Today was one of the toughest decisions of the trip for me. Milford Sound is one of the "eighth" wonders of the world and one of the must sees in this area. I'd been told that doubtful sound was quieter if slightly less impressive than Milford and a lot less well known. After much deliberation I'd gone for doubtful, the less touristy and less famous cousin!
Mike our tour guide had some classic tour "banter". The usual 'hands up anyone who isn't here' and 'I'll bring you back in four days' etc. He was also the spitting image of Bill Oddie! Carly was asked for the first time since our marriage if her surname was real!
He chatted to us as we drove the two hours to our first ferry but Carly both drifted off to sleep in the warm coach after our early start! Whilst Milford is a 5 hour drive from Queenstown, Doubtful is a 2.5 hour drive followed by an hour ferry and another hour drive over the world's most expensive drive. More importantly one bus operates here while up to 40 operate in Milford in an area a tenth of the size.
We caught some glimpses of stunning views on our way to our ferry but with low cloud cover and a low mist in certain areas we didn't see as much as hoped. We joined more people and picked up our packed lunches for the ferry. It was pretty bracing up on top deck but the fresh air was lovely and it was so peceful across the water.
We arrived and jumped off the ferry at a huge underground power station. You can't see much above ground but models show how much is below the earth, harnessing the power of water to create power. We were then put onto coaches that run on the most expensive road in New Zealand.
The road was created to build the power station in the sixties and is the reason that doubtful sound is now accessible to us as tourists. Previously it was a two day hike or entry via the Tasman Sea. When the power station was built they planned to raise the level of the lake by 3 metres to accomodate. After years of conflict and petitioning the people of Nz won and the water level was kept as it is today, saving hundreds of the islands that call the lake their home.
Our second bus was again shrouded in low cloud which is common in this area. We did see some local birds and vegetation including a particularity absorbent moss used in ww1 as a dressing! It is still used today in the horticulture industry for making hanging baskets among other things.
Our viewpoint into Doubtful wasn't quite impressive as we had hoped, only a small opening visible through the cloud. As we got onto our boat however the cloud began to lift and the sun shone through helping to take away some of the chill. They say you never have a bad day here, either you get rain and stunning waterfalls or sun so dry waterfalls but a lovely day.
They're currently in the middle of a 7 seven day drought so we got the latter. The weather was beautiful all day and as the clouds lifted we got a stunning view of the fjords. The snow is also melting at the moment so some of the waterfalls were running but not the thousands they can get after a big downpour.
They get 7-9 metres of rain here a year and the fjords are 450m deep with the top 10 metres fresh water. The high rainfall means they have this layer of fresh water on top of the salty sea water and creating a unique environment. We were shown footage of some beautiful black coral, normally hundreds of metres down, near the surface. It's known for it's rock lobster fishing which is helicopter lifted out to get it back to the mainland nice and fresh.
Due to the calm waters today we were able to head out to the tasman sea and get up close to the local seal colony. We spent 10 minutes or so as they basked in the sunshine. The next island we were able to catch a glimpse of the native penguin. Tiny, so we only saw it briefly but I got a nice shot on my camera. 
As we sailed back into the inlet our skipper talked about the areas history. Captain Cook named it but never actually made it into the sound. He named it doubtful bay due to realising there was a big mass of water but couldn't find an opening to sail through. The Spanish were first to make it up through the sound a few years later after hearing of Cooks adventure and presuming there lay gold in the area!
As we returned into the sound we started to sail into some of the smaller inlets. We were sat with an American couple on honeymoon who are just finishing two weeks in Nz and are now off to Australia. It was lovely being able to swap stories and ideas to help each other with future travels.
With the sun fully out we spent a lovely last hour cruising around the inlets and the captain turned off the engines so we could hear how peaceful the area can be. This wouldn't be possible in Milford!! Returning to the coaches we had a smooth ferry back despite swarms of Sandflies attacking from all angles.
The drive back to Queenstown was spectacular with the sun sinking as we drove. The route was the same as this morning but the clouds had all lifted and we could see for miles. In the foreground were fields of newly sheared sheep, lambs, cattle and week old calves! There were also fields of farmed deer, introduced to the country as a gift form President Roosevelt. In the distance were snow capped mountains and mirrored lakes. Beautiful!
We arrived back in Queenstown just after 7:30 and headed straight back to the van. As I cooked dinner I realised the fridge wasn't on. It turns out it cuts out before the battery runs down, which makes sense! So after dinner, yday leftovers we went for a drive to recharge and also whacked the heaters up to get it nice and cosy for bed which seems to have worked well! 
On reflection today was a beautiful day and while undoubtedly a touristy day it was nice to feel part of something slightly smaller. We were discussing earlier that while travelling so much is about the big sights, the best days are often when you take in smaller unexpected sights. Tin Can Bay Dolphins and Wine and Cheese in the Tamar Valley were both two of the best moments we've had! Then again halong bay and turtle island were both also two of our favourite trips and incredibly touristy!
The clocks spring forward here tomorrow so we lose an hours sleep but gain an hour of light. Invaluable in a campervan where everything is 10x harder in the dark!
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