This was a trip from our buckert list. For some time we have wanted to cruise the southern fiords and also see some of the historic sites for Captain Cook, the early sealers and Richard Henry.

Our trip started with the boat trip across Lake Manapouri, a visit to the power station then by bus to Doubtful Sound where we joined our boat and set out exploring Doubtful Sound. Next was Breaksea Sound where we went to the head of Vancouver Arm.

We then went through the Acheron Passage to Dusky Sound. going first to Wet Jacket Arm then Cascade Cove and to the head of Supper Cove. Richard Henry lived on Pigeon Island from 1894-1909 capturing native birds and releasing them on the predator free Resolution Island. We saw the remains of his house and the punga bird enclosure. We also visited Facile Harbour and The Basin.

Captian Cook anchored in Dusky Sound at Pickersgill Harbour in 1773 staying 5 weeks to replenish the Resolution. Tree stumps on Astronomers Point still remain visible today.

We paid a couple of visits to Anchor Island were early sealers built the first European house and boat in New Zealand. We walked from one side of the island to the other looking for signs of former occupation.

Leaving Dusky Sound we headed south to Chalky Inlet and Cunaris Sound. and visited the wreck of the ss Stella before heading to Preservation Inlet were we visited Puysegur Point lighthouse, Sealers Beach and the site of the old gold and silver mine in Isthmus Sound. Our trip ended with a helicopter flight out to Clifton and a bus trip to Invercargill.

Have a look at the panorama photos taken during our time in the Fiords - click the Southern Fiords links on the left hand side of the panorama page.

From our camping spot near Lake Sylvan we made a number of day trips. The Rockburn Chasm is a fascinating place. We used our pack rafts to go up into the chasm then we rafted down the Dart River back to our campsite.

Another day trip was into the Beansburn Flats about a couple of hours up the Beansburn. To cross the Dart we again used our pack rafts.

On the way home we took a side trip up the Ahuriri Valley, taking the caravan as far as the Ahuriri Base hut. From ther we did a day trip up Canyon Creek

We spent a couple of months in Central Otago and Aspiring National Park exploring some of the back roads and doing short hikes.

Moke Lake is pleasant camping place. While there we revisited Stewarts Creek off the Moonlight River where we had camped with an old gold miner some 25 years before.

From the campsite at Lake Sylvan we did a day walk up the Routeburn to Harris Saddle and back in somewhat damp conditions.

A jet boat trip up the Wilkin River, a walk up to Siberia Hut to spend a couple of nights and a day trip to Gillespie Pass and back. The return trip was made catching the Siberia plane back to Makarora.

We enjoyed another couple of days spent in the West Matukituki valley West Matukituki valley. Here we climbed to the bushline on the Cascade Saddle Route and also went into the Rob Roy valley to see the glacier.

The Mavora Lakes are a beautiful spot situated between Queenstown and Lake Te Anau . We spent four days there in April 2006 and ten days camping in the Eglinton Valley which is about half way between Lake Te Anau and Milford Sound.

A short trip in the eastern Wangapeka Track and a climb up onto Biggs Tops in cloudy weather.

Photos from a couple of trips into Lees Creek This is a pleasant tramp in the Nelson Lakes National Park.