We spent the last two days at the Fjordlands National Park which is a World Heritage Site protected by New Zealand and UN authorities. The Fjordlands were glacier created starting over 2 million years ago. There are seven fjords in the Park averaging about 900 feet deep and the mountains rise vertically from the water surface to about 4000 feet. The fjordlands were first charted by Capt. Cook in 1773. Doubtful Sound which we explored on an overnight cruise aboard the Fjordland Navigator with 65 other passengers was first charted in 1793 by Capt Malaspina a Spanish explorer.
Doubtful Sound is total wilderness. We reached it after a 3 hour coach ride (stopping for a look at the Kingston Flyer enroute) then connecting to a 50 minute ferry ride across Maunupori Lake to another 50 minute bus ride to Deep Cove at the end of Doubtful Sound where we boarded the Fjordland Navigator. In two days we saw only 7 kayakers and two other boats. Doubtful is in a rain forest and averages 212" of rain per year. The total park has 120 miles of shoreline and encompasses 2.6 million acres.
Since discovery and prior to Park status in 1912 the fjordlands were a source of fur seals, gold mining and timber.
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