Philosateleia
Kevin Blackston
PO Box 217
Floresville TX 78114-0217
United States of America

Doubtful Sound

South Island, New Zealand

When Captain James Cook sailed past the fjord now known as Doubtful Sound near the southwest corner of the South Island, he named it Doubtful Harbor because he feared he would not be able to sail out safely if he entered.1 Modern cruise ship operators have no such qualms, however, and overnight cruises are one of the most popular ways to see this remote part of New Zealand.2

Indeed, visitors wanting to catch a glimpse of the country’s deepest and second-longest fjord have little choice but to travel by boat since there are no roads in the area. That isolation has helped Doubtful Sound maintain a certain unspoiled quality, and seals, penguins, and dolphins abound.3

Doubtful Sound is sometimes referred to as “the Sound of Silence”—an almost oxymoronic title thanks to the multiple meanings of “sound” in the English language.

80-cent New Zealand postage stamp picturing Doubtful Sound off the South Island
Doubtful Sound

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References

  1. Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound? Switchback Travel. Accessed 2 Aug. 2013.
  2. Doubtful Sound. 100% Pure New Zealand. Accessed 2 Aug. 2013.
  3. Doubtful Sound. Fiordland. Accessed 2 Aug. 2013.

Published 2018-06-18