Heritage Expeditions - Northern Fiords Explorer Itinerary

Make your way to the designated meeting point in Te Anau then enjoy the scenic drive through the Eglinton Valley to Milford Sound and join Heritage Explorer (times and meeting point will be confirmed with your voyage documents). The Captain and Expedition Leader will be waiting to welcome you aboard Heritage Explorer and show you to your cabin. Settle into life aboard and prepare for the adventure ahead while revelling in the spellbinding scenery of Milford Sound.

Accommodation: Heritage Explorer - 6 Nights

Join your on board expedition naturalists to spot albatross and seabirds as we sail the rich waters of the Fiordland Coast before arriving in the seldom visited yet spectacular waters of Bligh Sound. 

With its crooked ‘Z’ shape you feel at the heart of the Fiordland wilderness when venturing to the head of the fiord at Bounty Haven where the Wild Natives River flows from the mountains above. Of particular interest here is one of Fiordland’s several ‘China Shops’, special zones containing a fragile environment where deep sea life can be viewed closer to the surface than normal due to the darkness created by the brackish water.

After a night enjoying the tranquility of Bligh Sound the expedition navigates to the largest of the Northern Fiords, George Sound. Stretching 26-scenic-kilometres, George Sound is also the longest of the Northern Fiords and with several arms branching from the fiord we have multiple options for exploration. 

However the spectacular sight of Alice Falls flanked by dense forest and tumbling over boulders as it thunders out of Lake Alice at the head of fiord is always a strong draw. It was at the head of George Sound that Wapiti/elk were introduced to New Zealand in 1905, part of the herd being gifted by American president Theodore Roosevelt.

Another rarely explored fiord, Caswell Sound is home to the last physical remains of the 1949 New Zealand–American Fiordland scientific expedition. 

This primitive hut stands on the banks of the Stillwater River and was used while studying the Wapiti/elk herd that were introduced earlier in the century. Tiny Styles Island guards the fiord’s entrance to the Tasman Sea while walks include a nature-filled stroll along Stillwater River towards Lake Marchant. Fishing here is good for those interested in securing tonight’s dinner.

Today the exploration of the southernmost of the northern fiords is on the agenda. Flanked by steep mountains including Mount Napier and Command Peak, Nancy Sound was likely named after the vessel Nancy by Captain John Grono, one of the early sealing captains to explore Fiordland. 

Nancy Sound’s unusual leg shape was not lost on those who named it bestowing the section it turns at right angles to the north Foot Arm, which dutifully moves into Heel Cove and Toe Cove. Leg Head and Bend Point were similarly literally named. At nearby Charles Sound, the fiord branches into Emelius and Gold Arms at its head with Gold Arm being home to one of the most extensive marine reserves in the inner fiords (Kahukura Marine Reserve) while other sections are included in the Taumoana Marine Reserve. Your Captain and Expedition Leader will find a suitably sheltered anchorage for Heritage Explorer where activities could include kayaking or joining your expedition guides in a coastal exploration by Zodiac.

A short sail southwards brings the expedition to the extensive sheltered waters of Thompson Sound. Initially scouted for sheep farming suitability by early settlers in the 1850s, it is also the location of Secretary Island.

 This iconic site in New Zealand conservation history and an important translocation site for native birds after becoming predator free in 2008. You then explore some of the most spectacular scenery in all of Fiordland – Doubtful Sound, or the ‘sound of silence’ as it’s also known. Spanning some staggering 40-kilometres and holding the title as New Zealand’s deepest fiord, Doubtful Sound with its cloud-scraping wilderness cloaked mountains, sheer stone cliffs, waterfalls, inlets, quiet coves and wildlife presents nature on a scale so grand it’s off the chart. Photographic opportunities abound and your time spent here could include ship cruising Blanket Bay, the Shelter Islands, Pandora River, Deas Cove and Open Bay. Enjoy a farewell dinner with the team aboard Heritage Explorer tonight.

This morning the expedition navigates to the very head of Doubtful Sound in Deep Cove home to several waterfalls including Helena and Lady Alice Falls. After a final breakfast and farewells, head ashore where a transfer to Te Anau, via the picturesque Wilmot Pass, the road constructed as part of the Manapouri hydro scheme, awaits. 

In case of unexpected delays, it's advised not to book any onward travel from Te Anau until after 3:00pm this afternoon.

During the voyage, circumstances may make it necessary or desirable to deviate from the proposed itinerary. This can include weather and opportunities for making unplanned excursions. Your Expedition Leader will keep you fully informed. Voyages.

Price Excludes: All items of a personal nature, laundry, domestic flights, extensions and travel insurance.