Wednesday 06/04 - Sunday 10/04/11
After 4 nights at Deep Cove we have moved on to Crooked Arm. Our stay in Deep Cove was a chance to get some provisions sent in from Te Anau. Deep Cove is where the tailrace of the tunnel exits which originates in Lake Manapouri and was constructed for the production of electricity mainly to power the Te Wai aluminium smelter in Bluff. Construction started on the project about 1964 and a road was built from West Arm on Lake Manapouri over the Wilmot Pass and down to Deep Cove. This is still the only access today with everything being boated or barged over Lake Manapouri to West Arm and then over the pass. It is quite a tourist attraction and very interesting to go through the power station deep underground accessed by a spiral road two kilometres down to the machine hall where the turbines are located.
At Deep Cove there is a hostel run by a trust and a large number of school groups use this facility. As well as the hostel for school groups there is also a new building with accommodation for about 50 people and can be rented for pretty reasonable sums. Billy, the hostel manager, is a wealth of information and wonderfully friendly and with true southern hospitality invited us up for dinner one night. We thoroughly enjoyed his delicious venison stew followed by dessert with ice cream so it was quite a treat. We also took advantage of the showers and enjoyed a really long hot shower. Our shower on the boat is good and its no problem to get water but we still tend to have quick showers so as not to drain batteries etc.
We decided against going over to Te Anau ourselves when we found out the cost. Real Journeys pretty much have a monopoly on the tourist trade here and while they would take us over the pass and across the lake to Manapouri the one way cost was $75 plus another $15 for the bus to Te Anau. We would have had to stay overnight so we figured for the two of us all up with accommodation and a meal the cost would be upwards of $500 and we can get a fair bit of diesel for that! We did however send in an order for groceries and when these arrived back it was like Christmas unpacking the boxes of goodies – nice to have some fresh vegetables. Our other reason for being here was to see if there was any chance of getting our radar fixed which has been causing a few problems. Unfortunately the technician in Invercargill was away however the diagnosis from our description is that it is probably the magnetron in the unit and it definitely needs a technician to look at it. We will just have to do without it and maybe get it looked at in Nelson or Wellington when we get up that way again.We took a walk to the Helena Falls and the portal of the tunnels from the hydro electric scheme.
Leaving Deep Cove we motored down Hall Arm. At the entrance Commander Peak rises straight up from the water and peak after peak unfolds in front of us as we proceed down the narrowish waterway. Quite spectacular. We returned to the main channel and went past the Browne Falls which cascade from a lake at about 800m elevation down wide swathes of rock.
In crooked Arm the signs of glaciation are very evident with huge hanging valleys and rock faces where you can see the striations scored into huge rock faces where ice has carved a path.
Monday 11/04/2011
Showers appear to be clearing but there must have been quite a bit of rain in the night as the dinghy was fairly deep in water and took a bit of bailing out before we headed ashore. There is a track that runs from this arm to the head of Dagg Sound which on the chart appears to be an easy walk along the flat. We donned our boots and wet weather gear and were hoping to keep our boots clean and dry – what a silly notion.
Just after leaving the dinghy on the flats covered in OiOi (a type of fine reed) and tramping upstream we saw that the track crossed to the other side of the stream. Determined to keep our boots (and feet) dry we built a bridge of driftwood and stones. I don’t think the boy scouts or girl guides would have given us any badges as we still got out feet wet.
Onwards into the beautiful forest with trees dripping with moss and lichens and a good path that followed alongside and sometimes crossed over and back across the stream – more foot wetting slipping off logs or stones as we attempted to get across without landing in the water. Not that we should have bothered because before long the path became a stream which we sloshed our way along. In spite of this we enjoyed the walk and the forest around us was magnificent with huge trees, pretty streams and so much moss and ferns and lichen on the trees that sound is deadened apart from the occasional shrill trilling of a bird. Some of the moss on logs or tree trunks forms perfect rounds that anyone into topiary would love.
After about three quarters of an hour we came out of the trees into an open area which was quite a contrast to the closed in area of trees. High above a waterfall tumbled down from rocky ledges and down a large slip area with boulders and small rocks where small streams found their way down in numerous channels amongst the rocks and under logs. All about the ground was covered in tiny plants, some with tiny red berries, other with purplish pink berries, white mossy type lichens with brown spores at the tips and miniature tufts of flax type grasses.
We climbed up the slope until we could see the head waters of Dagg Sound below us but as the going was tough on the rocks that slipped and slid underfoot we opted to return home.
We reached the dinghy and were mobbed by sandflies – they seemed to be pretty bad in this particular spot and rowing back to the boat was a bit of a mission as we kept swatting around our heads – our particular brand of repellent didn’t seem to faze these guys!
We then up anchored and headed back up Crooked Arm and out into Malaspina Reach which opens out and seems very light and wide after the dark looming peaks in Deep Cove, Hall and Crooked Arms.
Precipice Cove (Mcdonell Island) – a very pretty anchorage with a stern line in place. Incredible reflections all around with trees and grassy areas making the area seem almost park like.
Just watched Navigator (Real Journeys charter vessel) go past to its mooring at the head of Precipice Cove – lit up pretty well and casts a good reflection but the minute it passed beyond the headland all was pitch black again.
Tuesday 12/04/2011
We reluctantly moved out of Precipice Cove and headed for the end of Gaer Arm. This is another stunning bit of scenery.
Jim and Rejane had been here the night before and came over for a cup of tea. We were just seeing them off when a very fast jet engined RIB came speeding up with about 6 commando like clad characters. They looked pretty intimidating but turns out it’s the Fisheries officers. They work hand in hand with the Navy (our navy has to have something to do) and obviously like the element of surprise when boarding boats to inspect for illegal catch as they had the Navy ship out of sight round the corner. Two of them came aboard Gunner and the boat zoomed off to check out Dingo. First impressions are that their get up and general appearance is a little over the top and intimidating with helmets and full face visors, all dressed in black and what looks like body armour, however they were very polite and pleasant and at the end of the day are doing a good job.
After they had checked us out and departed in a roar, we took to the dinghy and headed up the Camelot River which is very beautiful with crystal clear water. Saw a flounder. Went ashore lots of sign of deer.
Wednesday 13/04/2011
Hunters came in early and were dropped off so that put paid to our plans to go exploring up river – don’t fancy getting our heads blown off.
Dolphins feeding just out from where we were anchored and then had them visit us as we moved up the sound.
Stopped at the Blanket bay hotel to fill up with water and burn our rubbish. This is an area on a small island used by the fishermen and at some time in the past was a place where you could purchase fuel and get dive tanks filled but nowadays there are no services.
Fished on the way up Thomson sound. Caught a big seven gill shark 1.5 – 2 metres. Had to cut the line. Couple of nice big blue cod for dinner.
On to Deas Cove for the night. Hunters in here too.
Thursday 14/04/2011
Wind got up a bit in the night as forecast.
Blew fairly hard most of the day but no rain. We had a brief trip ashore to go and have a look at the DoC hut. Some of the crew of Maggie Rose from Takaka area were there.
Friday 15/04/2011
We were awake around 7 and got up and ready to leave. No wind and a bit of sunshine looked promising for a good cruise up to Nancy Sound which is only a short distance of about 4 miles.
It was all happening out there making for a great day with seals jumping, dolphins leaping and spinning, mollymawks gliding and skimming the water.
The entrance to Nancy Sound is quite narrow with rocks to watch out for but no problem on such a fine day. We went a short way down the sound but decided not to go the whole length of the sound as we need to get on towards Milford. We did however try a spot of fishing outside the entrance where Pete caught the first of five sharks all in the 1.5 – 2 metre range. They are really hard work to reel in and take a lot of effort to get to a position where they can be unhooked without getting gnashed by their several rows of needle sharp teeth. A gaff and a pair of strong pliers is what we used to get the hooks out. Sounds a bit gruesome but all of them swum off at high speed when released and should recover. Consequently only one good sized cod for the pan today!
We carried on up the coast for another 4 miles to Charles Sound and after a bit more fishing (sharks again) we gave up and travelled to the top of Emelius Arm for the night. We are anchored alongside a high waterfall and the night is still and perfect.
Saturday 16/04/2011
A beautiful sunny morning to go exploring up the Irene River. At the end of this arm as in many others similar the seabed rises sharply from very deep water to the shallow mud and sandbanks that congregate at the mouth of the river. Large numbers of huge trees rear out of the water and can stop you in your tracks if you happen to hit one of these submerged monsters. The water however was crystal clear although with the morning sun in our eyes it made it hard to see under the water until it was too late to avoid a crash. We motored up river past banks of oi-oi, oyster catchers and seagulls perched on logs and then huge rimu and beech trees with their feet in the water. It was the most incredible ride up this river with reflections that seemed to go on forever and the mirrored scenes seemed almost more perfect than the reality. Peering down into the dark reflections of trees and sky felt like looking into infinity and at times the water was silky smooth like quicksilver. It reminded me of school days when we were allowed to play with a blob of mercury that would shimmer and slide.
We got about 4 kilometres upstream before the water became too shallow and strewn with logs to continue further. Just south of this point there was a huge waterfall emptying into a small tributary overhung with trees that ran into the Irene river. We were able to row up almost to the falls which were quite spectacular dropping into a deep pool. Quite a wind was generated by the falling water and as the morning sun had not yet penetrated into these steep areas it was icy cold. We retreated to the other side of the river where the sun was creating steaming trees and banks and enjoyed the warmth on our backs before heading downstream.
High up on an area clear of trees we could see four Red deer. Two does were on the upper slope and below them a young spiker and a large stag. This is the one that interested Pete and we took Gunner in as close as possible to the bottom of the slide. He soon had his gun out and was checking out the range however at about 300 metres and without telescopic sights it would have been a lucky shot to drop one but he let off a few shots to test it. The stag did a couple of skips which might suggest the bullets were landing close to the target but it didn’t appear to faze them and they kept on grazing. With washing flapping in the breeze on the rigging, they knew we were there but being disguised by the boat and the wind taking our scent away from them they were in no hurry to depart and continued grazing for a half hour or so. At the risk of not getting a clean shot and possibly injuring one of the animals we decided to let them carry on their peaceful life in paradise!
Sunday 17/04/2011
While Pete did some odd jobs around the boat I went for a row around the small islands where we were anchored, enjoying the bird song and the crystal clear water allowing views deep down the smooth rock walls which went straight down to the dark below.
Highlight of the day was our dinner of venison back steaks which we had been maturing for the past fourteen days. It was very tender and delicious along with roast potatoes, kumara and butternut.
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| Don't give the skipper cheek - this is where you land up! |
Forecast was for southwesterlies which was fine for going up the coast but we weren’t sure what the swell would be like – 4 or 5 metres could be pretty uncomfortable if it was close together but we headed out to have a look as it was only a short hop of 3 ½ miles to Caswell Sound. Once out at the Sound entrance the day was looking pretty good and the sea while having a bit of a swell looked fairly benign. We headed out and decided not to stop at Caswell but continue on to George Sound a further 4 ½ miles.
Entering into George Sound hillsides on the outer coasts are covered with dense short bush and trees and it is easy to see the prevailing wind has a huge effect on these hills with the trees all leaning into the hills. The rocks that come down to the waters edge appear much flatter and in slabs compared to Charles Sound where they were more rounded like big boulders. Further up the sound steep hills were scored with ravines dropping in straight lines through the bush creating a sculptured look on the hillsides.
On our way down George Sound we had a look at Anchorage Cove and the Whitewater River valley before heading for the head of the Sound where the Alice Falls cascade into a small inlet.
There is a stern rope laid across the inlet and up to six boats could anchor and tie back on to the sternline. You need to watch out here because the volume of water from the Falls tends to push boats sideways across the inlet if you are not quick getting the sternline attached. We saw there was a yacht already there but as the cove was out of the sun we opted to anchor in the bay so we could get wet washing dried out.
Tuesday 19/04/2011
Heavy rain all day.
Listening to fishermen on the radio can be quite amusing at times – language is certainly colourful with one guy using the f-word in between every second word.
Wednesday 20/04/2011
Rain has stopped and sun is shining – perfect day for a hike up the George Sound track which starts at a lake out of Te Anau and finishes at the George Sound hut. While we were tying up the dinghy at the hut a couple came over from the yacht that was moored near the Alice Falls. Paul and Caroline are from Holland and have been cruising for about 5 years. As the weather was good we arranged to meet up with them later and go walking to make the most of the good weather. We took off up the track to Lake Katherine while they went looking for a track up to the top of Lake Alice at the top of the falls.
The track started out into the forest alongside a river we could hear rushing down a nearby ravine. After all the rain of the previous day it was clear that our boots wouldn’t stay dry for too long especially as the swollen streams had often covered the track. Most of these tracks are not formed in any way but the route is marked with orange triangles nailed to trees. There are many sections which are no more than markers up a stream bed or rock slide. We continued along the path, having to clamber over an area where a very big beech tree had come down and blocked the way, until we came to a three wire bridge across the river. We went across one at a time and continued up the other side of the river for a few kilometres gradually climbing up the sides of the valley. The bush here is slightly different to previous sounds in that there were a lot more pungas (tree ferns) and a lot of varying sized Lancewoods. Also a lot of what I think are Coprosmas covered in ruby like translucent red berries. After about 1 ¾ hours and the going getting pretty tough over boulders and tree roots we came out at the lake nestled below huge peaks. A large slip made a white scar down into the water and all around the mountains were reflected in the translucent tannin coloured water.
After a short stop for a snack we headed back down to the boat for a well earned shower before heading over to visit Paul and Caroline on Giebateau. This couple have been cruising for about 5 years and are certainly not your average cruisers. They shun the “standard” cruising routes and areas and head for some pretty challenging and remote areas. Their yacht is a 41’ Farr designed Beneteau racing hull. They left Holland and headed north nearly to the north pole to Spitsbergen at 79 degrees and some minutes North before they reached solid ice and were unable to go further. From here they sailed around the top of the UK and down the Irish Sea, stopping off at the Gambia on the bulge of Africa, before crossing the Altantic to Brazil and then making their way south to the Falkland Islands, Antarctica and Patagonia. From here they headed west across the Pacific visiting remote islands like Robinson Crusoe island and Easter Island and touching on the southern parts of the Tuamotas before crossing to New Zealand. You can visit their blogsite which I imagine will make much more interesting reading than this one!! www.giebateau.web-log.nl
Thursday 21/04/2011
Very cold this morning – last night the temperature outside was about 5 degrees and it is not warming up much today.
We went over to the Alice Falls to investigate a climb up to the top of the falls by a route which was a dry(ish) ravine running down alongside the main Alice Falls however we had left our hiking boots back at the boat as they were sopping wet from the previous day and we looking at the steep, slime covered rocks we knew we wouldn’t get far in our normal sneakers. We opted instead to take Gunner down to the South West Arm for a look for another anchorage for the night.
We tucked ourselves in behind a small headland where a stream emptied into the head of the cove, dropping the anchor and picking up the stern line that was in place.
Eventually though we decided we should get out and wash our socks and pants which were still wet and muddy from our walk the day before. We slathered on the bug repellent, covered ourselves from head to toe in clothing and put netting over our faces.
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| Correct aspect of rhis photo is turned 90 degrees. |
Friday 22/04/2011
Once again the rain is here, starting during the night and not stopping since. By early afternoon the mountaintops had disappeared into mist and waterfalls appeared all down their flanks, streams become cascading rivers and everything turns to tonal shades of white and black.
Definitely a day for staying inside and boredom must have been setting in as Pete decided to try his hand at making biscuits. They turned out pretty good. This is the trouble with days like this – we stay inside and eat – just as well we had a good walk the day before.
Predictions are for 45 knots of Nor’easterlies tonight which is more than there has been for the last 24 hours so hopefully we are okay in this reasonably sheltered anchorage. Always a bit worrying though as we are dependent on anchors holding and stern lines staying fast.
Just found out that it is Easter! We are out of touch!
Saturday 23/04/2011
Time for a move. Rain is still on and off but the wind has abated so we headed up towards Anchorage Cove. On the way we decided that we would get a weather forecast and then see what the swell looked like at the entrance to the Sound and decide if we could move up the coast. The forecast indicated NW20 with a change to SW15 during the day and it would deteriorate for the next few days after that so we decided to head out and aim for Milford Sound with the option of going into Bligh Sound if it was rough.
Once we were out of the Sound all was good and although the wind and swell remained norwesterly it wasn’t bad and after an hour we passed Bligh entrance and decided to keep going for Milford.
Only thing was that we hadn’t left George until about 2pm so after four hours up the coast we reached Milford as the sun was setting. The whole day had been pretty gloomy with low cloud shrouding the coast and we were not able to see much all the way up.
Not far from the entrance there is Anita Bay which is sometimes used as an anchorage and there is a mooring with a stern line. Our preference was to stay here rather than journeying down the sound in the dark however in the gloom we were unable to find the mooring buoy amongst all the crayfish pots and we didn’t fancy anchoring as there was a big swell rolling into the bay and crashing on the shore.
Our only option at this point was to continue up to Deepwater Basin at the head of the Sound as there are no other anchorages, the water being too deep to anchor.
The night was pitch black, no moon and the mountains loomed high and steep sided all around us. With the radar not being much help we relied on the chart plotter to keep us on track but it was pretty tense feeling our way in the dark. After a slow 2 hour trip down the sound we could see the lights at the head and the flashing white and red at the entrance to the channel to Deepwater Basin which was a welcome relief although getting down the channel was pretty tense as well as there are only a couple of port and starboard markers and these are not lit.
We inched our way down the channel trying to judge where the centre was as on both sides the area dries out with mudbanks.
Seems like the fishing boats that generally would be the only ones silly enough to come in in the dark have huge 400watt lights that light up then entire sound so they don’t worry that the channel markers are not lit.
Once into the basin we headed over to some lights where we could see the fishing boats tied up and found an empty berth.
Sunday 24/04/2011
Woke up to the wonder of Milford Sound. It is incredibly beautiful with amazing peaks surrounding the basin, most of them not under about 1400metres high with others rising over 2000 metres.
More on Milford later.
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