“On a Mish” #219 While the World Fell Apart (Part Four). Patea / Doubtful Sound. Aotearoa. 23.3.2020. A huge benefit to working in remote locations is the lack of phone coverage. This means the real world can wait until you return. As staff we would be told about major events, but apart from that whatever happened outside of wild Fiordland remained a mystery until coverage, and news, came flooding in. Ironically I was only visiting Fiordland when the world fell apart, and the real impact of a global virus was going to really hit home once we finished our Patea / Doubtful Sound mish…
Perfect weather in Fiordland is whatever the weather is doing while you are there! But if you did want to get picky then, when it comes to a trip on the Fiordland Navigator, have sunny weather on your first day then liquid sunshine on the second. This is exactly what we had when we visited. It was as if the world knew I needed an epic on my last trip on the boat that I used to work, and also got injured, on.
With the sun bearing down on us we cruised to Crooked Arm and prepared ourselves for kayaking. I knew paddling a boat was going to be tough on my back and hip, however I knew how awesome the experience of being down at water level really was. After being helped into my kayak I paddled out into paradise, and once the Navigator had steamed away we got a chance to take in the ‘real’ Fiordland.
Crooked Arm is one of my most favourite parts of the area, with its colossal cliffs towering into the sky above. The lofty mountains make the huge boat seem like a worm compared to a Woolly Mammoth. Like in lots of different places here, ‘BIG’ is a huge understatement, and if you get yourself into a kayak the place seems even bigger!
After our adventure on the water we went for a quick swim and the cool water was quite relieving on my hip, which was hurting after the kayak trip. After drying out it was time for our first feed (soup), which we ate while cruising out to the Seal colony at the entrance to the fiord.
The mix of activities is perfectly blended in with cruising the fiord. Just as you start to get slightly settled, another awesome opportunity rears its head. Getting bored isn’t possible, and this is still the case if you just spend your time onboard the Navigator.
The sights were powerful and made me really miss my old life cruising around the pristine area. Little did I know that soon no one would be cruising anywhere…
