Hey, everyone!  This weekend was a big one.  I had heard of Doubtful Sound since before coming to Aotearoa New Zealand, from my friend Sydney who was traveling the world for half a year.  I remember she thought it was absolutely stunning so of course, I had it on my list of must-do’s while here in Queenstown.  I can’t believe I’ve put it off this long!  Granted, it was expensive… But still.  

(P.S. Check out Sydney’s blog – it is such a great read!)

Lake Manapouri

Instead of driving, I decided to take a tour so I could relax and didn’t have to stress about making it to the boat on time.  It was a BIG day though.  The agenda was to take the bus to Te Anau, switch to a smaller van (some people were going to Milford), drive to Lake Manapouri, drive across Lake Manapouri to enter Fiordland National Park, take ANOTHER bus through Wilmot Pass, and then finally: a three-hour cruise along Doubtful Sound.  WHEW!  It was a 13-hour day.  Long as hell, but so worth it.

The drive to Te Anau had partly cloudy skies but as soon as we got to Manapouri, there was a low hanging fog, masking everything and blurring out all visibility.  If the rest of the tour would be like this… I was screwed.  No visibility whatsoever!  I got a taste of my own medicine, thinking “this is how Mo must have felt when he was in Milford Sound” haha.  But to be fair, the visibility in Milford was much better!

As we got on the boat across Lake Manapouri, our skipper informed us that typically the fog/low cloud in Manapouri is not necessarily reflective of the weather on Doubtful Sound.  Usually in the morning, the sun heats up the lake which causes the fog.  I was holding my breath because such a long day with no views at all would be… awful.

It took 40min to get across Lake Manapouri.  As we got closer to the jetty, the fog started to clear up and we were able to see some astounding views.  Green mountains with sharp peaks, snow-peaked mountains further back.  Gloomy fog and clouds added to the ambience.

And then we had arrived in Fiordland National Park.  It was so lush, as it always is.  A tomtit flew by and landed on a nearby tree branch.  I smiled, not having seem them for a couple of months at this point.  I wanted to spend more time walking around, exploring the area by foot but of course we were on an organized tour and it is difficult/expensive to travel to this area on your own.  Alas.

A Bus Ride Through Wilmot Pass

We loaded onto the bus and began our ascent.  We had to get through Wilmot Pass which occasionally is pretty rainy/cloudy.  Our driver Dave (who was low-key hilarious) let us know we would hopefully be able to stop at two lookouts along the way if the weather cooperated.  A lot of times, it isn’t doable.  But it was!  In hindsight, the lookout points couldn’t hold a candle to that of Doubtful Sound.  Still gorgeous, though.  At our second stop, we saw a kea (or maybe a kaka) fly overhead.  A good omen for the journey ahead. 

Fun fact: Wilmot Pass is the most expensive road in Aotearoa New Zealand.  Due to its remoteness and also due to the fact that six tractors fell over the side of the mountain while making the road.

(Upon arriving in Fiordland, I was surprised to see that I had full cell coverage.  I was like, how can I possibly have cell service in the middle of nowhere?)

Doubtful Sound / Patea 

No sooner than we’d parked the bus, we were ushered onto the boat and pulling out of the jetty.  Our skipper announced that the water was very flat today and to keep an eye out for wildlife since conditions were perfect for it.  (Um… you know, I’ll have both eyes on high alert!)

Doubtful Sound (or Patea, which is the Māori name) is 3x longer and 10x wider than Milford Sound, making it a pretty impressive fjord.  And yes, it is actually a fjord, not a sound. Although, it’s used pretty interchangeably here.

From the get go, I was blown away by the views.  I try to limit my photography and instead prefer to enjoy landscapes with my eyes but 1) I need pictures for this blog and 2) Doubtful Sound was just begging to be photographed.  Everywhere the boat took us, there was something new to photograph.  

We cruised along and I circled the boat, observing the unreal surroundings. 

Already, I felt it was more impressive than Milford Sound. Milford and Doubtful are like cousins – Doubtful is more expensive to get to and not quite as well known as Milford.  People often compare the two and have opinions on which is better.  I guess I shouldn’t compare them, but yeah… Doubtful was pretty special.

An interesting fact I learned along the cruise was that the forests around Doubtful Sound have not been deforested at all.  This is truly what untouched nature in New Zealand looks like.

Maybe forty minutes into the cruise, we saw a pod of dolphins off in the distance.  Their fins glided in and out of the water and the water from their blowhole was easily visible as it shot out of the water.

One came closer – I think it was a baby – and fully flipped out of the water.  It was very brief and that was the only time we saw it.  We saw some more dolphins later in the day, trailing in the wake very far behind our boat.  I wasn’t able to see them very well but I’ve seen dolphins heaps of times before and will likely see hundreds in Kaikoura next month.

Our skipper announced we would be turning out of the main path of Doubtful Sound into one of its capillaries, called Crooked Arm.

Crooked Arm

Crooked Arm was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  It was narrower than the main channel of the sound and we were able to get closer to the mountainsides that rose from the water.  The occasional waterfall trickled all the way from the top of the mountains into the fjord.

Before us, the water smoothed out even more and the surrounding mountains had perfect reflections in the water below.  It honestly was astonishing.  I turned to some random person beside me and said, “Aren’t the reflections incredible?”  The reflections were such a perfect match, they looked like a trippy version of a Rorschach test.  Insane!

We pulled around a corner and our skipper told us the area doesn’t get much sunlight and that the day before, there was ice frozen on the surface.  It had since thawed out but still a neat area.

From there, we turned the boat around and headed back to the main channel of the sound.  Our next destination was entering the Tasman Sea.

Tasman Sea

Our skipper warned us that as we entered the Tasman Sea, we might get rocked around slightly.  Sudden flashback to the crazy boat ride to Rakiura/Stewart Island haha.  This was as far out as we would go before turning around and making our way back to the jetty.  

“This is where the seals will be,” I said to myself.  They tend to hang out on clusters of land just at the end of the ocean.  A good launching point for fishing.  There were a number of small islands just outside the sound, so I figured that would be it.  Sure enough, as we pulled up to one of them, that was the exact case.  But… “oh, and looks like there’s a fiordland crested penguin in the water!”  WHAT?  WHERE?

There are a few wildlife sightings that are possible when cruising through Doubtful Sound.  Seals (of course, they’re everywhere along the coast of New Zealand), dolphins (more exciting), whales (very rare), and… The fiordland crested penguin.  Boy, was I hoping to see one.

Everyone turned to the water, trying to spot it.  I’m not sure if some people had or not aside from the nature guide.  The penguin had been swimming in the water near the edge of the island.  Frantically, I tried to see it but to no avail.  Damn!  “Do you see it?”  I asked a man.  He pointed out a seal to me.  No, not that.

I walked over to the nature guide and asked if the penguins are typically only seen in the water during the day.  She told me there was a spot that they sometimes hang out at on an island we’d be pulling next to.  Okay, okay… Fingers crossed.

And then there it was. 

The fiordland crested penguin, clear as day.  You could see the classic white chest, the black backside, and the signature yellow “Frida Kahlo eyebrows” (as my mom named them).  How amazing!  

Our boat was a considerable distance away so I wasn’t able to get the clearest of photos, but boy, was I glad to see one.  And then two.  And then three!  

The fiordland crested penguin is the rarest in New Zealand and also is regarded as one of the rarest in the world.  There are only 1,000-2,000 left in the world.  I think for a time, it was THE rarest but now it’s the Galapagos penguins.

Seeing these guys completed my New Zealand penguin collection.  There are three penguins that have colonies on the mainland of New Zealand – the little blue penguin, the yellow-eyed penguin, and the fiordland-crested penguin.  The nature guide commented on how happy I looked.  I certainly had a grin plastered to my face for a long time after that!  Thank you, universe!

Seeing the penguins was the absolute highlight of the trip for me.

Four Minutes of Silence

We slowly drove back but stopped the boat five minutes before the jetty. 

The skipper cut the engine and asked us to all be quiet for four or five minutes, to just listen to… The nothingness of the area.  They asked us not to move, not to talk, not to photograph.  Just to experience our surroundings in silence.

But it wasn’t silent.  There was the occasional bird chirping, the pattering of a light drizzle on the water.  The waves lapping up onto shore.  Distant waterfalls.

And then there was also the sound of two pre-teens walking down the stairs and moving around near me because they apparently couldn’t be still for literally all of five minutes.  Sigh.  Kids!

Still, it was a nice touch to end the cruise.  Doubtful Sound, I LOVE YOU!!!  What an incredible place.  I talked about it last week, but I think visiting Doubtful Sound solidifies Fiordland as my favorite place in Aotearoa New Zealand so far.  The mystique of its remoteness, the fact that it’s home to kiwi (the birds), the waterfalls, the soft mountains juxtaposing the rough, ice-capped mountains.  The mossy trees, the birdlife.  I love it!

This Time, in Reverse

With the cruise finished, it was time to do everything all over again, but this time in reverse.  From the cruise, we hopped back onto a bus and drove the forty-five minutes through Wilmot Pass.  Then we took the boat across Lake Manapouri.  This time, we were able to actually SEE the mountains since the morning fog had completely dissipated.  Yay!

After the boat, we got back in our van, stopped in Te Anau, and after waiting half an hour, transferred to the final leg: the bus back to Queenstown.

What a long day.  Such a long day.  But a fantastic, unforgettable day.  

Funnily enough, like the first time I took a cruise in Fiordland National Park at Milford Sound, there was a strong aurora happening when I’d returned back in Queenstown.  Unfortunately, this time clouds made it nearly impossible to view.  Damn!  That’s okay.  I still went out for a little bit around midnight to try and take pictures.  There was so much cloud, the picture isn’t worth sharing but I could see a tiny sliver of brightness gliding above the horizon for a few minutes.

And then, finally, it was time to sleep.  After all, I had work the next day!

Miscellaneous

A few miscellaneous items.

Jasper is now on holiday back home in Malaysia for a few weeks.  We had bubble tea the night before he left.  Nittsy also sent me a candid picture of the two of us chatting during dinner one night haha.

When I’d come home from work the day Jasper departed, I discovered he had left me a little note.  So cute!  The first few days, it was weird to be without Jasper in the room.  He’s always there! And we usually chat for a while each night.  But… It’s nice to not deal with his snoring for the next couple of weeks haha.  (Love you, bitch!)

Yvonne’s birthday was on Wednesday so she, her sister Victoria, and I went for dinner at South Eatery.  The food was delicious and the company was great.  Love you so much, Yvonne!  (Also, spot Yvonne and I holding hands in the group photo lol.) And special shout-out to Victoria for treating us to dinner for Yvonne’s birthday. V sweet – thanks, Victoria!

Afterwards, we had a combined birthday/farewell party for Yvonne and Ian.  Nittsy had made empanadas… YUM!  I was quite stuffed that night because we had a big meal at dinner, too.  Then we all went dancing as a big group.  It’s always the best when lots of us are out dancing together.  Family time!

Mi amigo Ian has now left New Zealand and is traveling around Vietnam for a while.  I don’t think he will be back in Queenstown before I leave.  Ian has always been super nice and friendly to me, so it was a bummer to see him go.  Te quiero, Ian!  As I gave him a goodbye, he asked me to take care of Nittsy.  Of course I will.

I forgot to mention this, but the weekend before when I was in Aoraki / Mount Cook, there was a filthy car driving next to us.  Someone had wrote “Fifi” on the dirty window.  Fifi was a nickname my grandma called me when I was growing up.  I smiled to myself and thought this must be a little kiss from the heavens.

This is from a couple of weeks ago, but we went to Juanito’s house one evening to celebrate Rose’s 21^st birthday!  While she has been able to legally drink in the UK since 18, I told her she can now legally drink in America haha.  It was a great time.  Fabian made food for us and we celebrated Rose.  (Fabian also accidentally burned a huge circle on the table with a pot that was too warm and we ended up writing a letter to the owner of the house LOL.  Chaos.)

I also met up with my friend Liv after work for a yoga session.  I haven’t been to a proper yoga class in years but it was so nice!  Afterwards, we went to her place.  She, her partner Jack, and I chatted for a little over an hour.  It was good to spend time with them alone since usually we are with other people.  They’re a really cool couple.  They are traveling to Tonga in a couple of weeks to spend time snorkeling/diving with humpback whales.  UM, dream come true! (P.S. Mom – you would love Liv. Hippy vibes with the coolest clothes.)

Art of the Week

Now, this is very cool for me.  I checked Instagram one morning and was surprised to find a message from someone I’d never talked with before.  She sent me a message about how she’d found my art while her father was dying of cancer and how my piece spoke to her.  She decided to get it tattooed as an homage to that time in her life.  How powerful!  I was really glad she reached out. I’m going to make her a bespoke drawing this week.

Reflections

What to reflect on?  Um, maybe those reflections at Doubtful Sound?!  Haha.  What a busy day that was.

I am doing well.  As of tomorrow, I have five weeks left in Queenstown.  Wild.  

On my penultimate weekend in town, I was going to go with Jasper to Milford Sound to do the underwater observatory tour but I was gutted to find out last night that the tour is suspended for a few months due to scheduled maintenance on the observatory.  Bummer! (Will I even make it back to Fiordland National Park now..?) This is now the second tour I was interested in that I won’t be able to do – more importantly, though, was the kiwi tour in Okarito.  It doesn’t run until October and I will be there in September.  Damn it all to hell!!!!!!!

This next weekend, I will do a shift at Kiwi Park on both Saturday AND Sunday. That will conclude my time volunteering at the park.  While I’ve been volunteering since… March?  there were also a lot of weekends where I was off adventuring so I probably wasn’t the best volunteer they’ve ever had haha (I always let them know ahead of time if I wouldn’t be available). Still, it has been such a nice time there.  I made a drawing for the peeps at Kiwi Park that I’ll give them next weekend.  I’ll share that on next week’s post – I’m quite happy with it.

Otherwise, things are good.  I guess just to be fully transparent, I have once again taken to stressing about money.  Now that it’s closer to the time I am done working, I am hyper-aware that I won’t have any income for the next year and a half lol.  That’s a scary thing!  I’m trying to make sure I have enough for:

-Traveling around New Zealand for two months (check)
-Various tours around New Zealand (check)
-Week in Fiji (check)
-Flight to Taiwan (check)
-Food & accommodation around Asia for a year (check)

I have saved for all of the above.  I think the things I am a little preoccupied with are:

-Money for the three months back in the states
-Flights around Asia 
-Tours around Asia

Obviously the more I fly between countries, the more that adds up.  The more tours I want to do, the more that adds up.  Money, money, money.  On top of that, there are immunizations, phone payments, etc.

And yet, stressing about money won’t change how much I end up having when I leave for Asia.  I just have to hope it’s enough to get me to the places I want to go.  I also have money set aside for when I return to the States after all the travel, so if need be, I could dip a little bit into that.  I honestly am in a pretty good spot and I’m hoping if I can sell my van for a reasonable price when I leave New Zealand, that will help a lot.

I’m trying to remember… It’s just a ride.  Let it all play out as it’s supposed to.  My mom has noted that I tend to be lucky with money – I will always have “enough” somehow.  For instance, I just recently got a letter in the mail back home saying that I might be getting some money back from Australia (basically Australia’s social security that I can get refunded to me).  We’ll see.

Until next time – sending you all my love.  xx