I often get asked about my favourite travel destination or the most beautiful country I’ve visited. In the past, my usual response has been that it's impossible to choose, as every place has its own unique charm and beauty. However, my perspective has recently shifted. After travelling extensively around New Zealand over the past few years, I can confidently say that New Zealand is the most beautiful country in the world—or as Air New Zealand puts it in their safety video, the ‘8th wonder of the world’.
This revelation hit me last week upon returning from Queenstown, where I had the chance to experience a Heritage Explorer cruise on Dusky Sound.
We flew into Queenstown and were then transferred by two-hour coach journey to Te Anau. The next morning we embarked on an early adventure, taking a 20-minute helicopter flight from the Southern Helicopter depot over the ranges to Luncheon Cove, where we landed on the beach in the breathtaking Dusky Sound. From there we were transferred by zodiac to our ship, the Heritage Explorer.
The Heritage Explorer is not your typical cruise ship. It's an expedition vessel with a maximum of 18 passengers and six crew. There are no extravagant features such as stage shows or multiple bars—just a cosy lounge, a dining area and compact yet comfortable cabins. What you do get is an immense amount of knowledge from the experienced expedition crew, access to the bridge and engaging conversations with the captain.
The cruise offered extraordinary opportunities to observe dolphins, fur seals and a variety of birdlife in a level of remoteness and silence that is truly unparalleled. We explored Indian Island with our expedition team, learning about its history, including Captain Cook’s first encounter with the local Māori. We zodiac-cruised along the sounds, spotting New Zealand fur seal pups, oystercatchers, albatrosses and hearing the calls of various birds.
We also landed at Astronomer’s Point, where New Zealand was precisely located on the globe in 1773. The highlight of our journey was watching bottlenose dolphins glide alongside the ship while our guide passionately explained what we were seeing.
At the end of our brief adventure we returned by helicopter to Te Anau before transferring back to Queenstown and home. Although our two-night trip was just a taster of what would normally be a five-night (or longer) cruise, it left me eager to explore even more of New Zealand aboard the Heritage Explorer.
Written by Michelle Downey, Bucketlist Travel, as featured in the Millwater Magazine Sep 2024
Image courtesy F Wardle, Heritage Expeditions
Check out this voyage: Undiscovered Dusky Sound, Cruising Remote Fiordland
