:: Kayaking Doubtful Sound (Part 2) ::

Our one regret last year was not being able to stay overnight in Doubtful Sound so this year we were here to rectify this. For this trip we decided to go with Fiordland Wilderness Experiences and try their two day kayaking trip on Doubtful Sound with overnight camping included. The company is run by Daphne and Bill who have a great passion for sharing their love of Fiordland and sea kayaking. The company was established in 1992 and runs varying trips to both Doubtful and Milford Sounds.

Our trip began at 5pm the day before where we met at the base in Te Anau for a pre-departure briefing. This gave us a chance to meet our fellow kayakers and get a good overview of what was coming. As the company name suggests this was a wilderness trip and so is not for those who cant rough it and those who don’t have the physical stamina. Bill talked us through our equipment; what they would provide and what we should bring. This had also been emailed us so we had been able to plan ahead and make sure we were kitted up. The talk certainly made me feel more comfortable on the trip and saved time in the morning when everyone would be half asleep and not listening anyway! After the meeting we were all sent off to buy our food for the trip as this was BYO style camping. Apart from food and evening clothing everything was provided by the company down to three types of hats for all weather occasions!

The next morning we were picked up from our hostel at 6am (!) and driven to Manapouri where the first part of our journey would begin. Due to one guide being trained we were lucky enough to have two guides on our trip – Ron and Donald. If you have read our first visit to Doubtful you know the procedure – sail across lake, drive over hill, get onto lake. This takes a decent amount of time but gives you a chance to take in the surrounding scenery and wake up!

Day 1

Once at the Sound we unloaded all our gear and brought the kayaks down by the water. These were professional fibre glass kayaks with loads of room to store all the equipment. Once again BRING INSECT REPELLENT the sandflies eat you alive in swarms unless you are coated in deet. We hastily got changed trying to show as little bare skin as possible to the waiting sandflies – you’ve never seen people get changed so fast! After a safety and technique briefing we hit the water going out in the two man kayaks leaving the sandflies behind. Immediately you are hit with the pure untouched beauty of the place. Towering cliffs and hills surround you as waterfalls cascade down into the Sound. Its extremely quiet and peaceful just the splashes of water and kayakers speaking to each other. Once on the water we got used to the kayaks and safety procedures such as ‘rafting up’ were shown. Even though it was a beautiful sunny day the weather can very quickly change in the Sounds and it was good to see the guides taking precautions and making us aware of this. Lunch was taken on a rocky beach and hot water was put on so we could munch on whatever we had bought the night before. Pot noodles were the call of the day for me and Ed! We then spent the rest of the day kayaking to our base camp for the night taking in the surroundings as we went. We attempted to get the sail up but to no avail – the wind just wasn’t on our side!

At base camp we quickly lifted the kayaks ashore and got changed into dry gear. The camp was a great pre-landscaped area with gravel paths, a insect shelter to cook and relax in and a compost toilet. It was also in a superb location with a river running alongside. We were then handed out tents to put up which we loved having camped a hell of a lot as a child! We then put on our chefs hats and cooked our own meals using the gas burners inside the insect shelter. Included in the price of the trip was a free cask of wine between the group so we dived into this as well. The evening was a great chance to get to know the rest of the group and chat about our travels and experiences. After a tiring day we all retired off to bed at 10pm ready for another day of kayaking!

Day 2

Having fallen out of bed late we quickly rustled up some bacon sandwiches – nothing better when camping. We then had to clamber back into our damp wetsuits (not pleasant I can tell you) and get back onto the water to warm up. We had been blessed with another beautiful day and so kayaking was easy with the Sound being as still as anything. We then kayaked back into the main arm of the Sound and further out towards the sea. We had a strong wind behind us and so had a sailing race between two kayaks rafts. We got some real speed up and gave us a chance to sit back and relax.

Unfortunately as you would have guessed we then had to kayak back against the wind to base. The wind really started to pick up and so it was splash vests on and some heavy duty paddling up the arm. It was actually nice to have some rough paddling and gave variety to the kayaking. However it was hard work and it was clear that a couple of our group weren’t as fit as they should be (myself included!) Anyway we finally got back to the vans and loaded back up for the long trip back to Te Anau. All in all we were on the water for about five hours each day.

Conclusion

We really enjoyed visiting Doubtful again and it was great to finally get the chance to stop overnight. So which trip do you choose? Well if you aren’t so fit and just want to see the Sound as you are short on time or money then go for the day trip. However if like me you love camping and want the whole Doubtful experience then do the overnight trip. Be aware though that this is a Wilderness Experience and so its camping, shovel toilets and self catering – if you can't live without your home comforts then stay away!!!