:: Kayaking on Doubtful Sound ::

Having tasted Milford Sound on a cruise we decided to see what it would be like to tackle a sound from a much smaller boat, in fact a kayak. I had always wanted to see Doubtful Sound and so persuaded the rest of the team to go for a day kayaking trip. We would have liked to do an overnight trip but time wasn’t on our side as usual.

The day began very early in Te Anau with a meetup on the outskirts on the town at 7am. Because of this early start we had to stay in Te Anau the night before which is worth noting for those wanting to do a trip from Queenstown or similar. We met the rest of our group who all seemed nice if a bit sleepy. The staff were down to earth – a refreshing change from the cheesy staff you can sometimes find in the tourist machine of Queenstown. We were taken by van to the launch where we were whisked on a boat and taken out across lake Manapouri. Doubtful is not very accessible – first you have to sail across the lake, then drive over the hillside on a unsealed road made for the power planet there. It takes a while which is why the early start was needed. Anyway the boat trip was great in itself – it was so quiet at this time in a morning and amazing to see the snow covered mountains all around. We then arrived at the DOC centre to board another van. Quick note here BRING INSECT REPELLENT. You will get eaten alive if you don’t. The sandflies swarm all around and once they get a sniff of human they will be biting you to pieces. Luckily once you are out on the water they leave you alone.

After the van ride we came down into the Sound. The view from above was amazing and it almost looked mystical with the fog hanging over the winding fingers of the Sound. We had a boat waiting for us there which has all the kayaks tied on. Because this was a one day trip we sailed out deep into Doubtful so time wasn’t wasted kayaking out. We were then released into the water in two person kayaks and let loose on the sound! Our guide was a serious man but one who had a real knowledge of the surrounding Flora and Fauna. It was really interesting to hear him describe the surroundings and you had a felling that he actually enjoyed telling us! Once we got used to steering and paddling we set off up the sound taking in the area as we went. You have never felt so small and insignificant in your life with the towering hills and mountains all around and miles of water underneath. Due to strict licensing there are only a handful of operators on Doubtful Sound - a stark contrast to the many boats which trail around Milford which cameras flashing. If you want a feeling of true New Zealand wilderness then do this trip you will not be disappointed trust me!

After a couple of hours we spotted a pod of dolphins in the distance. Our guide advised against chasing them as they go faster than a kayak but we were tourists and wanted to see dolphins!!! So off we went after them down one the many fingers of the sound. It didn’t go well - they were damn fast and well out of our reach. Then a very rare thing happened another pod came from the other direction and they decided to meet up around our kayaks. Imagine a couple of hundred dolphins swimming around your kayaks only a couple of metres away! This had to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life – the silence and faces of the group said it all. I had a feeling of nervousness and awe as these creatures jumped and flipped around us. Mind blowing. Anyway after that encounter we connected back with the boat and took a lunch break on more stable ground. The dolphin pod was around and so everyone was snapping away trying to catch a good picture –fast little fellas I can tell you!

The afternoon consisted of more kayaking and viewing of the surroundings and a chance for us to go it alone for a while under supervision from our guide. No more dolphins but some amazing views to make up for it. At the end of the day we connected with the boat again and Ed took his chance to jump off the boat and see how cold the water really was – the fact that he couldn’t speak for five minutes said it all! We then began the journey back to Te Anau tired and happy.