Category Archives: R. Doug Wicker

September 23, 2020 · 5:35 am

Circumnavigating New Zealand — Fiordland 2020; Doubtful Dolphins

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

We’re now heading into Doubtful Sound in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park. As I mentioned Monday, the views here did not for the most part compete with those over in Milford Sound, but there were some nice exceptions:

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

I will give a thumb’s up to the flora here, though. It seemed a bit more colorful than what we experienced earlier in the day:

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

And while the mountains seemed smaller, there were still some dramatic shots to be had:

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Being a wider, longer fiord, Doubtful Sound’s waters were not quite as glass-like as we had encountered in Milford Sound, but there were still on the calm side:

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

So, am I glad we came here this day? You bet! Why? Because . . . dolphins! Lots and lots of dolphins!

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Our ship had apparently stumbled through a pod of dolphins, and I suspect some fish may have been stirred up in our wake. Or perhaps the pod were just in a playful mood:

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

At any rate, the ship’s passengers were abuzz at the sight. And I was fortunate enough to have a great seat in the back of the ship because cold drizzle had sent me seeking shelter a short while earlier.

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

We’ll finish up Fiordland with this week’s Fun Photo Friday before moving on to our next New Zealand destination next Monday. Until then, one last look at Doubtful Sound for today.

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Circumnavigating New Zealand — Fiordland 2020; Cruising Milford Sound

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Today we’re going to begin with Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, then transition over to Doubtful Sound.

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Remember the two permanent falls in Milford Sound? Let’s take looks at both from slightly different vantage points beginning with Lady Bowen Falls, followed by Stirling Falls:

Lady Bowen Falls, Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Stirling Falls, Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

As I noted before, our 2020 excursion into Milford Sound gave us a vastly different weather experience than what we found awaiting us in 2019. Nevertheless, the drama made up for the coolish drizzle:

Milford Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

In the early afternoon we left Milford Sound behind and headed over to Doubtful Sound, which lies about 65 miles/105 kilometers to the south southwest of Milford.

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

You’ll see a lot more of Doubtful Sound on Wednesday, including some very playful dolphins playing in the wake of Radiance of the Seas. But for now I’ll just share with you a couple of images and some information on this fiord.

Doubtful Sound, Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand

Doubtful Sound is actually much longer than Milford, but in my view not quite as photogenic. Here the mountains seem less impressive, and there were fewer waterfalls. This may have just been my impression because the weather began to turn for the worse forcing me to seek shelter in the covered aft outdoor dining area for both me and my camera. This fiord is 25 miles/40 kilometers long, and at the widest point it stretches 2 miles/3.2 kilometers from shore to shore. At 1,380 feet/421 meters, Doubtful is the deepest fiord in Fiordland National Park.