Day 27: Doubtful Sound to Queenstown

Saturday, Mar 3rd

Morning comes early on a ship. Engines were started at 6:30 AM and within a few minutes the Fiordland Navigator was underway. Breakfast was served and we headed for a final destination within the sound.

This morning we cruised into the Hall Arm of Doubtful Sound. We again passed pods of dolphins cavorting alongside the ship. For a brief while the captain hoisted sails, admittedly only for show as there was little wind.

The destination this morning was a deep cove where the water was still and somewhat mirror like. Once in the cove the ship’s captain shut the ship down, that included engines, generators, fans, discharges, practically everything that emitted a noise; the naturalist then requested that everyone observe 4-5 minutes of silence, no walking, talking, closing of doors or anything that would disturb the silence. For the most part everyone complied and in fact it was very quiet in the cove, enough so that birds and the rustle of the trees was all that was to be heard. The “sounds of silence” was somewhat contrived but nice just the same.

With engines restarted, we returned to and docked at the Deep Cove base station where disembarked for the bus ride back over Wilmot Pass, to the ferry across Lake Manapouri and then on a bus to Te Anau and then to the motor coach back to Queenstown where we arrived about 3 PM.

Pat and Chris walked back into Queenstown from the hotel for shopping. Others not wishing to face climbing the “mini-Mt. Everest” back to the hotel remained back and rested or caught up on email.

The night was simple, a return to the hotel bar and dinner again at Lombardi’s in the hotel.