If you haven't had your fill of adventure and natural beauty, move on to Doubtful Sound, a fjord in the southern part of the Fjordland National Park.

The sound was christened by Captain Cook in 1770 when it appeared ‘doubtful’ that the winds in the sound were strong enough to blow his ship back out to sea.The Spaniards entered the Sound in 1793 and some of the islands and Reachs are named after them.

It's bigger than Milford Sound, as beautiful and has very little tourist traffic. Some years ago when a power station was built to harness electricity from the flow of water from Lake Manapouri to Doubtful Sound, a huge environmental debate was sparked off. Ultimately the level of the Lake was not allowed to be raised. Today, Doubtful Sound is very beautifully peaceful and has an abundant marinelife of dolphins, penguins and much more. You can take walks, go kayaking and diving into the deep water to see deep-water species.

Getting There: is easy enough but options are few. Take the Spitfire Shuttle (249 7505) to Doubtful Sound from Invercargill and onto Te Anau. There are also cruises from Lake Manapouri to Doubtful Sound, a part of this journey is done on a bus.

Accommodation: Staying there is not a problem at the few motor parks, lodges, a hostel and some cottages that cater to tourists. But since this is not flooded with tourists all the time, the places are small and place is limited. Booking in advance may be a wise move.

 For detailed country and visitor information, see New Zealand.