Doubtful Sound / Patea
Patea
Three times the size of Milford Sound and far less crowded, this “sound of silence” fjord is reached by boat across a lake and over a mountain pass, and bottlenose dolphins are often seen here.
Doubtful Sound is about 40 km long, making it the second largest and deepest fjord in Fiordland National Park. Its Māori name, Patea, means “place of silence.” To visit, take a boat across Lake Manapouri from Manapouri township to West Arm, then a bus over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove, where you board a boat for the fjord. A day trip takes about 7–8 hours and costs roughly NZD 280–300. You can also choose an overnight cruise to watch the sunrise over the fjord. Tour boats often switch off their engines deep in the fjord so visitors can experience the silence. Bottlenose dolphins, New Zealand fur seals, and Fiordland penguins are commonly seen.
Opening hours
Daily departures; booking required
Nearby sights
- Kepler Track (Luxmore Hut)
- Lake Manapouri
- Te Anau Bird Sanctuary
- Lake Te Anau & Lakefront
- Te Anau Glowworm Caves
- Milford Track
- Eglinton Valley
- Mirror Lakes