29.11.18 Doubtful Sound

No breakfast in the camper van today, as our tour to Doubtful Sound starts at 8 o'clock, we make sandwiches. The Doubtful Sounds are located in Fiordland National Park and is a large fjord. It is slightly less touristy than Milford Sound. First, we take a ship across Lake Manipuri. After the heavy rain last night, everything is covered in clouds. But every now and then, a piece of the mountain mystically shines through. At the end of the lake lies New Zealand's largest power station, and it is built entirely underground. Only thanks to this power station can we go on the excursion. Now we go by bus over the pass to explore the other end of the fjord with the next ship. The pass road was specially built for the construction of the power station. The drive is impressive and is the steepest road in New Zealand. What we experience on the fjord is unique. The weather is beautiful, which is not common with 200 rainy days. The fjords with snow-covered peaks are beautiful, and thanks to the calm conditions, we quickly reach the open sea, once again see seals, and then as a highlight see whales and albatrosses in the open sea. To emphasize the uniqueness: they only come out to the open sea on 15 days a year, and whales are sighted on 6 days a year. We are very impressed and grateful.

The return journey is characterized by unique landscapes, and the highlight is when the ship's engine is turned off and we simply listen to nature.

In the afternoon, we are back in Pearl Harbor, and we continue towards Milford Sound, the other easily accessible fjord. From the town of Te Anau, the 120 kilometers to the fjord alone are an experience. Our destination is the last campsite, pure nature. The highlight there are also the snow-covered mountains, initially the open valley, and all the blooming lupines.

At the simple campsite, which only has an outhouse and lots of nature, but we have everything we need, we enjoy nature.

We cook delicious country fries and beef fillet, which is so affordable there!