Doubtful Sound is a spectacular introduction to the Fiordland National Park. This park is larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks combined and way more remote and inaccessible. My pictures don't really show the scope and the size of the area. We were surprised at the amount of vegetation and how thick the rainforests are in this area. They measure rainfall by the meter not by the millimeter! In some places they receive 30 meters of rain per year!! Some of my pictures show an area that seems to be devoid of trees. This is where a tree avalanche has taken place. There is no topsoil on these slopes so the p\trees, plants and undergrowth have fibrous roots that entangle with each other. When moss builds up on the limbs to the point where it breaks off, the tree heads down the slope and takes everything in its' path. Pretty amazing!!
This tour actually went out to the Tasman Sea which I didn't expect. Out there on the granite rocks were some seals which we got to watch for a while. Then we headed down a different arm and the dolphins showed up!! Evidently, seeing the dolphins is a 1 in 4 chance!
It was a great day on Doubtful Sound!! We finished the day off at a wonderful Italian restaurant with a Central Otago pinot grigio!!
