Doubtful Sound is a fjord on the south west corner of New Zealand, close to the smaller but more accessible Milford Sound. The steep hills are known for their hundreds of waterfalls during the rainy season. This fiord is home to one of the southernmost population of bottlenose dolphins. This population is small (56 individuals) and has been drastically declining over the past 6 years. It is common for tour boats to interact with these dolphins.

Doubtful Sound was named 'Doubtful Harbour' by Captain Cook, who did not enter the inlet as he was uncertain whether it was navigable under sail. It was later renamed Doubtful Sound by whalers and sealers.

Access to the sound is either by sea, or by the Wilmot Pass road from the Manapouri Power Station. Most areas of the sound itself are only accessible by sea however, as the road network in this area of New Zealand is sparse or nonexistant, as is the human population.

There are three distinct arms to the sound, which is the site of several large waterfalls, notably Helena Falls at Deep Cove, and the Browne Falls which have a fall of over 600 metres.

Doubtful Sound is unusual in that it contains two distinct layers of water that do not mix. The top few meters is fresh water, fed from the high inflows from the surrounding mountains. Below this is a layer of cold, heavy, saline water from the sea. The difference in Refractive index between these two layers makes it difficult for light to penetrate. Thus, many deep-sea species, such as Black coral will grow in the comparatively shallow depths of the Sound.

Ask Dawn about a day or overnight tour to Doubtful Sound.

The Te Anau Golf Course is one of New Zealand's best kept secrets.  It is a beautifully groomed 18 hole course with spectacular views of the Fiordland National Park and Lake Te Anau from every hole, and it is situated just 5 kms from the Town Centre and right at the front door of Dock Bay Lodge.

Green fee players are very welcome, there are motorised carts available for hire and these can be delivered to the lodge for your convenience.  Imagine playing ten holes, popping home to the lodge for lunch and then continuing your round of golf - this is the relaxed atmosphere that makes golfing here so special.  There is no waiting for a tee time and the course is nearly always available for your use.

Don't forget we have good quality complimentary golf clubs and trundlers for your use.

We can also offer you a very affordable membership which will give you unlimited access to the golf course plus affiliated benefits in New Zealand and overseas.

Dawn and Mark are both keen golfers and we would love to join you for a round.  We also have complimentary clubs available for your use.  Dawn has played representative golf for Otago, Southland and the South Island teams and is also available for some coaching.

If you would like further information regarding upcoming events at the Te Anau Golf Club do contact the club house manager.

Dick Kent

Waiau Rd,  PO Box 4, TE ANAU
Ph: 03 249 7474
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There are many interesting day trip options available around the Te Anau area.  Places such as Key Summit/Routeburn Track, Lake Marian, Hollyford Valley, Gertrude Valley, Eglinton Valley, Dore Pass, Milford Track, Back Valley Forest and the Kepler Track are all easily accessible from Dock Bay Lodge.

Lake Marion is one of my favourites.  It starts about 1 km down the Hollyford Road where you cross the Hollyford River over the swing bridge.  After walking for about 10 minutes through silver beech forest you come across a series of spectacular waterfalls.  The track then gets a bit steeper and is often quite difficult to navigate as it is not as well maintained as some of the Fiordland Tracks but you should reach the top within about an hour and a half.  Lake Marion is above the bushline and offers a very stimulating swim.  On a clear day the reflections on the lake from the Darren Mountains are quite spectacular.

The Key Summit is also a great walk and takes about three hours return.  It starts at the Divide carpark and follows the Routeburn Track for about an hour then branches off for 20 minutes to the Key Summit.  From here you will have panoramic views over the Humbolt and Darren Mountains and possibly even see Lake Marion.

The Hollyford Track is one of New Zealand's best known tramping tracks. Located at the northern edge of Fiordland, in the southwestern South Island, it is unusual among Fiordland's major tracks in that it is largely flat and accessible year-round.

The track is 56 kilometres in length, and takes four days to walk one way. It runs roughly south-north, its southern end being accessible by road 15 kilometres to the east of the Homer Tunnel, and its northern end being at the Tasman Sea coast at Martins Bay, north of Milford Sound.

For most of its path, the track follows the course of the Hollyford River. Features of the track are the two lakes, Lake Alabaster (or Waiwahuika) and Lake McKerrow (or Whakatipu Waitai), the latter being a fiord now cut off from the sea by sediment. The track runs through lowland forest, with views of surrounding mountains. Wildlife visible from the track include seals, penguins, and herons.

You can find out more about the Hollyford Track by visiting the DOC website.

The Routeburn Track is a world-renowned tramping (hiking) track and can be accessed from the Queenstown side of the Southern Alps at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu or the Te Anau side at the Divide north of Te Anau.  The NZ Department of Conservation maintains four huts along the track: Routeburn Flats Hut, Routeburn Falls Hut, Mackenzie Hut, and Howden Hut plus there is an emergency shelter at Harris Saddle.  The track overlaps two National Parks; the Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park's with the border being Harris Saddle.

This area gets much less rain that the Milford Sound and the forests are very different, especially on the eastern side of the saddle, where there are a lot of large pines and other trees, and relatively few ferns.  The track spends a long time on the high ridges around Harris Saddle, with great long distance views in many directions.

Much of the Routeburn Track is also accessible to day hikers, especially Key Summit on the Te Anau side.

You can find out more about the Routeburn track by visiting the DOC website.

The Milford Track is undoubtedly the most famous tramp in New Zealand, an iconic trip in to the heart of Fiordland.  It is a showpiece tramp, embodying all the scenery that makes Fiordland such a tourist draw card.

In the late 1870's NZ was trying hard to attract settlers and the government saw tourism as a means to entice people.  Milford Sound and the Sutherland Falls (at the time thought to be the highest waterfall in the world) were big drawcards.  The trip involved a boat ride from Bluff through treacherous waters around the south coast of the South Island and more than a few ladies and gentlemen lost their lunch.  Local surveyor named Quintin MacKinnon set off up the Clinton Valley with his mate Ernest Mitchell and spent several days living off the land.  On the 16th October 1988 they crossed the pass at the head of the valley (MacKinnon Pass) and thereby established the Milford Track.  Infrastructure developed with the construction of huts at the mouth of the Clinton River, MacKinnon' Hut opposite Neale Burn and Pompolona Camp, sometimes employing prison gangs and private contractors to upgrade the trail.

Blanche Baughan, a New Zealand poet, walked the track in 1908.  Her article for the London magazine, the Spectator, was originally to have been entitled "A Notable Walk", but the title was later embellished by an editor to be "The Finest Walk in the World".  Even these days the title has stuck and around 100 people per day now ply the track.  50% guided staying in the fancy huts with a glass of chardonnay at the end of the day, 50% DOC freedom walkers.

You can find out more about the Milford Track by visiting the DOC website.