Kayaking Doubtful Sound
Doubtful Sound (25th - 27th Jan)
5pm on 24th Jan we have our meeting with Bill at the Fiordland Wilderness Experience
headquarters - His home! We're told about the sandflies, the rain and the ablution etiquette in the camps. We're up at 5am and meet our guide Will and our fellow kayakers - all are very nice. One of them is from St Albans. His sister used to own a restaurant on the high street. She's great friends of Robert and Sophie Shillinglaw and we've met her! It's a small world.
After a fab trip we arrive at Deep Cove the head of Doubtful Sound. Will hands out our kit - long sleeved top, wet suit, fleece, wind proof jacket, life jacket, sun hat, wet suit gloves! I'm guessing it could get really cold and wet. We're told to keep our socks on even in the kayak, to stop the sneaky sandflies who get in under the spray deck wanting a free ride.
After much faffing we're on the water. Nik is in the back controlling the steering with foot peddles. I'm in the front supposedly in control of the pace. Wow it's so beautiful (check out the photos).
Sandflies ... never heard of them before coming to ENZED. Never really experienced them till coming to Doubtful Sound. They're right little bastards. Or should I say bitches ... coz it's only the females that bite. Not that if there's one on me I'll check out what sex it is before trying to kill it. They're worse than mosquitoes - on the scratch factor scale their bites are more itchy and they last longer. They other down side is they run covert operations. Unlike mosquitoes you can't hear them when they're around. Sandflies are silent. No buzzing noise. No warning. Just a painful bite.
Hawaii 5-0
We should have explained Caity and I are in a double kayak. You'll spot us at the back of the group. That's cos we're slow at kayaking. However ... we can and do put on a turn of speed every so often to catch up. We have a secret codename that signals it's time to speed up. We call it
"H-5-0ing" as in doing a Hawaii - 5 - 0. The way it works is you imagine yourself as one of the blokes in the opening credits of the show and more importantly hum the theme tune over and over in the back of your head. Works every time.
It's our third and final day on Doubtful Sound and a pod of dolphins has just swum right by us.
Also - seals, blue penguins and another small pod of dolphins!
5pm on 24th Jan we have our meeting with Bill at the Fiordland Wilderness Experience
headquarters - His home! We're told about the sandflies, the rain and the ablution etiquette in the camps. We're up at 5am and meet our guide Will and our fellow kayakers - all are very nice. One of them is from St Albans. His sister used to own a restaurant on the high street. She's great friends of Robert and Sophie Shillinglaw and we've met her! It's a small world.After a fab trip we arrive at Deep Cove the head of Doubtful Sound. Will hands out our kit - long sleeved top, wet suit, fleece, wind proof jacket, life jacket, sun hat, wet suit gloves! I'm guessing it could get really cold and wet. We're told to keep our socks on even in the kayak, to stop the sneaky sandflies who get in under the spray deck wanting a free ride.
After much faffing we're on the water. Nik is in the back controlling the steering with foot peddles. I'm in the front supposedly in control of the pace. Wow it's so beautiful (check out the photos).Sandflies ... never heard of them before coming to ENZED. Never really experienced them till coming to Doubtful Sound. They're right little bastards. Or should I say bitches ... coz it's only the females that bite. Not that if there's one on me I'll check out what sex it is before trying to kill it. They're worse than mosquitoes - on the scratch factor scale their bites are more itchy and they last longer. They other down side is they run covert operations. Unlike mosquitoes you can't hear them when they're around. Sandflies are silent. No buzzing noise. No warning. Just a painful bite.
Hawaii 5-0
We should have explained Caity and I are in a double kayak. You'll spot us at the back of the group. That's cos we're slow at kayaking. However ... we can and do put on a turn of speed every so often to catch up. We have a secret codename that signals it's time to speed up. We call it
"H-5-0ing" as in doing a Hawaii - 5 - 0. The way it works is you imagine yourself as one of the blokes in the opening credits of the show and more importantly hum the theme tune over and over in the back of your head. Works every time.
It's our third and final day on Doubtful Sound and a pod of dolphins has just swum right by us.
Also - seals, blue penguins and another small pod of dolphins!
posted by Caity Bev at
7:04 PM
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