Fiordland North & South Cruises

After a quiet night aboard surrounded by the nature and wilderness, sail onwards for more of the most spectacular scenery in all of Fiordland–Doubtful Sound, or the sound of silence as it’s also known. Spanning some staggering 25 miles (40km) and holding the title as New Zealand’s deepest fiord, Doubtful Sound with its cloud-scraping, wilderness-cloaked mountains, sheer cliffs, waterfalls, inlets, quiet coves and wildlife presents nature on a scale so grand it’s off the chart.

Next, join your naturalists on deck to spot seabirds, including the majestic wandering and buller’s albatross, as you pass Breaksea Island, which guards the entrance to Breaksea Sound. It was on Breaksea Island that the first successful island rat eradication program was completed, today it is a protected nature reserve of great significance to the many endangered species which call the island home.

Over the following 2 days, plan to leisurely expedition cruise through Dusky Sound, visiting some of the most significant historical and conservation sites in New Zealand as well as marveling at the majestic scenery as you sail deep into the heart of Fiordland. A navigation through Acheron Passage, which separates Resolution Island from the mainland, is sure to be one of the highlights of your time in Fiordland. Predator-free Anchor Island homes half of the world’s population of Kākāpō and Little Spotted Kiwi and is also the location of historic Luncheon Cove and a number of New Zealand firsts including New Zealand’s first sealing gang, the building of New Zealand’s first European homestead and first European designed ship, the 52-foot (16m) Providence built here and launched in 1795. On nearby Pigeon Island learn the history of Richard Henry and his pioneering live transfer of birds to island refuges–an international first in wildlife conservation. While his attempts were unsuccessful due to stoats swimming over to the island, it is heartening to learn the island is now pest-free and a sanctuary for native birdlife, with Henry’s vision fulfilled.

The entrance to Chalky Inlet is guarded by the impressive limestone cliffs of Chalky Island, the inspiration behind Captain Cook’s naming of the fiord. One of several important predator-free islands in the inlet, including Great Island and Passage Islands, Chalky Island is home to some of New Zealand’s most critically endangered bird species including the Little Spotted Kiwi and Kākāpō, and endemic Te Kakahu Skink, discovered in 2002. The protected harbors at North and South Port offer much to explore as the centers of human history in the inlet. North Port is the final resting place of the rusting hulk of purposely grounded GSS Stella, while South Port reveals an industrial past with the remnants of once prolific sawmilling activity. Sailing to the head of the fiord, the surrounding mountains envelop you with their majesty.

Today is dedicated to exploring Preservation Inlet, which is rich in history. Delve into the gold mining and forestry attempts that once made this now quiet waterway a bustling hub of activity. The area’s natural bounty saw more than 2,500 gold miners and saw millers flock to the region in the late 1890s. This early settler history at mining towns Cromarty and Te Oneroa, now reclaimed by nature, can still be observed, none more spectacularly than at the failed Tarawera Mine and Smelter, where the ruins of the smelter’s historic three-story chimney were restored in 2015.

Among the activity, Preservation Inlet can also lay claim to having New Zealand’s first whaling station at Cuttle Cove and the location of one of the country’s most remote lighthouses at Puysegur Point, which began operation in 1879, perched some 40 feet above the South Island’s southwestern-most point. Here a great coastal walk, formerly a telegraph track built to connect the lighthouse, leads to the old landing shed at Otago Retreat. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner.

After a final breakfast and farewells, head ashore to enjoy a spectacular helicopter transfer to Te Anau, taking in the grand views and awe-inspiring scenery.

Join your onboard expedition naturalists to spot albatross and seabirds as you sail the rich waters of the Fiordland Coast before arriving in the seldom-visited yet spectacular waters of Bligh Sound. With its crooked ‘Z’ shape you feel at the heart of the Fiordland wilderness when venturing to the head of the fiord at Bounty Haven where the Wild Natives River flows from the mountains above. Of particular interest here is one of Fiordland’s several ‘China Shops,’ special zones containing a fragile environment where deep sea life can be viewed closer to the surface than normal due to the darkness created by the brackish water.

After a night enjoying the tranquility of Bligh Sound, navigate to the largest of the Northern Fiords, George Sound. Stretching 16 scenic miles (26km), George Sound is also the longest of the Northern Fiords. With several arms branching from the fiord, you have multiple options for exploration. However, the spectacular sight of Alice Falls flanked by dense forest and tumbling over boulders as it thunders out of Lake Alice at the head of the fiord is always a strong draw. It was at the head of George Sound that Wapiti/elk were introduced to New Zealand in 1905, part of the herd being gifted by US President Theodore Roosevelt.

Another rarely explored fiord, Caswell Sound is home to the last physical remains of the 1949 New Zealand–American Fiordland scientific expedition, a primitive hut standing on the banks of the Stillwater River used while studying the Wapiti/elk herd introduced earlier in the century. Tiny Styles Island guards the fiord’s entrance to the Tasman Sea while walks include a nature-filled stroll along Stillwater River towards Lake Marchant. Fishing here is good for those interested in securing tonight’s dinner.

Today you have the exploration of the southernmost of the northern fiords on your agenda. At Charles Sound, the fiord branches into Emelius and Gold Arms at its head with Gold Arm being home to one of the most extensive marine reserves in the inner fiords (Kahukura Marine Reserve) while other sections are included in the Taumoana Marine Reserve. Your captain and expedition leader will find a suitably sheltered anchorage, where activities could include kayaking or joining your expedition guides in a coastal exploration by Zodiac.

Flanked by steep mountains including Mount Napier and Command Peak, nearby Nancy Sound was likely named after the vessel Nancy by Captain John Grono, one of the early sealing captains to explore Fiordland. Nancy Sound’s unusual leg shape was not lost on those who named it, bestowing the section it turns at right angles to the north Foot Arm, which dutifully moves into Heel Cove and Toe Cove. Leg Head and Bend Point were similarly literally named.

A short sail southwards brings you to the extensive sheltered waters of Thompson Sound, initially scouted for sheep farming suitability by early settlers in the 1850s and the location of Secretary Island, an iconic site in New Zealand conservation history as one of the first large islands declared rat-free in 1988. Then explore some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Fiordland–Doubtful Sound, or the ‘sound of silence’ as it’s also known. Spanning some staggering 25 miles (40km) and holding the title as New Zealand’s deepest fiord, Doubtful Sound with its cloud-scraping, wilderness-cloaked mountains, sheer stone cliffs, waterfalls, inlets, quiet coves and wildlife presents nature on a scale so grand it’s off the chart. Photographic opportunities abound and your time spent here could include ship cruising Blanket Bay, the Shelter Islands, Pandora River, Deas Cove and Open Bay. Enjoy a farewell dinner with the team aboard your ship.

This morning, navigate to the very head of Doubtful Sound in Deep Cove, home to several waterfalls including Helena and Lady Alice Falls. After a final breakfast and farewells, head ashore where a transfer to Te Anau awaits, via the picturesque Wilmot Pass, the road constructed as part of the Manapouri hydro scheme.