Doubtful Sound

We had nothing scheduled for the day on April 6th, so we drove down to where they shot a LOTR scene from the Anduin River.

We found a local butcher who supplied us with a grass-fed porterhouse and some ground venison which we BBQed on our host's grill.

The next day we had to catch a 10:30 boat to take us to a bus that would take us to the cruise on Doubtful Sound. The experience on this experience was something I never experienced before. Going from one transport device to another was quite an experience. 

The trek through the sound was in calm water, but when we made it to the Tasman Sea, we left the protective boundaries of the fiord and the wind and water got a lot rougher.

A note about the waterfalls in both Milford and Doubtful Sounds. The amount of rainfall has been less than they are used to getting, so there is not much water falling down the falls.

Our bus driver had some useful facts including one about Peter Jackson getting his inspiration for the moving trees, or Ents, from the trees in this forest.

Sunrise from our cottage

View from Doubtful Sound

Fangorn inspiration 

Waterfalls on Doubtful Sound

Tasman Sea

Real blue water

Rough seas

Not human carvings

Water line

Down the valley