The sound of silence.

Trip Start Sep 23, 2004
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45
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Trip End Ongoing


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Wednesday, January 3, 2007

After dropping Rick at Queenstown airport, we made our way to Te Anau. This is a pleasant town by the lake, which exists as a service town to Milford and Doubtful Sound. On our first full day we were up and off to Doubtful. We boarded our first boat on Lake Manapouri. I had stayed by the lake before; it is one of my favourite places in New Zealand as it is genuinely quiet and tranquil, and its moods change so dramatically. We started off viewing eerie shadows of mountains through the mist; a really atmospheric vista. As the sun rose and the mist burnt off, the colours began to brighten, blues first then bright greens as the strong sun shone on the mountains and islands around the lake. Our boat sped towards the west arm of the lake, where we disembarked under the myriad cables of the power station. A coach then wound over the lovely and scenic Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove, on Doubtful Sound. The weather was on our side, and we viewed the sounds under clear blue skies. The sounds- really fiords as they were carved by the actions of a glacier, ot a river- were a stunning site; densely forested curving slopes meeting the intense blue-green water, numerous arms, bays and inlets begging for exploration 01 River near Queenstown
01 River near Queenstown
 . First of all we headed to the mouth of the sound. Islands of varying sizes formed nature sanctuaries, teeming with birdlife and native plants. Where the sound met the Tasman Sea we enjoyed the spectacle of dozens of fur seals sunning themselves on rocks and playing in the water. We then headed back into the sound, past numerous waterfalls, to explore a peaceful arm which felt almost untouched. The water hardly rippled away from the waves and wind of the main branch; the reflections in te water were stunning. The captain turned off the engines and somehow, by a minor miracle, the cameras stopped clicking, voices ceased, and even the children stood still. We were enveloped in silence; with no human noise we heard the strange and beautfiul song of the bellbird and the cry of the kaka. It was almost a

It was a shame to return to land. We visited the underground power station, but I would have happily traded a big hole in the ground for more time enjoying the natural beauty of the sounds. We headed back across Lake Manapouri, this time sparkling in the afternoon sunshine.
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