Milford and Doubtful

I am fortunate enough to have visited both Milford and Doubtful Sound both of which are located in Fiordland here on the South Island. Milford Sound has been called "the 8th Wonder of the World" and I can certainly see why. I am not aware of any other location where the majesty of untouched wilderness is laid out so plainly. Both sounds owe a great deal of their beauty to the fact that they are completely untouched by humans. Not a single sign or sound of mankind can be detected when the ship slows to a stop. Just imagine no buildings, no roads, and no power lines. There are only mountains, snow, and native bush - although I should not neglect to mention the dolphins, penguins, seals, and numerous species of birds that we saw cruising around the sounds.
The most fun part of visiting Doubtful Sound was the journey there. Our group had to take a bus out to a ferry, which took us across a beautiful still lake. We jumped on a bus on the other side, which took us to another harbor located on Doubtful Sound. Talk about isolation: only a few people live there and everything that they need has to be ferried across the lake. Doubtful Sound didn't have a single view to match the iconic mountain at the beginning of Milford, but Doubtful had plenty more to offer. The cruise through a fraction of Doubtful takes about three hours where as a complete tour of Milford takes only half the time. Its almost possible to get bored of looking at spectacular scenery on the long cruise, almost. Once we were done sailing around the most beautiful place in the world for about three hours we got back on the bus and up the valley we went, across the lake, and back on the bus.
If you ever find yourself on the South Island and only have time to visit one of the two sounds you need to visit Doubtful Sound. It feels less touristy than Milford Sound and offers twice as much time to look at the wonderful snow-capped mountains. If you are traveling New Zealand the way you should be you will take enough time to visit both and never forget the experience. The most important part of your preparations should be offering a sacrifice to the rain gods before you travel (two goats and 4 sparrows should suffice).
Haliee