I will sit right down
David Bowie
Waiting for the gift of sound and vision.
Awoke around seven-fifteen and went to the window to see if it was nearly sunrise. The sea looked very choppy and there was lots of spray, and the rolling clouds showed shades of grey, pink and purple with a pre-sunrise orange glow at the horizon. “Red sky in the morning is a shepherd’s warning”.
We went back to bed for another half-hour, then woke up hoping to see the sunshine. Imagine our disappointment when all we could see was dark grey, turbulent clouds, squally rain and plenty of white horses on a choppy sea. Today of all days we had wanted the weather to be perfect. 🙁
We were due to enter Dusky Sound at around 8.30am until about 10.15am and, having looked at photos of Dusky Sound (and the other famous Sounds) on the internet we had seen hundreds of images of clear blue skies with majestic mountains reflected perfectly on the flawless blue seas. Enter ‘Dusky Sound’ into Google images now; you’ll see what I mean.
We really hoped the weather would improve as the day went on, as this was supposed to be a major highlight of the cruise.
We had our breakfast in the Ocean View as usual. The motion of the Edge was quite discernible; in fact, it was the first we had felt really as the Pacific Ocean had been very calm up to now. As we sat there at our table near the stern, we could see people moving around on deck and all were wrapped up in coats, scarves and hats. The way people were holding firmly onto their hoods and hats while staggering around in an ungainly manner told us there were very strong winds outside.
We returned to 3142 and I donned my trainers and socks, puffa jacket and woolly hat. As we made our way to the lift to Deck 15, hoards of similarly-clad people were heading in the same direction. As we arrived at the top deck and stepped outside, the wind nearly blew me off my feet. 🙁
Dusky Sound, also known by its Maori name of Tamatea, is the longest of the three famous sounds at 40km long and 8km at its widest point. Many steep cliffs with waterfalls tower over the fjord and it is a haven for birds and other wildlife such as seals and dolphins, if were lucky enough to spot any.
On both side of the ship mountains rose up around us as the Edge sailed slowly down the fjord. But the ponderous low cloud hid the tops of the mountains and filled the air with an unpleasant, damp mist. I tried not to let myself get too despondent, but it was difficult when I knew my photos would bear no resemblance to the wonderful photos I had seen on the internet.
In addition, it was difficult to get a good, unimpeded vantage point on the ship from which to take photos. As I’ve already mentioned, the bow area and observation lounge was restricted only to those passengers travelling Retreat class so I couldn’t get the usual iconic photo of beautiful scenery with the ship’s bow in the foreground. Another hindrance was the eight foot tall perspex barriers that surrounded all sides of the ship; these were wind- and rain-spotted so you couldn’t get a clear view through them. I had to put my camera out through any gaps I could find and try to get a good angle; difficult sometimes when the Magic Carpet stuck out of the side of the vessel like a sore thumb. Oh dear – what a let down.
As we walked around to the stern we saw that they were giving away free Buck’s Fizz and Bloody Marys and people were getting their photos taken, holding up their glasses against the mountainous backdrop. Looking at the scenery and the sky, I noticed that the clouds formed their own unique patterns and the light seemed to change depending where on the ship you were standing. The mountains in the foreground were more defined but the ones behind them were blurry and less distinct; it did all seem to add to the effect when you took the time to look closely. Maybe I might get some decent photos after all. 🙂
Around 10.15am the mountains thinned out and we headed more for the open sea once again. According to the approximate timings we had been given, we should enter Doubtful Sound from 11.45am until one-fifteen, so we decided to go into the warmth of the ship’s interior, have a cup of coffee, and see what else was going on around the vessel. 🙂
As the morning progressed, the weather did not improve at all. The wind and choppy sea seemed to be the dominant factor as well as intermittent squally showers; at least it wasn’t continuously raining. Looking hopefully at the cloudy sky, we tried to find a blue patch or at least a brighter area which indicated that the sun might get out. It was not to be; in fact, it looked even duller and greyer than it had been earlier on. We learned later that, in fact, that weather is more typical in Doubtful Sound than that depicted in the online photos I had seen. This cheered me up a little bit. 🙂
As we sailed into the Sound it was indeed dull, grey and misty. In fact, my photos looked as if they had been taken in black and white, which was not the case.
Doubtful Sound was named ‘Doubtful Harbour’ in 1770 by Captain Cook, who did not enter the inlet as he was doubtful whether it was navigable under sail. It was later renamed Doubtful Sound by whalers and sealers, although it is not technically a sound but a fiord.
But what’s the difference? What is a sound? Like a fjord, a sound is a valley that has been filled with sea water. However, a sound is usually formed by the flooding of a river valley, not a glacial valley. This means that the topography is usually less narrow and more gently sloping than a fjord and in most cases is no less spectacular.
Looking ahead of us, we could see that the sky did look somewhat brighter, so we eagerly did our best to get a good vantage point. In fact, going onto the Magic Carpet provided us with decent views, as the perspex guard fence was not as high there. 🙂
It was around 1.30pm when the Edge left the sound and entered the open sea once again. We had a few hours before we reached the arguably most beautiful of the three sounds – the famous Milford Sound.
As we’d had a fairly substantial breakfast, we didn’t really want any lunch, so we decided to go along to the Grand Plaza, perch on a bar stool, and partake of one or two of their indulgent piña coladas, while listening to the music of one of the excellent resident bands, the Night Lights. Afterwards, we returned to 3142 for an afternoon power nap and to recharge our batteries ready for our visit to Milford Sound at approximately 4.30pm.
Getting wrapped up once more before heading back to the top deck, we looked out of our window. Did we see blue skies and sunshine? Did we ‘eck as like! With a little hope and lot of imagination we fancied we saw some brighter patches in the sky, the odd shaft of sunlight peeking through. Up we went to Deck 15 to see.
Walking all around the deck, we marvelled at the amazing scenery, which constantly changed as the ship slowly moved along; she was only doing about three knots at this stage. Several times the Edge slowed to a halt, then slowly turned around on her own axis so that everyone was able to get a good view of all that Mother Nature had to offer us. While we still had those low, rolling cumulonimbus clouds, the light was ever-changing and there were occasions when the sun would break through for a few minutes; in one instance we gazed on, enthralled, as a brightly-lit path of sunlight highlighted its way across one of the mountains. Spectacular! We suddenly decided that the weather didn’t really matter, the rugged unspoilt beauty of Milford Sound could not be denied. We heard later on that, because this area is known for its choppy seas and high winds, many ships cannot even get into the Sound, so we were lucky to be here. 🙂
Around 5.45pm we decided we’d seen all we wanted, and went back inside. As we’d missed our dinner sitting (again!) we thought the best option would be to go to the Ocean View and sit round the back again, where we’d still be able to see the passing scenery while enjoying our meal. 🙂
So – what was our verdict? We have often been to the Norwegian fjords (and are going again at Christmas!) so the $64,000 question (and one that we are bound to be asked!) was: which is better, the renowned Geirangerfjord in Norway, or Milford Sound? After some consideration, we decided we preferred Norway (and we don’t have as far to go to visit!). 🙂
As we finished our dinner and made our way out of the buffet, we saw that the Edge had reached the open sea once more (the Tasman Sea). With a little pang, we realised it was “farewell New Zealand”, as the ship headed once again for Sydney, where we would arrive in two days’ time. What a fantastic country New Zealand is! We had visited five different cities, each very different, and each with a lot to offer.
In the meantime, we had the rest of the evening to look forward to. We did the usual; went along to The Club to watch whatever game show was being played out, had a couple of drinks, then hotfooted it along to the theatre to bagsy a good seat for the Kiwi singer and musician Will Martin. His show was superb once again and we enjoyed it a lot.
Afterwards, we returned to The Club where they were playing 1960s music to a packed dance floor. Once again the only seats were bar stools, but Trevor and I didn’t mind that as we enjoy a bit of people-watching as we’re having a few drinks, and I like the ambience and atmosphere in The Club anyway.
As usual, it was around midnight when we returned to 3142, where we were confronted by the depressing sight of our disembarkation information and luggage labels. Don’t you just hate it when that happens?
The Tasman Sea seemed a lot calmer now, and we settled down in our massive bed and slept very well after our interesting day.