Doubtful Sound is not quite as well known as its northern neighbor Milford Sound, but it is quickly gaining prestige and rightfully so. Larger and more remote than Milford, Doubtful Sound is only accessible by guided tour. We opted to go the more low-key route and kayak rather than do a cruise. Doubtful Sound got its name when famed explorer James Cook opted not to sail into the sound because he viewed it as doubtful that he would be able to sail out again.
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In the town of Manapouri, just south of Te Anau, we met up with our guides at Adventure Kayaks and hopped in a boat across Lake Manapouri. We arrived at the end of the West Arm of the lake, the site of the Manapouri Power Station, about 45 minutes later. The Manapouri Power Station is interesting itself in that its design and construction were the result of the Save Manapouri Campaign environmental protests against the raising of lake levels of the originally planned station. These protests unified New Zealanders and gave birth to the country's modern environmental movement. The power station is largely underground and takes water from the lake and feeds it through massive tunnels to its release at Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound. This allows the plant to provide energy with minimal disruption to the environment (although, of course, there is some impact).
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After a bus ride over Wilmot pass (the few vehicles on this side of the lake are sent over on barges as no roads access Doubtful) we too arrived at Deep Cove. Our luck with the infamous Fiordland weather finally gave out and we climbed in our kayaks in a light but persistent rain. Many of the guides say the misty rain is the best way to see Fiordland. I don't buy it, but I must say it was beautifully atmospheric and didn't detract from the day on the water.
Deep Cove is just one of many arms of the huge Doubtful Sound. We paddled out of Deep Cove and down Hall Arm considered to be the most dramatic of the sound's arms. We would have a total of about five hours of paddling time that day and it really did fly by. Leslie and I shared a double kayak and had a lot of fun paddling together. The water is incredibly calm and the area receives so much rain that the top few meters of water is virtually devoid of salt. This fresh water at the surface also gives the sound a black as oil look which adds the atmosphere of the place.
There are of course the strikingly steep walls, the rainforest flora clinging to the sheer cliffs and the myriad of waterfalls, but the real treat of Doubtful is its isolation. With no roads to access it and a limit to the number of guides, you feel like you're in a lost world, totally alone.
We had a small group, but all were strong paddlers and we moved well and saw a lot of Hall Arm. Unfortunately our camera is not waterproof so we didn't chance it to take many pictures.
There is quite a bit of wildlife in the area (bottlenose dolphins, fur seals, penguins and several species of whale frequent the Sound) but its sheer size means you're lucky to see much and we weren't that lucky.
Doubtful Sound was a nice contrast to the crowds of Milford, equally as beautiful and much more wild. If you go to New Zealand and don't go to Doubtful (and don't kayak for that matter), you're missing out!
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