New Zealand Day 3

Today we had another early start, we were spending the day on a tour to Doubtful Sound. We got to the docks and Lake Manapouri at about 7:30 am, it was only about 20 minutes from Te Anau. The morning was so beautiful, but the sun didn't hang around long.

This is at the docks preparing for our trip.

The boat ride across the lake took over an hour. It was so pretty with the sun shining.

As the sun began to hide...

Then it began to rain, we never went anywhere without our rain jackets. When we got across the lake, we hopped on a bus that took us down from the lake and out to Doubtful Sound.

One stop on the tour, on the way to Doubtful sound was the Manapouri Power Station. Its build way underground, we actually took a bus down into the mountain where we saw the power station. It was interesting to say the least.

Here is a view of the bus we were on down in the tunnel. The drive actually turned that thing around in this spot, it was close.

Looking from the pass down to Doubtful Sound. Beyond those mountains is the open ocean.

We spend the next 3 hours out on the water, all the way out to the ocean and back.

This view is looking back into Doubtful Sound from the ocean. I guess Captain James Cook looked from here and was doubtful that it was navigable very far in his ship. Turns out it went waaaay back there and had more than one channel.

We saw some playful dolphins.

Small Scott got to ride on a weasel like animal called a Stote.

This place was just so different than any place we had ever known. Not very conducive to human life or comfort. Lots of birds though, and apparently stotes.

On the way back across lake Manapouri. Yay, Sun!

Long day, we were glad to be back to Te Anau. We went out to dinner then went to see a movie about Fiordland National Park, it was awesome.