24 Nov 2018 - Cruise Day 4: Dusky Sound (via Breaksea Sound)

Dusky Sound is a fiord on the southwest corner of New Zealand, in Fiordland National Park.  The small island below is called Breaksea Island.

We sailed into Breaksea Sound, went round Resolution Island, and reached Dusky Sound at about 3:30pm.

One of the most complex of the many fiords on this coast, Dusky Sound is also one of the largest, 40 kilometres in length and eight kilometres wide at its widest point.

Access to the sound is by sea or air only, with no roads reaching the coast at this point.

A bit of history extracted from Wikipedia.
"It is believed that Māori occasionally camped by the sound's waters while hunting moa in pre-European times.  The inlet was first sighted by Europeans and Captain Cook noted its entrance during his first voyage to New Zealand in 1770. He named it Dusky Bay. On his second expedition he spent two months exploring the sound, and used it as a harbour, establishing workshops and an observatory. It is believed his crew brewed the first beer in New Zealand during his stay. He encountered some Maori with whom he had friendly relations. Later they seemed to have disappeared and it was speculated their countrymen had killed them, perhaps for the presents Cook gave them"

Sailing away from Dusky Sound concluded our cruise through the amazing Fiordland.  From this point, we will be sailing through the southernmost part of New Zealand's South Island and by next morning, we will reach our first Port of Call, Dunedin.

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