New Zealand Sounds and Stewart Islands Cruise

Guests arriving early can check in with our team and head to the Rydge’s Lakeland around 10:30am to relax and enjoy light refreshments. A 3-hour complimentary transfer by coach will take you from the hotel to board the Coral Adventurer, docked at Bluff Harbour.  After boarding at 4:00pm, there is time to settle into your stateroom before our 5:00 pm departure towards Stewart Island for overnight anchorage. Take in the sights while enjoying Captain’s welcome drinks and meet your crew and fellow passengers.

Meeting point for Guests

Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown, 38 -54 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown

Open from 10:30am guests can check in with one of our team then head to the Reds Bar to relax and enjoy light food offering and tea / coffee / fruit Juice.

Known in Māori mythology as Te Punga o Te Waka – The Anchor Stone of Maui’s Canoe’ – Stewart Island (Rakiura) is New Zealand’s little known ‘third island’. Apart from the communities on the island, many people never venture to remote Stewart Island. Enjoy a guided walk by the expedition team at the Ulva Bird Sanctuary offering a predator-free environment for rare and endangered birds and visit the remains of the Norwegian Whaling base. Spend the rest of your day embarking on a nature cruise and later visit the Oban Township.

Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage site once described as the Eighth Wonder of the World by author Rudyard Kipling, is characterised by 14 fiords carving through just 215km of coastline. These fiords were carved by glaciers over thousands of years, and you will see waterfalls cascading down the sheer cliffs, rainforest cloaking the steep ridges, and granite peaks reflected in the deep shimmering waters.

These mostly inaccessible and awe-inspiring landscapes were the mysterious source of powerful pounamu (New Zealand Jade), gathered by Māori from the riverbeds and boulders of the South Island – the only place it occurs.  While some European settlers took shelter here, the deep isolation and rugged terrain thwarted all except the toughest from staying. Many of the flora and fauna species have developed in relative isolation, so many of the diverse plants and animals are unique to the area.

Today, we sail into Dusky Sound which is a remote destination inaccessible by road. Dusky sound is the largest and most complex of the Fiordland Sounds. It is also a designated Bird Area for the Fiordland penguins that breed here. Visit the historic Astronomers Point boardwalk where James Cook set up a temporary observatory in 1773 and encounter the fur seals of Luncheon Cove. Guests will have a chance to explore the Cascade Cove followed by some water activities such as using the ships kayaks for a fun paddle or taking a polar dip in the crystal-clear waters. Depart Dusky Sound cruising through the Acheron and Cook’s passages.

Doubtful Sound is the deepest and widest fiord, flanked by towering cliffs and adorned by cascading waterfalls. The stillness and silence of this Fiord is compelling and unforgettable. We will cruise into Doubtful Sound and past the Nee Islets and through ‘the Gut’ and outer Seal colonies where you may spot fur seals lounging on the rocks, and pods of dolphins. If the weather permits, head to nearby Thompson Island and enjoy a walk at Deas Cove.

Encounter breathtaking views as Coral Adventurer enters the Milford Sound, heading towards the famous Stirling Falls. You will have a chance to feel the spray from Stirling Falls  and get a close-up view in your designated Zodiacs/Xplorers. Witness the world-famous view of Mitre Peak, rising some 1,682 meters. Its triangular silhouette rises opposite beautiful Stirling Falls, falling from the top of a 162m high cliff between two towering ridges into the water’s deep shades of turquoise and emerald.

Spend the day transiting through the Solander Islands, with the Māori name Hautere translating to ‘flying wind’, are a trio of uninhabited volcanic islets that lie just beyond New Zealand’s South Island. Aboard the Endeavour, Captain James Cook spotted the islands in early 1770, and was named after a Swedish scientific crew member on board, Daniel Solander. The islands have only been known to be inhabited briefly due to marooning or shipwreck.

With one third of the wildlife on the islands being incredibly rare, it is likely that you will spot fernbirds, snipe and white-fronted terns. The island has been declared an Important Bird Area as it is a breeding site for common diving petrels and Buller’s albatrosses amassing some 5000 pairs.

Prepare for disembarkation as the ship arrives into Bluff Port at 7:00am followed by farewell to the crew and new-found friends at 8:00am. Enjoy a complimentary transfer by coach to Queenstown hotels or airport after disembarkation.

This itinerary is an indication of the destinations we visit and activities on offer. Throughout the expedition we may make changes to the itinerary as necessary to maximise your expeditionary experience. Allowances may be made for seasonal variations, weather, tidal conditions, and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel. Coral Expeditions suggests that you do not arrive on the day of embarkation or depart on the day of disembarkation due to any changes that may occur in scheduling.