New Zealand Sounds and Stewart Island - From Bluff to Bluff

Your journey begins in Queenstown, where you’ll meet your fellow travellers and expedition team at the QT Queenstown hotel (formerly Rydges Lakeside) from 10:30am for check-in and a warm welcome, with tea, coffee and morning tea. From here, we will travel south to Bluff – the southernmost settlement on New Zealand’s mainland and gateway to Stewart Island. Alternatively, bluff pickup can be arranged. Please speak to our reservations team for more information.

You’ll board Coral Adventurer in the afternoon and settle in before setting sail along the rugged southern coastline. This evening, enjoy Captain’s welcome drinks and take in views of Stirling Point, marking the start of your journey.

Known in Mãori mythology as Te Punga o Te Waka – Stewart Island (Rakiura) is New Zealand’s little-known ‘third island’. Apart from the communities on the island, many people never venture to this remote corner of the world.  For the next three days, we will truly connect with nature. Enjoy a guided walk led by the expert guides at the Ulva Bird Sanctuary, which offers a predator-free environment for rare and endangered birds, and visit the remains of the Norwegian Whaling Base. Spend the day on a guided hike on a section of the Rakiura track (conditions permitting) and a local bus tour of Oban and its surrounds.

Optional Extra: Enjoy a scenic flight with an expert pilot taking in the views of Rakiura National Park, the Ruggedy Ranges and a landing on the golden sands of Mason’s Bay.

Spend two days exploring Fiordland National Park, a World Heritage site once described as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. Discover the remote wilderness of Dusky Sound (Tamatea), first sighted by Captain Cook in 1770. With sheer cliffs, tumbling waterfalls, and a dense rainforest reflected in glassy waters, this vast fiord offers spectacular scenery and a rich history. Join our expedition team for zodiac and Xplorer trips to hidden inlets and wildlife colonies. We will then land at Astronomer’s Point, where Cook’s crew once charted the stars. Take part in guided walks, waterfall viewing, kayaking, and a cold-water swim to uncover the true remoteness of this region.

Wake to the silence of Doubtful Sound (Patea), where this deep, long and narrow inlet, with cliffs, has been formed by glacial erosion over millions of years. We are currently in one of New Zealand’s most pristine environments. Cruise past the outer Seal Islands and spot dolphins, fur seals, and possibly the elusive Fiordland crested penguin or join a guided hike between Deas Cove and Neck Cove and take a swim in the cool, clear and shallow waters.

Encounter breathtaking views as we enter the Milford Sound (Piopiotahi), heading towards the famous Stirling Falls. You will have a chance to feel the spray from Stirling Falls and get a close-up view in your designated Zodiacs/Xplorers. Witness the world-famous view of Mitre Peak, rising some 1,682 meters. Its triangular silhouette rises opposite the beautiful Stirling Falls, falling from the top of a 162m-high cliff between two towering ridges into the water’s deep shades of turquoise and emerald.

Spend the day cruising through the Solander Islands (Hautere), a trio of uninhabited volcanic islets that lie just beyond New Zealand’s South Island. Aboard the Endeavour, Captain James Cook spotted the islands in early 1770, and was named after a Swedish scientific crew member on board, Daniel Solander. The islands have only been known to be inhabited briefly due to marooning or shipwreck. With one third of the wildlife on the islands being incredibly rare, it is likely that you will spot fernbirds, snipe and white-fronted terns. The island has been declared an Important Bird Area as it is a breeding site for common diving petrels and Buller’s albatrosses amassing some 5000 pairs.

Prepare for disembarkation as the ship arrives into Bluff Port, followed by farewell to the crew and new-found friends at 8:00 am. Enjoy a complimentary transfer by coach to Queenstown hotels or airport after disembarkation.

This itinerary is an indication of the destinations we visit and activities on offer. Throughout the expedition we may make changes to the itinerary as necessary to maximise your expeditionary experience. Allowances may be made for seasonal variations, weather, tidal conditions, and any other event that may affect the operation of the vessel. Coral Expeditions suggests that you do not arrive on the day of embarkation or depart on the day of disembarkation due to any changes that may occur in scheduling.