Fiordland

We left the catlins driving west along the coast and after a brief stop in Invercargill to check emails etc headed back inland to Manapouri, at the edge of Fiordland national park.

Manapouri is actually the closest settlement with anything vaguely resembling services to the far south west of the south island, even though it is more than 100km from the coast - as the name suggests, Fiordland's deep fiords and lakes coupled with craggy mountains and an extremely wet climate have limited the potential for settlement. The biggest hindrance though is probably the sandflies, who exist here in huge numbers and bite whenever they get the chance!

Manapouri is beautifully situated on the lake of the same name but this wasn't our reason for coming to Fiordland - the real reason was to go sea kayaking on the famously isolated Doubtful Sound - reachable only by sea, walking for several days, or by boat across Lake Manapouri followed by a 20km coach ride over the Wilmot Pass (a stretch of road totally unconnected to any other in NZ). We chose the latter.

 
We kayaked for about 5 hours in a small group of 5 double kayaks plus a guide. To our amazement we covered about 14km and saw only two boats. The 'sound of silence' lived up to its name and the scenery and feeling of isolation were breathtaking.

Update: finally got the photos developed and posted...!

 

In Manapouri we stayed in a funny little campsite but didn't camp because we feared the area's reputation for prodigious amounts of rain. instead we booked a funny little cabin complete with heater and kettle - paradise indeed! The owner had a huge collection of old bangers including a load of old morris minors - some even with british numberplates, bizarrely. however this was not as much fun as the trampolines also present - which we put to good use by bouncing around on like loonies. I think Hannah mentioned earlier that we are easily pleased...!

  
Robin