In today’s hyper-connected world, I often long for the days before social media and cellphones took over.
But I didn’t realise how much I needed an escape from the digital world until I took a step back in time to discover the untouched wilderness of Fiordland this summer.
Growing up in Gore, I spent a lot of time in TeAnau and Manapouri - and I have so many great memories of long summer days spent on the lakes, swimming, biscuiting and exploring remote beaches with family and friends.
So turning the corner into TeAnau and catching the first glimpse of the lake this summer, after the slightly longer five-hour drive from Oamaru, which I now call home, drummed up some real nostalgia.
DAY ONE
Our four-day trip starts at Te Rua-o-te-moko Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre, where my partner Jak and I pick up our tickets for a tour of Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary. Set on the shores of Lake Te Anau, it’s home to many special birds that can be difficult to spot in the wild - and the guided tour is well worth the $10 ticket price.
I used to love exploring the sanctuary when I was younger - and it’s somewhere I could visit time and time again. Its breeding and rehabilitation programme means there are often new birds to be seen - on this occasion, takahe chicks and kowhiowhio (blue duck) chicks.
After a quick bite to eat at Bao Now Te Anau - a food truck in the heart of the town serving up baos, loaded fries, sushi bowls and dumplings - our next stop is Fiordland Jet for a trip down the Upper Waiau River to Lake Manapouri.
The Upper Waiau River, which flows between Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri, is lined by ancient beech tree forest and is also known as the fictional Anduin River, the great river of Middle Earth, featured in The Lord of the Rings.
While Lex jokes that it is his second day on the job, and he didn’t work yesterday, he actually knows the river better than most people, having done more than 4000 trips up and down it over the years, previously owning the company that is now known as Fiordland Jet.
When we reach Lake Manapouri, we slow down and Lex offers us all cups to drink the crystal clear water straight from the lake, before pulling in to shore. We are guided on a short walk along a section of the Kepler Track before heading back out on the lake to wait for our ride back to Te Anau.
Our pilot, Kylie, welcomes us on board and after a safety briefing we’re up and away.
Kylie owns Wings and Water with her husband Ivan, and worked as a boat driver before obtaining her private and commercial pilot licences. She loves that flying floatplanes combine her skills from both careers, and the business also ticks all of the boxes for Ivan, who loves to fly aerobatics and everything technical. Pre-Covid, he would spend the Te Anau winter working in Australia and China with an aerobatic team doing formation flying and aerobatics at airshows.
Kylie’s love for Fiordland is clear. While she has worked in some beautiful parts of the world - the Antarctic, Greenland and Norway to name a few - she says the 1.2 million hectares of pure wild in her current backyard can’t be beaten.
"It is huge and amazing and I will spend the rest of my life trying to become intimate with the thousands of mountains, lakes and fiords," she said.
Our accommodation, Fiordland Lakeview Motel and Tanara Apartments, is just down the road from Wings and Water’s base. We’re staying in one of the Tanara Deluxe Studio rooms, with superb views of Lake Te Anau - there’s even a double-sided mirror in the bathroom so you can see through your apartment and take in the lake views while you’re showering.
We received incredible service from the moment we stepped in the massive double doors - it’s obvious why it won New Zealand lodge of the year at the Hotel Management 2021 Awards.
Seated in the dining room overlooking Lake Te Anau and into the Fiordland National Park, we start our three-course trust-the-chef menu with confit duck leg dumplings, followed by baked South Island blue cod and pan-seared scallops and dark chocolate brownie and peanut butter cheesecake for dessert.
It is exquisite, as is the lodge - designed with North American techniques, using New Zealand native timbers, the open architecture style reflects the vastness of the national park - and soaking in the views from a hot tub is the perfect way to end the day.
DAY TWO - DOUBTFUL SOUND
We set off for Doubtful Sound early the next morning. There’s no direct road access, so to get there, we take a ferry across Lake Manapouri to West Arm, home to the Manapouri Power Station, which has provided power to Tiwai Point aluminium smelter in Bluff for decades.
From there, we board a van to traverse the Wilmot Pass. Our driver, Shaun, is also our skipper on Fiordland Cruises’ MV Southern Secret.
We arrive at Southern Secret’s mooring at Deep Cove about noon, boarding with a group of eight others. Not long after we’ve set off for our overnight cruise, lunch is served - a huge spread of crayfish, pulled up on the previous day’s cruise, fresh salads and bread.
We’re lucky enough to have a picture-perfect day as we start exploring the environs of Doubtful Sound, cruising under waterfalls and marvelling at the incredible untouched surroundings.
As others continue to fish, three of us choose to launch the kayaks, and paddle along close to shore, experiencing the majesty of Doubtful Sound from water level.
Doubtful Sound was named Patea by Maori settlers. Patea translates as "the place of silence" and cruising around Crooked Arm you can see (and hear) why. On the boat, where there’s no Wi-Fi, television, or cellphone service, the real world seems very far away.
We stop for the night in a calm bay, the misty mountains perfectly reflecting on the water. It feels so ancient and undiscovered.
As well as being a talented chef, Jenny’s knowledge of Doubtful Sound and Fiordland is incredible, and she shares interesting information about the wildlife and history of the area with such passion throughout the trip.
Later we retire to our cabin for the night. The cabins are roomy, each with its own en suite, and lying in bed there is total darkness and silence, with a very gentle rocking, to send us off to sleep.
DAY THREE
We get moving again early the next morning, and before anyone else is up, I sneak upstairs to sit outside and watch the sun come up over the glacier-carved mountains.
Doubtful Sound is home to a range of wildlife - and a sighting of bottlenose dolphins soon after gets everyone even more excited. A large pod of them race to our boat, and put on a show.
It’s a wonderful way to end what has been one of the most magical trips I have ever experienced. From start to finish - the food, the scenery, the wildlife, the crew, the activities - everything was simply amazing.
When we get back to Manapouri, we grab some lunch at The Church, an old church that has been beautifully converted into a restaurant and bar, to fuel up for our bike ride back to Te Anau along the 32km Lake2Lake Cycle Trail.
On returning to our accommodation, we head out for a cocktail at Black Dog Bar and catch the 6pm screening of Ata Whenua/Shadowland at Fiordland Cinema.
It is a cinematic journey, mostly filmed from a helicopter, capturing the region’s awe-inspiring scenery over the four seasons of the year.
Since it was released in 2005, the 32-minute documentary has been playing at least twice daily at the boutique cinema, holding its own alongside Hollywood blockbusters, and is a must-watch for anyone who wants to discover the true scale of the area’s landscape. It’s the closest experience to flying in a helicopter, without actually being in one - and inspires many to book a flight.
Black Dog Bar is also the perfect place for a drink, and its relaxed atmosphere made for a very comfortable end to our evening.
It has always struck me as slightly odd that so many tourists rush in and out of Te Anau, or through on their way to Milford Sound. There’s so much to do and explore along the way, and one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about this trip is slowing down and recharging the batteries after a crazy few months.
DAY FOUR - MILFORD SOUND
To get the most out of our trip to Milford Sound on our last day, we’ve booked a package with Trips & Tramps for a coach ride along the spectacular Milford road, a cruise at Milford Sound and a short walk on the return trip.
We’re picked up from our accommodation in Te Anau by our driver and guide, Geoff, who is eager to share his stories, knowledge and passion for the area. It’s an hour and a-half drive to Milford Sound, but we leave with plenty of time to stop for photos and take in the views before boarding our cruise at 11am, and Geoff’s experience showed in knowing the best places to stop and getting us where we needed to be on time.
A few groups of other people arrive at Milford Sound at the same time as us, but it’s nothing like the usual stream of tourists, and the empty tour bus car park is another sign that Covid-19 has changed the world we live in.
We board our boat for a two-hour cruise of Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea. It’s a beautiful afternoon, so we find a seat outside on the top deck of our Mitre Peak Cruises boat to breathe in the fresh air and get a great view of the waterfalls, mountains and wildlife.
The skipper provides an excellent commentary, highlighting points of interest and sharing interesting information on the history of the area. When we reach the Tasman Sea and turn around, we approach the fiord just as the early European settlers once did. You can see how well-hidden Milford Sound is, and understand why Captain Cook managed to miss the entrance twice.
On the return trip, we get another glimpse of dolphins, and manoeuvre right in close to Fairy Falls - those who are game head to the front of the boat to feel the spray.
Geoff meets us when we get off the cruise, and we jump back in the coach to head back to Te Anau. On the return trip, we’re offered the opportunity to do a scenic walk.
While some opt for a more leisurely stroll, Jak and I commit to getting a bit more of a sweat up, climbing to Key Summit on the Routeburn Track to enjoy panoramic views over mountains and alpine lakes.
From being picked up at the front door of our accommodation to being dropped off at the end the day, this trip was brilliant. We were left feeling as though we had been privileged with a very special experience of the Milford Sound and Milford road that you just can’t get self-driving or on a big tour bus.
Fiordland is a place I could return to time and again, and this trip was a good reminder of how reinvigorated and grounded I feel when I am there. In these Covid-19 times, I’ve never appreciated the importance of those feelings more.
- Rebecca Ryan was hosted by Great South.
