28 Jul 2021

Fiordland Fiord Trifecta

Today was a double fiord day, technically a triple fiord day, as we departed our anchorage in Caswell Sound before sailing to Charles Sound for a morning of exploring. Anchoring Heritage Explorer in the serene Charles Sound the Zodiacs and kayaks were launched on the mirrored surface of the fiord under a snow-capped Mt Irene, shimmering in the early morning sun.

Our exploration of the fiord took us between islands and into sheltered bays and coves where the trees reached across the water's surface dripping with golden moss. Everywhere we turned resulted in more clicks of the camera before we knew it we had been on the water for a couple of hours. Meanwhile the kayakers had explored the nearby islands revelling in the silence and stillness.

The navigation from Charles to Nancy Sound is just a short hop along the coast of about 3 miles, so we were entering through the narrow entrance to Nancy seemingly not long after departing Charles. Sailing along the leg, then foot and finally to the toe of Nancy Sound, we arrived at our anchorage dwarfed the majesty of the surrounding towering peaks. A small party explored the shoreline during the last of the light, and were treated to an encounter with an inquisitive Kea.

Image from file © Heritage Expeditions