If you like getting up close and personal with Mother Nature, you’ll absolutely love this overnight kayaking trip!
Enjoy two full days of guided kayaking in the pristine wilderness of the unspoilt Doubtful Sound, also known as the Sound of Silence. Home to fur seals, bottlenose dolphins and Fiordland Crested Penguins, you’ll explore one of the most remote areas in New Zealand. On top of this, you camp in the ancient podocarp forest with its native birds and lush tree ferns!
With loads of experience operating in this remote wilderness, this is a fantastic small-group overnight kayaking experience.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from this tour:
The early bird catches the worm - or in this case, ventures deep into Doubtful Sound. A short drive brings you from Te Anau to Manapouri, where you board a motorboat. Watch the golden sun rays reach over the mountains, increasingly bathing more and more of the lake into a warm light.
Not long into your boat ride, you’ll reach West Arm. Here, you change over to a bus for the overland part of your journey, a 24km | 15mi drive over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove, the starting point of your kayaking journey.
After some prep and instruction time, you’ll start kayaking into Doubtful Sound. The actual kayaking route is determined by the weather and can change depending on how calm or rough the water is. The experienced guides do everything in their might to ensure your safety along the way. They also scout out the local wildlife for you. With some luck, you can watch NZ Fur Seals sunbathing on the rocks and spot Fiordland Crested Penguins on Rolla Island, their favourite nesting place. Your group might even be accompanied by a pod of frolicking dolphins!
On your first day, you’ll kayak for about 5 hours, broken up into smaller chunks with breaks in between. You’ll set up camp at Hall Arm Camp Site, a small clearing in the ancient podocarp forest, in the middle of nowhere.
After dinner, either stay with your new mates to exchange stories and the highlights of your day. Or you go and sit somewhere by yourself, listening to the sounds of the New Zealand wilderness at night - hear calls of kiwi birds, the morepork (an owl) and the weka (another flightless bird).
Your accommodation: Hall Arm Camp Site - Doubtful Sound
This is a backcountry campsite in western Fiordland. Located in a beautiful forest beside the water, amongst ancient podocarp forest that comes alive at night with the calls of the local birdlife. Relax along the shore as the long southern twilight descends in the fiord and spend some time star-gazing. Bring your own food – The guides supply hot drinks.
The stillness and silence of Hall Arm in the morning, broken only by birdcall, lure you back to your kayaks. As you paddle out of Hall Arm, keep looking out for Doubtful Sound’s resident bottlenose dolphins.
If time and the weather permit, you’ll circle Elizabeth Island and explore Olphert Cove before heading back to Deep Cove with a tailwind. Now that you’re used to your kayak, how about testing out your newly acquired kayaking skills? Or just put the sails up for a cruise trip home.
Fiordland National Park is a massive wilderness area of rugged snow-capped peaks and luxuriant rainforest. It’s one of the wettest places in the world with high annual rainfall and waterfalls that cascade into the deep fiords. Kayaking within this world heritage area is unbeatable - but often encounters a huge variety of weather. With this in mind, we’ve prepared the following list so you’re ready, whatever the weather.
We provide
Please wear your swimsuit or kayaking underwear layer beneath warm clothes/waterproof jacket on pick-up (makes changing into paddling gear easier and quicker). The best way to carry your other gear to the launch point is in a backpack.
On a kayaking trip, you will eat more than usual and there is plenty of storage space on the kayaks. Bring food that is simple but nourishing. Please remove excess packaging and carry food in bags (supermarket cloth bags are ideal).
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The price is based on current exchange rates but is only an approximation. Please contact us for a final price
