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Out in the bay sat Breaksea Girl, at 60 ft this steel ketch was to
provide ample space both above and below deck for our group
of 10. We met skipper and co-owner of Wild Fiordland, Brian
Humphrey, and immediately felt we were in good hands - Brian
is a marine engineer with 10 + years experience sailing in and
around the Sounds. Breaksea Girl is very obviously his and Fi’s
pride and joy. We were also introduced to Kim Reichle who was
not only an amazing chef but shared a wealth of knowledge and
personal experience of NZ flora and fauna with us during our 5
days together. A canadian with a kiwi heart.
Supper Cove was really turning it on for us - not a breath of
wind and the sun was out in full force - so the late morning was
spent exploring the Seaforth River in sea kayaks and making
the most of the fine weather with the traditional leap from the top
deck roof into the cold sound waters. In the afternoon we set off
leaving Supper Cove and cruising the 9 Fathoms Passage, Paget
Passage around the Useless Islands into the Basin where we
anchored for our first night. Looking at a map does not give a true
indication of the vastness of Dusky nor the number of islands,
inlets, bays or coves. At every turn we were treated to scenery
that was mind blowing and a growing sense of how this place
could get under your skin was becoming more apparent.
Our next 4 days were spent exploring the many gems that Dusky
offers. One of the highlights was landing on the hallowed ground
of Pigeon Island at Richard Henry Landing. Little evidence
remains of New Zealand's first wildlife ranger's habitation.
However, with the knowledgeable guidance of Scotty, the story
of Richard Henry, his life on Pigeon Island and the exploits of
the curator and caretaker of Resolution Island beginning in
1894, came to life. Having just cruised the surrounding waters
we developed immense admiration for the resilience Richard
Henry had for the back and forth sailing of his dinghy Putangi.
From 1894 for the next 14 years Henry single-handedly moved
well over 700 birds including roa, kiwi, and kākāpo. He released
most of them onto Resolution Island and Five Fingers Peninsula.
Sadly his efforts ended in despair when stoats swam to the
islands in 1900. He would surely be heartened now, to witness
the successful work undertaken by the Kākāpo Recovery Team
on Anchor Island.
Taking the tender into Pickersgill Harbour and landing to walk
into Astronomer Point was also a highlight. With rata branches
hanging out over the water we could imagine Cook's ship
Resolution backed into the cove and pulled alongside. Notes from
Lieutenant Pickersgill record his finding of this anchorage - ‘After
getting into this passage we opened one of the most inchanting
little Harbours I ever saw; it was surrounded with high Lands
intirely cover’d with tall shady trees rising like an amphitheatre;
and with the sweet swelling Notes of a number of Birds made the
finest Harmony.’
Kim had previously spent time with the Kākāpo Recovery Team
as a volunteer so it was such a pleasure to land on Anchor Island
and venture into Kākāpo country hearing about her first hand
experiences with these delightful and very special taonga. The
walk in from Luncheon Cove to Lake Kirirua took us through bush
with a pre-historic feel and while highly unlikely, the possibility of
coming across a rare Kākāpo was enough to fill us with a quiet air
of anticipation.
Back on board every meal was a culinary delight - the seafood
provided by Scotty’s efforts included crayfish and paua all cooked
to perfection by Kim. Of note is the conservation code adhered
to by Brian. Fi and their crew who operate under a ‘no take-out’
policy with respect to fishing and ultimately practise the ethos of
‘protect and preserve’. Only ever enough kai moana is gathered
to have a feed on that day.
From Dusky we ventured out past Breaksea Island, up the west
coast and into Doubtful Sound. After our last night together we
made our farewells to the crew of Breaksea Girl and headed back
to Te Anau via a bus ride and boat trip across Lake Manapouri.
Our 5 days on Breaksea Girl had been the elixir everyone in our
group of 10 was after. In the footsteps of Cook and his crew we
too ate like kings, got out for decent walks, enjoyed evenings
around the guitar, shared stories, read and at times just sat and
soaked up the surrounding beauty. We came away with a greater
appreciation for Dusky Sound / Tamatea - it’s conservation story
and fascinating history. A very kiwi trip of a lifetime - Dad would
have loved it.
Previous page: The tiny landing platform at Supper Cove - our arrival point in Dusky Sound
Above: Dusky Sound in all its beauty
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