Fiordland National Park

Discovery Cruises

Fiordland's landscape is magnificent.

Mountains rise straight from the sea. Lush rainforest, hidden waterways and a variety of native and endemic wildlife make an incredible wilderness. Our multi-day Discovery Cruises will take you to fiords that are inaccessible by road and are virtually untouched by human hands.

In Fiordland, we have two cruise options for you to consider during our winter season:

Dusky Sound Discovery Cruise (5 days)

From Manapouri
For five breathtaking days you will explore three of New Zealand’s most stunning fiords - Doubtful, Breaksea and Dusky Sounds. Doubtful Sound is spectacularly steep and is known for its wildlife, including fur seals and a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins.

Further south, Breaksea and Dusky Sounds are two incredibly beautiful fiords. With more than 350 islands, they offer many idyllic spots for mooring and trips ashore. View the island sanctuary set aside by New Zealand’s first conservationist Richard Henry and follow in the footsteps of Captain Cook’s visit in 1773.

Preservation Inlet Discovery Cruise (7 days)

From Manapouri
Enjoy all the highlights of the Dusky Sound Discovery Cruise and then travel further south to Chalky and Preservation Inlets. This Discovery Cruise includes a spectacular one-way scenic helicopter flight between Lake Manapouri and Preservation Inlet to increase our exploration time.

The wind-swept coastlines and grand sweeping beaches of New Zealand’s southernmost fiords are remote and seldom visited. In the past, the natural harbours in this area attracted early whalers and miners. Only a few traces of their attempts to tame the landscape still remain.

The vessel – Milford Wanderer

Just because you’re escaping civilisation doesn’t mean you have to go without its comforts. Our vessel, the Milford Wanderer, is a modern motorised vessel that has been purpose built for navigating southern New Zealand. Designed along the lines of a traditional sailing scow, it has old world charm combined with modern facilities and the latest in safety equipment.

• 34 passengers per departure
• Specialist nature guides 
• Warm, comfortable accommodation (two passengers per sleeping compartment - vessel layout) 
• Duvets, sheets and towels provided
• Modern bathroom facilities with hot showers 
• Hearty meals prepared by onboard chef 
• Open bridge policy - chat with the skipper during the voyage
• Kayaks and small motorised craft available for passenger use

Our passengers

Discovery Cruises attract people of all ages. All you need is an average level of fitness, a love of the outdoors and a sense of adventure. As a rough guide, you need to be physically fit enough to comfortably climb a flight of steep stairs.

“New friendships are made quickly on board. There’s a sense of eager anticipation – of sharing a real adventure. Everyone has chosen to cruise the southern latitudes rather than the South Pacific.”
Quote from past passenger.