As we move into unchartered waters with a total lockdown, I will continue my Throwback Thursdays in the hope I can provide inspiration for you when we are free post-Covid-19. My experience hunting, gathering and playing in Dusky Sound was one of the most amazing weeks I have ever had. It’s not a destination you drop in on. In fact, it’s so remote it takes some planning to get there. That’s why I thought this destination was a good one to write about as it’s something you can plan and look forward too.

Flying into Dusky Sound.

So, here’s my journey to Dusky Sound.

We flew to Queenstown, bused to Te Anau then choppered from nearby Manapouri into the Dusky Sound. Just the sound of the chopper had my adrenalin pumping as we flew over the mountains, dropping into the valleys and over the water to our destination.

Arriving into Supper Cove.

Landing in Supper Cove there was no obvious helipad, but ‘what was I thinking?’ We’re in the wilderness. Unloading our luggage (and alcoholic supplies), we climbed into a tender with just a short distance to ‘M.V. Flightless,’ our home for the week.

M.V. Flightless

‘M.V. Flightless’ is an ex-NZ Navy vessel owned and operated by, Pure Salt NZ, New Zealanders Sean Ellis and Maria Kuster. Their patch is Dusky Sound. They take charters or you can join one of their groups to explore the fiords. They also run a number of themed niche charters based around photography, culinary, history and more.

As well as providing a dream outdoors adventure for city slickers like me, Sean and Maria are passionate about the Tamatea / Dusky Sound Restoration Project. It’s a conservation project to renew the ‘bio-bank’ of birds including Kiwis. Their goal is to eradicate the rodents Captain James Cook bought on his expedition voyages to New Zealand and to bring back the birdlife to what it was in the 1800s.

So how did we spend our days in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phone coverage, internet or even Netflix?

Shortly after arriving our delightful crew and skipper Sean, discussed with us the activities we’d like to do. Hiking, snorkelling, fishing and kayaking were all high on the agenda as well as a little hunting and diving. So, after delicious seafood chowder made by Chef Anna, we donned our 7mm wetsuits, gloves and hoods and set off in the tender with Brad, our ‘go-to’ activities man, to snorkelling and gather dinner.

Part of the M.V.Flightless amazing team: Brad, Sean, Anna and guest, Nic.

The fiords are renowned for their plentiful, oversized crayfish and the thought of eating the rich, white flesh until we could eat no more was fast becoming a reality. As fanciful as it may seem, we soon had a dozen crays in the catch-bag all retrieved by snorkelling and a little free diving.

Struggling to hold dinner, they were so big!

Back on board, our haul looked impressive and Courtney (Anna’s sous chef) went about preparing our dinner. Soon our entrée appeared and we were feasting on legs, legs and more legs, barely doing justice to the hidden flesh.

Our entrée.

Getting stuck in!

Then the main, sautéed lobster tails with potatoes and salad.

Sleeping quarters on M.V Flightless

The sleeping quarters on ‘M.V. Flightless’ are below the main deck. Cabins for couples and larger cabins all worked well, with everyone snuggled in together. With three spacious bathrooms to share and a daily laundry service, we were kept clean and odourless!

Our cosy cabin.  Despite sleeping 6 there were just 3 of us.

Up early the next morning, the continental breakfast was self-serve. However, hunger was not on my radar as I was still processing the crayfish.

Not long after breakfast, we were kayaked to explore Pigeon Island. On route, a pod of dolphins passed us with a mother and calf trailing behind, teaching it how to forage.

There is no better way to explore the fauna and flora than on the water.

On the island, we saw the remains of Richard Henry’s house and his aviary. An Irishman, he moved to Australia and eventually found his way to New Zealand. In the latter years of the nineteenth century, he lived and worked, often alone, in the Dusky Sound. His extraordinary efforts to save the Kakapos and Kiwis from extinction has been an invaluable contribution to wildlife conservation in New Zealand. He is revered by Pure Salt and many other conservationists, now carrying on his great work.

Back on board, it was time to catch dinner. At the bow of the boat, the lines went down and it wasn’t long before perch and blue cod were being hauled in. Quantities are carefully gauged and when a ‘feed’ has been caught the lines come in. With the fish literally hours old, Anna chooses to dust the fillets in flour before sautéing them in butter. A more delicious way to eat the freshest of fish would be hard to find.

Some fishermen were definitely better than others!

Dave’s first fish.

Before we ate the blue cod, we feasted on an entrée of sizzling paua. Tenderising from the day before in saltwater, the paua like the crayfish were oversized.

Melt in your mouth paua.

Another day in paradise and today we are exploring Indian Island, dear to Pure Salt’s heart. It is part of the Tamatea Project. Pure Salt has been granted the rights to manage this island (as well as Long Island and Pickersgill Harbour) by DOC (Department of Conservation) to reduce the pest numbers. Before more birds can be introduced to the island from a bird ‘bio-bank’ it must be proven the pests are under control. In turn, when the bird life flourishes on the Indian Island, it will become a ‘bio-bank’ to provide birds to other pest-free islands.

On Indian Island, about 100 of the required 200 ‘Good nature A 24’ traps have been installed to kill stoats, rats and mice. The next 100 will be mounted to trees in June 2019 during a conservation charter completing this stage of the project. While on the island we had a ceremonial trap installation as Courtney used her tips to purchasing a trap for the island. It was great to see the trap installed and the care taken in positioning the device to ensure it maximizes rodent deaths.

Courtney’s contribution to the pest eradication programme.

To gauge the success of the eradication project several cameras have also been installed to monitor the rodent and bird activity. Once the camera has detected movement it takes several photos, then a short video is filmed. When we visited the island, we took the SD card from the camera and back on ‘M.V. Flightless’ we watched the footage. To everyone’s amazement, two flirting kiwis were clearly visible as well as  Kereru and several rats. This data proved Kiwis are on the island and will continue to provide invaluable information regarding the declining pest numbers and hopefully increasing bird life on the island.

As the day is closing in and it’s time to forage for dinner again. Back on board, the lines go over the bow of the boat and wham, a strike so huge it has us all guessing. Our fisherman struggles as the rod bends deeper. After a good fight, he eventually he pulls in a 14.5 kilogram Hapuka. Dinner sorted…

Simply stunning scenery.

With a catch this size, we eat Hapuka steaks for dinner, the wings are smoked for lunch the following day and Anna created the most delicious crayfish and Hapuka curry from the leftovers. Pure Salt has a philosophy of no wastage.

While our hunter was up at first light and was nowhere to be seen at dusk the elusive deer were not to be found. But we knew they were there as on our hike to Moose Lake we found multiple fresh hoof imprints in the bog, fresh poops and also witnessed the roar of the stag. But thanks to the previous guests on ‘M.V. Flightless’ they had kindly left venison so we had a hearty meal of red meat.

Hiking to Lake Moose we heard several stag roar

For me, a highlight of the trip was diving. With visibility exceeding 15 metres the marine life was spectacular including many varieties of kelp, sloshed around in the ocean. On the ocean floor, Sean cracked open a large kina bringing the blue cod swarming.

As we ascended from the dive we stopped at about six metres to watch a gathering of crayfish. More than 10 crays were sitting on a ledge, some near their holes, others just hanging out unfazed by our presence.

And, so the hunting and gathering continued as our keen fisherman caught a shark. Pulling it onboard Anna and Courtney made fish and chips. But not before an entrée of cockles we had gathered in Cascade Cove and the baked wings the blue cod.

Collecting cockles at Cascade Cove.

Simply scrumptious – blue clod wings.

Fish and chips…

Oh, to continue a life-like this and I can honestly say the lack of communication with the outside world was calming. We ate like kings, played like children and had the most uplifting and refreshing break imaginable.

Thanks to Sean, Maria, Jeff, Brad, Anna and Courtney for an amazing week.

What didn’t this boat have?

www.puresalt.co.nz