Table Of Content
You have a few minutes here to use the bathrooms before boarding the bus. To get to Doubtful Sound, first you will cross Lake Manapouri by boat and then board a bus to cross Wilmot Pass. This gets you to the far eastern end of Doubtful Sound, where your cruise will begin. This fiord is located in Fiordland National Park, an immense national park covering more than 1.2 million hectares. Doubtful Sound was first “discovered” by Captain Cook (although the Maori had already lived here for hundreds of years), who cruised around New Zealand in 1770.
Doubtful Sound Wilderness Day Cruise from ManapouriDoubtful Sound
Gratitude for the memories made, a tinge of sadness for the end of an incredible journey, and an overwhelming sense of connection to a place where nature speaks and we listen. Fellow travelers, each with unique stories and perspectives, enhance the tapestry of your journey. Share tales, forge bonds, and create a global family aboard. For those looking for more than the usual, several operators offer themed cruises. Think photography workshops, bird-watching specials, or even eco-conservation tours.
Bottlenose Dolphins: The Playful Navigators
A coach then takes you across the Wilmot Pass, where you’ll travel on a sub-alpine road through dense rainforest. Arriving at Deep Cove, you’ll be met by our crew and vessel. Give in to the wilderness, and escape to the secluded Pātea Doubtful Sound, located in the depths of the Fiordland National Park. Unlike a day cruise, this unique overnight experience completely immerses you in nature.
Rakiura Stewart Island
At the end of the cruise, you can decide whether or not to tip. There’s not a huge tipping culture here because servers get paid a living wage, so lots of locals will tell you that they don’t tip. However, in Queenstown and popular South Island tourist destinations like Doubtful Sound, tipping is much more common. Tipping is generally just a part of tourism, so in this case, it’s really up to you if you want to tip or not. They book up months in advance – and I’m not talking just a few months, either. They can book up over 6 months ahead of time, especially during the summer.
Cruise vessels and fishing boats ply the waters only seasonally. When you visit Doubtful Sound, it’s unchanged, pristine nature is striking. You are witnessing the same spectacular scene that greeted early Maori and European visitors – the years have changed little, if anything, in this magnificent place. Milford Sound at the mountainous north end of Fiordland National Park is the classic fiord - a deep water inlet between steep sided high mountains. Milford Sound is a middle-sized fiord at around 13 kms in length and it is famous for its dramatic scenery, especially Mitre Peak. This fiord is the most accessible of Fiordland National Park’s 14 fiords and it can be reached by bus, car or flight connections from Queenstown.
Booking Tips
Welcome to Doubtful Sound, where magic isn’t just a concept, it’s a palpable feeling. Tighten up those life jackets, grab your binoculars, print out one of our cruise planners, and let’s dive deep into one of the world’s most pristine corners. Captain Cook actually believed it would be impossible to sail into the fiord. Over time, it became known as “Doubtful Sound,” and it was officially given the name Doubtful Sound/Patea in 1998. For the price, it’s the best value place in town, and I’ve seen prices as low as $189 NZD on Booking.com. Tipping is all in cash, so I recommend bringing some with you just in case.
The crew told us the rainy weather we got was typical of Doubtful Sound, so you may experience the same, better or worse. Doubtful Sound is one of the most remote and untouched destinations in New Zealand! If you’re coming from Te Anau, this is the best tour because everything is arranged. Plus, you get an incredible nature cruise to spot wildlife like dolphins and fur seals. Doubtful Sound is a stunning fiord that is one of the most beautiful places to visit in New Zealand. It’s incredibly remote and takes a while to get to, so doing an overnight cruise is a fantastic way to experience it.
What to bring on a Doubtful Sound overnight cruise?
All our Doubtful Sound experiences start in Manapouri which is around 2.5 – 3 hours from Queenstown and 30 minutes from Te Anau. We recommend each passenger brings no more than a carry-on sized bag due to space restrictions in the cabins. For a list of what to bring please see the 'more info' section or your booking confirmation.
While cruising with us, activities offered include kayaking, fishing to supplement your evening meal, wildlife spotting, and observing your crew capture live Fiordland crayfish. The rainier the weather, the more powerful and abundant the waterfalls! Just make sure to pack warm and waterproof clothing so you can enjoy them. Given my propensity for seasickness, I was nervous about sleeping on a boat in the middle of a fiord. But lucky for me the water was extremely calm and I actually slept very well.
Click here to check current prices and availability for the overnight cruise. Then, this overnight tour includes a boat ride across Lake Manapouri and a coach ride along Wilmot Pass to Doubtful Sound. There are many ways to experience Doubtful Sound - by kayak or cruise, as a day trip or on an overnight experience. Piopiotahi / Milford Sound will provide scenic drama, Patea / Doubtful Sound will provide mystery and intrigue.
Both the RealNZ website and GetYourGuide have 24 hour notice for full refund. To return to Manapouri, you will repeat the bus ride over the Wilmot Pass and the cruise across Lake Manapouri. At the highest point, you can get out of the bus and take photos of the Doubtful Sound. On the day we did this, the rain and clouds took away from the view, but on a clearer day, the view is beautiful. Here is an overview of the Doubtful Sound day trip with Real NZ. Doubtful Sound is the second largest fiord in New Zealand.
10 Things To Do In Fiordland National Park: Complete Guide To New Zealand's Most Adventurous Region - TheTravel
10 Things To Do In Fiordland National Park: Complete Guide To New Zealand's Most Adventurous Region.
Posted: Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Before I went on this cruise, i had read so many wonderful reviews and was getting worried about how these great reviews would set my expectations too high. But in the end, our Skipper Jason and our Chef Caleb lead us on a unforgettable and fun journey through Doubtful Sound... The level of experience they had and the amount of effort they put in to ensure that everyone had a great time is unparalleled.
If you’re a social traveler, the Lakefront Backpackers is another good budget option, and they have dorm beds and private rooms. Staying here also feels like you’re in a park, although you’re just a 5-minute walk from town. They offer indoor/outdoor kitchen facilities, BBQ, laundry, free unlimited WiFi, storage, and a movie room to relax after a long day exploring Doubtful Sound. You can book your stay on Booking.com or through Hostelworld. The price of this Doubtful Sound overnight cruise depends on how many people you book for. If you book a single room for one person, it costs $1,479 NZD.
In looking at the day trip, it felt like you spent most of your time just getting out to Doubtful Sound. The day cruise experience lasts seven hours (and that doesn’t count the time it takes you to get to Manapouri), but you only spend three of those hours on Doubtful Sound. The rest of the time is spent getting there and back across Lake Manapouri and the Wilmot Pass. And while those are nice parts of the trip, it seemed like a lot of back and forth for not enough time on the fiord. Deciding what kind of cruise to take on Doubtful Sound comes down to your budget and your itinerary.
No comments:
Post a Comment