A Fiordland adventure hiking the Hollyford track and overnighting on a Doubtful Sound cruise

Wanting to travel to New Zealand and explore some of its remote beauty? Journey with us to this rugged spot on the wild southwest corner of Aotearoa. We hike the gnarly Hollyford track over 5 days. We navigate wire rope suspended bridges, clamber over trees, ford creeks and rivers, and take in the scenery of this remote and beautiful spot. At the end of the track we wander around a seal colony before taking a helicopter flight over the rugged Southern Alps. We hitch a joyride on a Milford Sound jet boat before heading back to our 'home base' in Te Anau. The Fiordland adventure continues with an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sounds. We collect lobsters, kayak, catch some blue cod, and see seals and the rare Fiordland Crested Penguin. 0:00 Adventure highlights 0:20 Flying and TrackNet shuttling 0:32 Starting the Hollyford Track tramp 0:43 Hidden Falls (you can't see it) 1:10 Squeezing through spaces with full packs 2:08 A dip in Lake Alabaster 2:38 Day 2: a tough day hiking Lake Alabaster to Demon Trail Hut 3:05 A foreboding 3-wire bridge (optional) 3:33 Demon Trail track report ('A' for effort required) 4:00 Another 3-wire bridge (getting less optional now) 4:33 At home in the cosy Demon Trail hut 4:56 Lake McKerrow stunning views and birdsong 5:23 Day 3 body status reports (mixed reviews) 6:01 High wire bridge 6:25 Track snacks 7:16 Navigating a fall-to-your-death 3-wire bridge 7:40 Hokuri hut and Demon Trail track report 8:05 Hut chores (an exploration of gender roles in modern day tramping) 8:33 A hut to ourselves 8:45 Day 4 Lake McKerrow 9:04 Hokuri river crossing 10:02 Martin's Bay airfield with light rain settling in 10:29 Martin's Bay hut 10:41 Getting up close (but not too close) at an isolated seal colony 11:09 Estuary swim (yes, cold) 11:29 Stunning evening by the wild Tasman coast 11:39 Rendezvous with a helicopter (our exit option for this track) 12:02 Helicopter flight from Martin's Bay to Milford Sound 12:55 Arriving at Milford Sound 13:06 Wild jetboat ride 13:18 Ride back to Te Anau, end of HollyFord adventure 13:34 Traveling to an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound (Lake Manapouri Ferry, Weka, and Kea) 13:53 Our home for the night, Fiordland Secret 14:02 Lobster pot fetching 14:58 Kayaking on Doubtful Sound 15:10 Seal colony and wild Tasman coastline 15:20 Catching blue cod 15:43 End of a Doubtful Sound cruise