I have written about this wonderful airline, Wings And Water before. For our 50th anniversary we just had to have a flight into Supper Cove (since we did not quite make it on our walk) and a tour of Dusky Sound and some other beautiful fiords: Breaksea, Dagg, Doubtful, etc.
The flight took approx 2 1/2 hours and cost around $500 each (for five people), though I suspect Kylie gave us a discount as being long-term return customers. Well worth it though whatever the cost, believe me.
Lake Te Anau was a mill pond for our take-off even though the airline had been unable to fly for nearly a week due to bad weather beforehand.
The owners, Kylie and Ivan have a Jack Russell (Digger) just like ours who loves to wile away his time on the jetty communing with a large trout in the lake.
And here comes the plane.
Now taking off with us on our way to Supper Cove.
You can pretend this us taking off too:
NB: Most of these photos were taken through the aircraft’s windows (not ideal) so they might not be as clear as our usual fare.
I include a few video clips Della took so you get a bit of a ‘feel’ of how such an aircraft is like to ride in and how awesome the scenery is out the windows.
For those who have never been in a small aircraft. I hadn’t either until I decided to go to Supper Cove to hunt for moose back in 2000. I am normally terrified of heights. I feel uncomfortable standing on a chair to change a light-bulb! But I was utterly comfortable and relaxed in this plane.
It felt quite safe and no different really than looking out the window of a car (except it moved in three dimensions). I had no tendency to motion sickness even though I do sometimes as a passenger in a car.
Over Brod Bay.
Over Lake Manapouri which some opine to be the most beautiful on NZ.
Approaching Centre Pass (on the route of the Dusky Track which I have walked so many times).
First view of the Seaforth Valley.
Looking down the Seaforth from approx Kintail.
View from approx Loch Marie towards Lake Roe.
Looking down on Supper Cove (facing up-river).
Looking down Dusky Sound from Supper Cove.
The float plane moored at the boat house, Supper Cove.
At the boathouse, Supper Cove. The hut is just behind us in the photo.
Della next to the boat house at Supper Cove. You can see it behind her. There is no boat there anymore – another victim of our nanny states. Once you used to be able to row out onto the fiord for a spot of fishing or across Supper Cove for a bit of hunting – but (our masters spoke): no more.
Obligatory and celebratory Supper Cove Hut verandah photo. How many times have I stood on that wonderful verandah gazing at one of the best views in the world. I yet hope to spend a week there with Della sometime in the future (time and money permitting).
View of Supper Cove/Seaforth River mouth from the hut verandah. I glimpsed a cow moose momentarily near here in 2000 and heard a bull moose call from the verandah. In 2007 there was fresh moose browse and barking within 20 metres of the hut! They are about. Here is a footprint seen within a few hundred metres of the hut on another trip next to my 6″ long glasses case for comparison.
Taking off from Supper Cove, view up the Seaforth River.
Her it is on video. Just near the end you may see a pod of Hector’s Dolphins off the point:
We flew down Dusky Sound all the way to where it joins the sea. Here we are passing a valley on the left, one of the rare spots where you can land in a boat (or where a moose could enter or leave the water – their tracks can often be found in such places),
Some shots were taken out the left hand side of the aeroplane (me) others from the right (Della).
Cooper Island on the left – all the names in Dusky derive from Captain Cook.
Dusky is a veritable fairyland.
Finally we came to Cascade Cove near the mouth of the Fiord, a sheltered bay where Captain Cook set up an observatory in 1770. The log which you can just see lying horizontally over the water near the top of the right cove is purported to be a tree which Cook felled in 1770 to expedite embarking and alighting from the ship to access the observatory. Somehow this seems unlikely but it would be wonderful if true.
From here we flew westwards past Resolution Island and Wet Jacket Arm, over Herrick Creek (where the last moose were shot) and Oki Island. Moose sign has been found here quite recently (this century). Then we traveled on to Breaksea, up Dagg Sound and on to Doubtful. We traversed Doubtful from west to east, peeked into Bradshaw Sound then flew over the pass back into Lake Manapouri.
If you are well-heeled you can cruise these wonderful fiords. There are a number of outfitters who switch you over by helicopter at Supper Cove – so you can see it too without having to walk all the way there yourself. If I was somewhat more sociable I would consider it.
Five Fingers Peninsula, Resolution Island.
Up and over into another Sound.
Breaksea which has a boat moored which I have landed on from a helicopter. There is a similar accommodation at Pickersgill Harbour in Dusky.
A great valley at the head of Breaksea.
Better up close – have to be good deer down there.
Mouth of Doubtful Sound. The quite wonderful Blanket Bay Hotel is down on a small island.
What a gem!
Now to traverse Doubtful Sound traveling west past Campbell’s Kingdom on the left where a moose was reputedly seen (from a helicopter) in 2021.
A fine ‘moose stream’ down there worth checking out.
Campbell’s Kingdom Doubtful Sound.
Over the pass.
West Arm Lake Manapouri
Waiai River
Lake Te Anau Control Gates
Te Anau
Home.
You can pretend this is us landing too:
NB: Fiordland National Park is over a million hectares (and 4% of NZ) of trackless wilderness. We flew over just a small sample of it. (Some other bits in the posts below). Folks who doubt the continued existence of moose there (despite DNA evidence in the last decade) just have no appreciation of how vast the area is, or how impassable the terrain. The moose is a forest animal wholly dependent there on forage of twigs from trees. It almost never emerges from the all encompassing forest.
See Also:
From Dawn to Dusky (Dusky Track Instructions)
Dusky Track 50th Wedding Anniversary Walk
