Were are off to Doubtful Sound today so got up at 6 o'clock and had breakfast in the hotel, before being picked up and taken to the bus for our trip. Each stage was better than the one before, travelling along southern part of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains south of it, crossing lake Manapouri and visiting the underground HEP station, crossing Wilmot's Pass and then our trip on Doubtful Sound itself.
Along southern lake Wakatipu
Inside HEP plant. 85% of the energy it produces goes to power an aluminium smelting plant but if it was needed without the aluminium smelting it could supply the whole of South Islands electricity.
The view from Wilmot's Pass looking down on Doubtful Sound. Most people on the trip just went ooh when they saw it.
In the sound was peaceful, it is not very busy like Milford Sound and is labelled a wilderness trip with only one other boat on it. The weather was like yesterday in Queenstown . These were the best two days of the last month here - so we were very lucky. We went right out to the Tasman Sea where we saw a colony of seals on one of the rocks at the entrance to the sound. It was quite choppy out here great stuff.
We didn't see any other wildlife which was a bit disappointing, we had hoped to see penguins as well but had to make do with this fellow on the boat.
All in all a wonderful day we both absolutely loved it.
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