on either side. It was remarkable.

We arrived home around 8 in the evening, exhausted. Rob and I thought it well worth the effort, the kids much less enthusiastic.

We decided to skip the glaciers and stay in Queenstown for the rest of our stay.

Photos of the Doubtful sound and the power station.