Wendy Haines Travel

04/11/2026

Lovely street art in Bluff NZ

04/11/2026

Are you enjoying following my NZ adventure? Do you like the daily blogs?

04/11/2026

🛳 5 night cruise around Scotland

❤What a beautiful trip for our regular clients

❤ Thank you for booking with us

🌍We can help book your cruise holiday from Scotland to Sydney and everywhere in between!

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04/11/2026

04/11/2026

There’s one thing I’ve found I hate & I wasn’t prepared for it- any ideas???

Guess in the comments 👇

04/11/2026

🇳🇿 New Zealand Adventures – Day 11

The Mystery and Magic of Doubtful Sound 🌧️🦭

Today was all about exploring the remote wilderness of Doubtful Sound, and what an atmospheric experience it was!

Our adventure began with an just under an hour’s coach journey from Te Anau to Manapouri, followed by an hours boat trip across beautiful Lake Manapouri. Then it was back on a coach for the journey over Wilmot Pass to reach Doubtful Sound itself ( about 45mns)

Quite an expedition just to get there!

The scenery was wonderfully moody and mysterious. Mist and low clouds clung to the mountains, sometimes hiding them almost completely, while waterfalls cascaded down the steep, forest-covered cliffs. And there were waterfalls everywhere!

We cruised all the way out towards the Tasman Sea before turning around and making the return journey, enjoying the dramatic scenery from a different perspective.

We spotted a colony of fur seals, which was wonderful, but the most memorable moment came when our captain switched off the engines and asked everyone to remain completely silent and still.

And suddenly, there was this extraordinary sense of peace.

No engine noise, no chatter, no movement. Just us, surrounded by the vast wilderness of Doubtful Sound, with the mist hanging over the mountains.

It was utterly serene.

Sometimes the most powerful travel experiences aren’t about what you see or do, but simply about being somewhere extraordinary and taking a moment to absorb it all.

A packed lunch was included in our tour package, which was handy given how much travelling was involved.

Now for the truthful bad bits! 🤣

The sandflies were absolute little b@*tards! Smothered everyone - Thankfully, we’d covered ourselves up pretty well, but they’re certainly not going to feature on our list of favourite New Zealand wildlife!🦟🦟🦟🦟

And although the scenery was incredible, we weren’t quite so keen on the organised coach element, particularly the getting on and off for photo stops and naughty kids🤨

We’ve become rather fond of having our own wheels, stopping when we want, staying longer when something catches our eye and changing our plans on a whim.

It’s reminded us why we love independent travel so much.

Of course, Doubtful Sound is somewhere you can’t simply drive to, so the organised excursion was necessary and absolutely worth doing.

Today’s verdict? Spectacular scenery, fabulous wildlife, waterfalls galore and an unforgettable atmosphere. But give us the freedom of the open road any day!

Another wonderful chapter in our New Zealand adventure. 🇳🇿❤️

03/11/2026

🇳🇿 New Zealand Adventures – Day 10
Milford Sound to Te Anau

After an unforgettable night aboard our little yacht in Milford Sound, we woke up surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable.

We were treated to more wonderful wildlife sightings, including fur seals and Fiordland crested penguins swimming through the water at quite a speed! Far too quick for me to get decent photographs, but what a privilege to see them in their natural habitat.

Then it was time to say goodbye to magical Milford Sound and make our way back towards Te Anau.

And what a drive!

The scenery was completely different from yesterday. Mist and low clouds hung over the mountains, creating the most incredible atmosphere. Waterfalls tumbled down the mountainsides and everything looked wild, mysterious and wonderfully dramatic.

We spotted lots more kea in the trees along the way. I didn’t get too close after seeing them yesterday!

Arriving in Te Anau, we decided it was time for a slightly more leisurely afternoon.

First stop was the cinema to watch the wonderful Fiordland film. What a fantastic way to appreciate even more of the extraordinary landscape we’ve been travelling through. https://www.fiordlandcinema.co.nz/ata-whenua-shadowland/

Then we enjoyed a wander around the shops. Andy treated himself to a lovely Melvor Hill lambswool jumper, while I fell in love with a pair of beautiful green New Zealand jade (pounamu) earrings. We even saw an enormous boulder of jade in the shop!

We also wandered through the lovely town gardens, bursting with colour from rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, irises and roses.

Then it was on to our next accommodation facing the lake, for a cuppa, a well-earned nap and a little relaxation in our fabulous big jetted bath.

And to finish off the day? A wonderful lamb dinner delivered by room service. Absolutely delicious, and no need to venture out again!

Today has reminded us that travelling isn’t always about packing every minute with activities.

Sometimes it’s about slowing down, enjoying the little things and giving yourself time to appreciate everything you’ve experienced.

From wild penguins and misty mountains to beautiful gardens, a little shopping and dinner in our room.

Another wonderful day in New Zealand.

And we’re lucky enough to have two nights here in lovely Te Anau.

Life is good. ❤️🇳🇿

02/11/2026

🛳Bucket list trip!

😲To the top of Norway and back again! This is bound to be a fabulous trip.

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02/11/2026

🇳🇿 Our New Zealand Adventure

Day 7 – Milford Sound: Another Day in Paradise ❤️

Monday 2 November 2026

I think we’ve officially run out of awesome words!

Just when we think New Zealand can’t possibly get any more beautiful, it goes and proves us wrong. Again!

We left Queenstown at around 7.30 this morning, heading towards Milford Sound for what we hoped would be another highlight of our adventure.

The first couple of hours took us through rolling farmland, green pastures and beautiful countryside, before stopping for a coffee in Te Anau.

And then… WOW!

The drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound has to be one of the most spectacular journeys we’ve ever experienced.

Towering mountains, snow still clinging to their peaks, crystal-clear creeks tumbling over enormous boulders and waterfalls. So many waterfalls!

Every time we rounded another bend, there was something even more spectacular waiting for us.

We stopped at various viewpoints along the way, including Monkey Creek, where we were entertained by three very cheeky kea. These beautiful alpine parrots were busy pulling the rubber trim off parked cars!🦜

And then there was magnificent Christie Falls, another of those moments when we simply stood and stared with our mouths open!

The weather gave us a mixture of sunshine and showers, which somehow made the scenery even more dramatic. Water was cascading down the mountainsides in every direction. There were literally hundreds of waterfalls.

We must have said “wow” “unbelievable” and “incredible” a million times today.

We arrived at Milford Sound at around 1pm, grabbed some lunch and then, at 2.30pm, boarded our home for the night.

And what a home!

I don’t really want to call it a boat. It’s more like a beautiful little yacht, with accommodation for just 22 guests. Tonight there are only 16 of us aboard, looked after by two captains, two lovely ladies helping with everything on board, and our own chef.

We’ve got the Governor’s Cabin, right up on the top deck, with enormous panoramic windows stretching across the front.

And here’s the best bit. The glass is tinted, so we can see out, but nobody can see in!

Which means we can lie on our bed and watch the magnificent scenery unfold right in front of us.

We cruised through the fjord towards the Tasman Sea, surrounded by sheer cliffs, towering mountains and waterfalls plunging hundreds of metres into the water. One is around three times the height of Niagara Falls!

The scale of everything is almost impossible to comprehend.

And then we spotted fur seals!🦭

There they were, lounging about on the rocks without a care in the world. What a wonderful sight, seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat.

Some of our fellow passengers went kayaking, but we were more than happy just soaking up the scenery, relaxing and chatting with the other guests.

This evening we enjoyed a delicious three-course dinner. Venison, blue cod and a wonderful cheesecake with berry compote.

Not exactly roughing it, are we? 🤣

After dinner, we watched a fascinating film, filmed by Jack the skipper, about the underwater world of Milford Sound.

Our yacht has its own remotely operated underwater vehicle, which can explore the depths and film the extraordinary creatures living far beneath the surface.

The team have even featured on the Discovery Channel and contributed to scientific research.

It was absolutely fascinating seeing this hidden world. There’s so much going on beneath the water that we’d never normally get to see.

And now?

Well, we’re anchored in a sheltered spot, surrounded by mountains, in what feels like the middle of nowhere.

No traffic. No crowds. No noise.

Just the water, the mountains, the wilderness and us.

We’re going to leave the blinds open tonight, hoping the clouds clear enough for us to see the stars.

And tomorrow morning we’ll wake up right here in Milford Sound, ready to sail again.

We’ve been in New Zealand for just a week, and already we’ve experienced so many unforgettable moments. The glaciers, the rainforests, the mountains, the lakes, the wildlife and now this extraordinary overnight adventure.

And the most exciting thing?

We’ve still got another five weeks to go!

We’ve barely scratched the surface.

Some places make you realise just how extraordinary our world really is and remind us exactly why we should explore it as much as we can

Tonight, as we drift off to sleep in the middle of Milford Sound, I feel incredibly lucky.

Another day in paradise. Another memory we’ll treasure forever.

🇳🇿🥰💙