After a pleasant drive from Queenstown, we arrived in Te Anau, our base to explore the Milford and Doubtful Sounds. Seemingly unable to pass a pie shop without entering, we discovered 'Miles Better Pies' - and found the best pie of our travels so far! Would highly recommend stopping by if you get a chance!

We go up at 5.30am to drive to Milford Sound and get on a 9 o clock boat ride. The scenery, despite most of the peaks being shrouded in cloud and mist, was still spectacular. Forested hills merged with the flat waters of the sound and our boat, being a lot smaller than some of the bigger companies', could get right into the waterfalls, soaking everyone stupid enough to still be stood outside as we did so! We also got pretty close to some seals, desperately trying to dry out on the rocks. It was very peaceful and the rain only added to the atmosphere.

The next day, we had an organised kayaking trip to Doubtful Sound, so another crazily early start. Doubtful Sound is supposed to be much more tranquil than Milford Sound as it can only be reached via a boat ride across Lake Manapouri and then a drive - keeping most of the tourists away. The group number was small and we were supplied with all the waterproof gear you could possibly need. And the weather was great! We had sunshine for the most part and although the wind made it a bit tough going at times, it was a fantastic trip. We could kayak right up close to the edge of the Sound and under a few waterfalls to have a cool down. Our guide was really enthusiastic and had lots of good advice - plus supplied hot chocolate and cookies before and after the trip. The only other people we saw all day was another group kayaking, so we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Two of the Danish guys on our trip had a new look-a-like for Rob as well... Chris Martin from Coldplay! Another source of much amusement, and at least this time he's of the same age, instead of a 50 year old man! Rob's growing a beard at the moment so I actually think he does look a bit like Chris Martin, but he won't let me put comparison pictures on!

A lot of people seem unsure whether to do Doubtful Sound or Milford or both and I think our advice would probably be Milford if you can only do one - the peaks are more impressive and it's just a bigger place to explore, but it's busier because of the road access. Having the chance to explore Doubtful Sound by kayak instead of by boat really made a difference, and to have so few people around made it a better experience in some ways. So do both if you can!

That's it for civilisation now, as we travel further south to Stewart Island and the Catlins, both pretty remote areas with small populations - bring on the Kiwis and the Penguins!