There is no such thing as lounging overnight questionable sound to restore the soul. Well, anywhere in Fiordland will probably do the trick, maybe anywhere in New Zealand.
As someone with chronically poor work-life balance, I often need a good reboot. Since most of my work involves staring at screens for hours, I have to balance that with the opposite. For me, that means no contact with nature, working with my houseplants, or even leaving the house.
About a month ago, we celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week here in New Zealand. This is a topic close to my heart, as I have long suffered from severe anxiety and depression. As part of my work with RealNZ (formerly Real Travels), I escaped to Doubtful Sound at one of their businesses. Three day trips. Getting out into nature, especially places like Doubtful Sound, which has a compelling conservation story, often has a profound and thoughtful impact on us.
By taking care of nature, we take care of ourselves.
Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound are the only ones that are relatively easy to reach in Fiordland. And yes, they are trenches, not sounds, that were carved by glaciers over millions of years.
Visit Fiordland It is often at the top of the list of countries that many New Zealanders visit. Milford Sound has always been the most popular spot with foreign tourists, while Doubtful Sound is more liked by those looking for a more off-the-grid experience.
RealNZ has long offered night boat rides in both audios; An absolutely amazing experience that is often sold out beforehand. During the covid lockdowns in New Zealand they started taking more 2 night boat trips questionable sound. This was incredibly popular, especially with kiwis looking to spend more time in the backyard.
As someone who has visited here many times in the past eight years, here are some of the ways an overnight stay at Doubtful Sound has helped me relax and unwind.
Enjoy the journey to get there
One of the coolest parts of visiting Doubtful Sound is that it's important to get there. However, most other havens can only be reached by a long boat or helicopter trip.
You can get to Doubtful Sound by sailing across Lake Manapouri on a boat before hopping on a bus to cross Wilmot Pass before boarding another boat at Doubtful Sound for the cruise. Manaburi is less than half an hour away from Te Anau, the gateway to Fiordland. The lake here is often super calm, reflecting the forest and mountains around. There is some beautiful calm Walking around Lake Manaburi.
The Wilmot Pass is the road that connects the western arm of Lake Manaburi to Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound. The trail is 671 meters high and is named after E.H. Wilmot, a former road surveyor. He observed the trail while examining the area in 1897, and construction began in 1963. It is said to be the most expensive road to be constructed in New Zealand. It is also not connected to other methods; It connects the lake to the fjord.
Absorb the powerful memorization story
The questionable sound, along with Lakes Manaburi and Te Anau, is what we might call the birthplace of the New Zealand conservation movement. RealNZ was the leader. In the late 1960s, it was proposed to raise the levels of Lake Manaburi by thirty meters to generate hydroelectric power for the Manaburi Power Plant so that it would merge with Lake Te Anau.
I don't need to tell you that it would have wiped out a lot of amazing biodiversity and unique landscapes.
But this was 1969, not 2022, and Earth keep It wasn't what you would call mainstream, even in New Zealand. Leslie and Olive Hutchins bought Fiordland Tours in 1954, eventually becoming RealNZ. Along with many conservationists, they were founding members of the Save Manapouri campaign - hundreds of thousands of kiwis were against the dam.
It was such a big issue that it was part of the 1972 election, and Leslie became one of the first rangers of Lake Manaburi.
Lose your mind at the scenery
Back in 1770, when Captain Cook was sailing around New Zealand, he called this vandal Doubtful Harbor because he suspected he could sail inside the narrow entrance by sailing. Did not know, formidable doubt. Later, during whaling and seal hunting, its name was changed to Doubtful Sound.
Milford's voice They tend to attract all the attention when it comes to visiting Fiordland. And I got it. It's sexy and beautiful, and I never get tired of visiting it. And if you ask me to choose between Milford and questionable voicesI don't think I can.
While Milford is definitely "busier" than Doubtful, mainly due to the day racers from Queenstown, it's not busy in the global sense of the word. You don't feel crowded there. But Doubtful is quieter.
Doubtful Sound is three times longer than Milford Sound and ten times larger, with beautiful narrow doorways curving off of it leading into unexplored areas of Fiordland. Like Milford, it has steep, rugged peaks, epic rainforests, and views for days. Literally.
Go offline and relax.
The Maori name for the questionable sound is Bhatia which means "place of silence". I'll be damned if they don't nail it with that name.
The dubious sound is peaceful, calm and silent, except for the sounds of birds returning slowly. Back in the day, Captain Cook described the birdsong in New Zealand as "deafening", but unfortunately, with the introduction of mammals, many species became extinct or dwindled. Only with significant effort in recent decades by conservationists, including RealNZ, has this changed.
For me, the best part about Doubtful Sound is the offline connection. You will lose phone reception when you arrive at the West Arm of Lake Manapuri. Say goodbye to 5g until you're back in a few days.
Now, without the sounds and distractions, you can slip into a more relaxed state of mind and focus on being in one of the most beautiful corners of New Zealand. I traveled to Milford with my creative colleagues Alex Aylinghis partner Curry Rad And the Kate HallAnd we had a lot of fun relaxing off the grid.
And don't make me start with meals. The food they serve is incredible. You almost need to skip lunch to make room for an epic dinner.
Hang out with the wildlife
Fiordland is home to some of my favorite wildlife in New Zealand, and Doubtful Sound is no exception. When the boat is sailing up and down the strait, usually, you'll be out in the Tasman Sea, which is a great place to see New Zealand fur seals. You may also see the local group of glass-nosed dolphins, whales, and even albatrosses if you're lucky.
The color of the water changes from the dark tannins that stain the surface from a torrential downpour through the rainforest to the turquoise blue of the sea. You'll start feeling the bulge under your feet as we hang out on the deck looking for wildlife.
We were lucky and were able to spot two tuaki/fiordland penguins hanging out on a rocky outcrop. These are some of the rarest penguins in New Zealand, and it's very nice to see them in the wild. They breed in winter and spring, which is usually the best time to see them.
Kayak along the mountains
While you are on board the Fiordland Navigator all night long in questionable soundYou are far from being stuck. There are plenty of opportunities to kayak or set out on a fluffy boat. Our first afternoon at Doubtful was sunny and calm, and we kayaked for hours around the beach. I didn't take the camera just to enjoy it.
There is something so wonderful about steep mountains that fall right into the water. It is another world.
Getting to kayak under the waterfalls? Well, this is better.
Dream of rain and waterfalls
Fiordland might be one of the only places you'll travel to where you dream of rain.
Beautiful in any season and weather, I've been a long-time believer that Fiordland lights up the best in the world high rain. Receiving more than seven meters of annual rainfall gives the temperate rainforests of Fiordland their bright green and creates a few layers of dark freshwater on the surface of the bonfires.
The best part is, soon after the heavy rain starts, hundreds of temporary waterfalls pour from the mountains. With its tall peaks often covered with clouds, the effect is another.
We were lucky to have every imaginable weather in Doubtful Sound. It was sunny and warm the first day, moody and still with rain the second day, snowfall overnight, and thunder falls. In short, it was epic.
go swimming
Do you know those people who always make sure to jump and swim in cold water? I am not one of those people.
I don't know when this trend started, but it should go away. The bail excuses have run out. One of the best memories for people who spent their night on Doubtful Sound Adventures is to jump out of the boat. I swam and dive In Fiordland before, but it was summer. And the water wasn't warm either.
However, I did enjoy watching everyone jump off the boat as we explored the questionable sound. It was always hilarious. Maybe next time I'll participate, but let's be honest, maybe not.
Have you been to Fiordland? Is a nighttime adventure in Doubtful Sound on your wish list? Leak!
Many thanks to RealNZ for hosting me at Doubtful Sound - as always, I keep it real - as you would expect less from me!
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