Patea Explorer - Doubtful Sound, Fiordland National Park:

The Patea Explorer is the latest craft to tour the remote wilderness that is Doubtful Sound.:

From the moment you step aboard this magnificent new boat on Doubtful Sound operated by Real Journeys, you feel the shear luxury of a purpose built craft. At just over 30 metres long, she was built in Tasmania and sailed across in just two and a half days. The keel was laid in April 2005 and she was launched in November. After sea trials, she set sail for New Zealand in early December and started taking tourists on the fiord the second week of December 2005.

Patea Explorer features contemporary styling with two decks, an upper deck with floor to ceiling windows, a main deck with large picture windows and expansive external observation decks. This enables wilderness cruise passengers to experience Doubtful Sound at close quarters.

While certified to carry up to 200 passengers, Patea Explorer loadings are limited to a maximum of 150 to provide maximum comfort and ease of viewing. One can't help feeling, this craft is designed for the job.

The vessel also has an excellent sound system and external telescopic cameras linked to internal LCD screens.
An on board nature guide with a roving microphone and a hand-held camera explains and highlights points of interest. The external cameras can also be used for zooming in on Penguins, Seals, Dolphins and other wildlife and waterfalls. These images, together with navigational route data and special video clips prepared by Natural History New Zealand, are then relayed to TV screens positioned at various points around the vessel. No matter where you sit, you are near one of these screens.

Qualmark logo Lake Vista Bed & Breakfast are accreditted booking agents for Real Journeys and are able to help you plan your time and happy to handle any tour bookings to Doubtful Sound for you.

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