A great way to get to Stewart Island. Very professional operators and hospitable crew. Bar on board, plus tea and coffee and great scenery but can be a little rough at times.
A great way to get to Stewart Island. Very professional operators and hospitable crew. Bar on board, plus tea and coffee and great scenery but can be a little rough at times.
Kia Ora Roy E, thanks for taking the time to post your 5 star feedback. Yes, it can be a little rough at times, but then as you mention we are professional and have a very hospitable crew.
We look forward to welcoming you back on board for another trip to Stewart Island.
The team at Stewart Island Experience
This is 1.5 hour ferry ride was very smooth. The skipper was so professional. Interior was very neat and clean. My luggage arrived safely. The scenary was nice as well.
minimize940314, thanks for posting your 5 star review. The ferry on average takes about 1 hour one way. Glad you found everything neat, clean and professional.
The team at Stewart Island Experience
Well we were coming from Duniden by road. By the time we reached it was late night. But could locate Real Journey Visitors Centre next to the Lake and fortunatey it was at walking distance from where we stayed at Kingsgate Hotel.
All the cruise to Lake Te Anau and across the lake to Glow Worm Caves starts from right next to the facility. Hence very convenient.
They are perfect in organizing trips to Milford Sounds and Doubtful sound etc.
As part of our honeymoon we spent 4 nights in Te Anau/Milford Sound and booked 3 tours with Real Journeys.
They seem expensive but with the discount for multiple bookings, the overall experience is ok value - considering the spectacular corner of the world they bring you to.
The first was the glow worms tour in Te Anau. This was really cool, well organised and only took a few hours. It was a boat across lake Te Anau, with some beautiful views. Then we were given a brief talk on the glow worms before heading into the caves. Despite it being dark, in a little boat and in a cave, the tour was really well run and we always felt safe. The glow worms are amazing and look like twinkling stars.
The second tour was the day trip to Doubtful Sound. This was great! The tour starts with a boat across lake Manapouri, a bus ride to the start of the sound and then a long boat tour. It rains about 200 days a year in Fjordland so dont expect clear skies, this rain though creates the spectacular waterfalls in the Sound. Although it was cloudy and wet during our tour, we still got amazing photos. This is a long tour so remember to either book lunch with your tour or bring a lunch with you as there is no cafes in Doubtful Sound!
The third tour we did was the overnight in Milford Sound and it was incredible! Not long after the boat set off the wind and rain picked up and we found ourselves in the middle of a storm. It was remarkable, huge waterfalls were flowing off the rocks and then being blown back up by the wind! The room was really comfortable and we got a great night sleep once the storm blew over. The meals onboard were excellent and you can tell the crew take pride in offering you a great experience. In the morning it was raining again but 4 of us still headed out kayaking and it was great. The best thing about doing Milford Sound overnight is that you get to experience it when no other boats are around, it was getting quite busy again when we arrived back at ~10 the next morning.
We took the real journeys Milford Sound Scenic Cruise tour from Te Anau. The bus trip was very informative (with a Chinese and Japanese interpreter on board too) with several stops to take pictures enroute. The glass roof of the bus was amazing to appreciate the true beauty of the Milford road. The boat cruise was informative & breathtaking seeing the towering snow covered mountains plunge into the sea. We saw a waterfall up close & seals sleeping on the rocks. We all loved the tour including the kids!
The sea conditions on the trip to the island was very rough with large swells running but the skipper made sure we got the smoothest ride possible. The ferry itself was comfortable with plenty of room when seated. Overall impressive!
LXW, it can be a little rough at times, but then, as you mention we are professional and have a very hospitable crew. We look forward to welcoming you back on board for another trip to Stewart Island.
The team at Stewart Island Experience