Gentlemen on a Boat, Ladies off a Bridge

Queenstown, New Zealand
45.0312°S, 168.6626°E 

Last summer Sarah and I told her Uncle John about our trip, including our plans to go to New Zealand. To our surprise (and delight!) we found out that he and his family would be in New Zealand around the same time as us. One of John’s closest friends, George, is from Queenstown and John’s family and a whole crew of other American friends would be over to celebrate George’s 50^th birthday.

As part of the celebration for George’s milestone, a group of his friends arranged a three-day fishing, hunting and diving expedition in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park. The massive park is located in the southwest corner of New Zealand’s South Island, and includes Milford Sound, one of New Zealand’s most well known natural attractions.

The morning after Sarah and I arrived in Queenstown, I set off with nine other guys – a mix of Americans and Kiwis – while Sarah and her sisters (also in New Zealand for George’s big day) would set out on their own adventures. Our group headed south from Queenstown to the town of Te Anau, where we would meet up with our mode of transportation out to our boat charter:

The roughly 20 minute helicopter ride over Fiordland National Park was stunning and our group sat in silent awe as we crossed over the mountains, forests, lakes, and waterfalls from Te Anau to Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound. We knew we were in for an incredibly scenic flight when it started off with our helicopter flying through a rainbow (seriously).

The helicopter landed at a dock in Doubtful Sound, which while larger than Milford Sound is less popular with tourists, but arguably just as beautiful. We met up with our captain Dave, first mate Gene, and the cook who preferred to be called “Auntie.”

Our boat for the trip, the Tutuko, was a 55-foot vessel designed to accommodate several days of fishing, diving, hunting, eating, drinking, and a lot of bullshitting.

The common area was big enough for all of us to relax, eat, etc. at the same time and the sleeping quarters were “cozy” but comfortable. There was a large deck on top of the boat that served as a great platform for enjoying the sun (when it was out) and the views, as well as shooting clay pigeons.

I should add that this wasn’t a mission-less trip. We were tasked with catching as many fish and lobsters as possible to feed the crowd at George’s celebration later in the week. Fortunately, the fishing was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and the recreational fishing rules liberal enough to allow us to come back with a bounty of lobsters, blue cod, tarakihi and even shark.

Over the course of the three days we made our way from Doubtful Sound out past Secretary Island and then headed north to Nancy Sound before making the return trip. The views were incredible the entire time, and we must have seen a hundred different waterfalls over the course of our trip.

The course we took was not as well traveled as many other Fiordland charters, so we only saw a few other boats the entire trip. It really felt like we were a world away from civilization, and the lack of cell service the entire trip only made that feeling more real!

After three days on the water, we were all ready to get back to our family and friends, but not before one last scenic helicopter ride back to Te Anau….

Meanwhile Back In Queenstown…

Sarah’s swan dive off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown was the highlight of her first few days in New Zealand. Bungy jumping is hugely popular in New Zealand, and particularly prevalent in Queenstown, where bungy jumping for the masses began back in the 1980s.

After spending a few days in New Zealand it’s pretty easy to pick up on the great sense of adventure that is part of the Kiwi culture, so its not surprising at all that jumping off bridges for fun got its start here on New Zealand’s South Island.

Here’s what else the girls were up to….

After reconnecting in Queenstown, our group rested up for the big weekend that would include George’s birthday party, a concert at the Queenstown event center, jetboating and Super Bowl 51….