Hidden in the south-west corner of New Zealand's South Island, deep in the heart of the Fiordland National Park, lies Doubtful Sound. Ten times larger than Milford Sound it is an unspoilt wilderness of many moods, one minute clear, blue and sun drenched, the next mysterious and mist shrouded. A wild place of dense rainforest, rugged peaks, cascading waterfalls and deep still waters....quiet, serene and green.

Your journey to Doubtful Sound begins as you cruise the crystal clear waters of beautiful island-studded Lake Manapouri.
After disembarking at the West Arm of the lake, you travel by coach down a 2km spiral tunnel to the Manapouri Power Station machine hall, an extraordinary engineering feat location deep beneath the mountain.

You will then travel over Wilmot Pass, a road that took workers two challenging years to carve through the wilderness. There is time to view the colourful alpine opportunities for photos of Doubtful Sound glistening far below amidst range upon range of rainforest draped mountains. At Deep Cove you are back on the water with our nature guides for a three hour, 40km cruise that takes in the most dramatic scenery of Doubtful Sound.

Bottlenose dolphins frequently cavort alongside the Commander Peak, fur seals bask on the Nee Islets at the mouth of the fiord, and at times, the rarest penguins in the world can be observed.

Located in the heart of the South-West World Heritage Area, Doubtful Sound is rich in flora and fauna. Native beech is the predominant tree cover of the rainforest, interspersed with tall conifers such as rimu and totara. Lichens, mosses, ferns and climbers vie for space and light beneath the dense forest canopy. During spring and summer the fruits and flowers of native species including the striking scarlet of the southern rata flowers, punctuate the many shades of green foliage that dominate the forest.

Beneath the water lies a colourful world of corals, anemones, sponges and fish species, a number of which are unique to the southern fiords.

On most cruises, the resident pod of bottlenose dolphins (as mentioned before) choose to interact, providing considerable entertainment. At 45 degrees south, Doubtful Sound is considered to be at the extreme edge of their ecological limits. Shy Fiordland crested and blue penguins are seasonal visitors and a variety of migratory and native birdlife can be observed. Now fully protected, New Zealand fur seals can be seen in quite large numbers.

$1.00 per Doubtful Sound passenger is donated to the New Zealand Whale and Dolphin Trust to assist with bottlenose dolphin research and conservation.