Doubtful and Milford Sounds
The days of rain in Fiordland are common, but this was not one of them. The morning light slowly covered the peaks around our anchorage of Blanket Bay, inside Doubtful Sound, and clear skies with just wisps of cloud were above us. Although not the deafening birdsong that Cook and his men met, the calls of bellbird could be heard in the forest around the ship.
After breakfast we climbed aboard the Xplorer for a morning tour of Doubtful Sound. We headed out to look at Malaspina Reach, back up Doubtful Sound and then Bradshaw Arm, before heading up the northern side of Secretary Island through Thompson Sound. We looked out over the beautiful podocarp/broadleaf forest that cloaked the steep slopes of these glacial valleys. We spotted a pair of paradise shelduck, and whilst looking at a pair of variable oystercatcher on a rock beside the Blanket Bay Hotel, a weka came around the corner of the pier. It looked like it was in charge of the area, checking us out for a moment, and then ducking off from where it had come.
As we passed Bradshaw Sound and headed up Thompson Sound we stopped and looked at a large tree avalanche that had been caused by a 7.8 Richter scale earthquake that struck the area in 2007. Several other large slips and tree avalanches were seen during the course of the morning. Several black-billed gulls were spotted amongst the red-billed gulls feeding on the water, and as we headed towards the open sea we kept a watch for fur seals. But, not a single seal was found! We had a short landing on a beach near the entrance to the sea, spotting several South Island tomtits; bellbirds and brown creepers were also seen and heard nearby. The ‘mischievous’ sand-flies were also out in force, and clouds of them descended upon us, although the bug spray managed to keep most from biting.
Back onboard the ship we steamed out into the open sea again, with the very much larger MV Amsterdam and MV Dawn Princess cruising past. Small ships are definitely the way to travel! After lunch we enjoyed the smooth sailing conditions as we cruised northwards towards Milford Sound. Out on the bow conditions were superb, but with only a light breeze there were not many birds. White-capped albatross, the odd sooty shearwater, and then later in the afternoon several mottled petrels made up the majority of bird sightings. However, a wandering albatross made an appearance, and the biggest surprise was three sightings of tiny grey-backed storm-petrels. Rather fleeting views of this diminutive little seabird, and although sometimes seen on this part of the New Zealand coast, a great set of records nonetheless.
Peter Clayworth gave a lecture on the last period of European history in New Zealand rounding up the talk in the 1970s. And then it was time to enter the incredible Milford Sound. Clear blue skies and light breezes made for a beautiful backdrop against the steep bush clad slopes of the glacial valley. A Fiordland crested penguin was spotted near the entrance, and then fur seals were found resting up on top of a rock, but the main attraction here was not the wildlife but the stunning views. The ship headed right through to the end of Milford Sound, pausing under Stirling Falls along the way, and then with the sun directly behind Mitre Peak, we cruised back up the fiord and back out to sea. Our anchorage for the night was just south along the coast in Poison Bay. The Captain’s Farewell Cocktail party was a time to reflect on what a wonderful cruise we had, before enjoying our last sumptuous dinner onboard.
