This is the 5th most westerly cache in NZ as at 25 Dec 2019
update 2023 there are now 9 Traditionals to the West of this spot
Traditionals: Wild and Windswept (Puysegur point, Fiordland)GC5W0FC
"Far As A Man May Go" - Farthest West (Fiordland)GC3N8XW
and a new one several metres from this EC The end of the road (Fiordland)GC85659
Earthcache: Doubtful Sound GC826WK
So this EC is the 2nd most western earthcahce.
Doubtful Sound is one of the many Fiords on the West Coast of the South Island.
Access is by boat across Lake Manapouri then a bus trip. This is the most common method. Other means of getting there would be by boat from the Tasman Sea. It is possible to access the area from Borland but I do not recommend this. Permission would need to be secured to have use of the private road from West Arm to Deep Cove. There is no tramping track into this area.
The journey getting there is an experience of its own.
Cell reception usually ends at West Arm.
A trip down to see the underground hydro power station is worthwhile. When this earthcahe created was closed to public due to maintenance.
The road from West Arm to Deep Cove was specially made with limits to gradients to carry components to build the power station, They went by boat from Bluff to deep Cove and roaded carefully to West Arm. They had to do this because the roads and bridges in Southland were not up to the required strenght for the heavy loads
Once at Deep Cove's wharf you will see the shear size of the mountains.
Across the cove is a 200m waterfall. Helena Falls.
Waterfalls are classified by type.
Ledge waterfall: Water descends vertically over a vertical cliff, maintaining partial contact with the bedrock.
Block/Sheet: Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.
Classical: Ledge waterfalls where fall height is nearly equal to stream width, forming a vertical square shape.
Curtain: Ledge waterfalls which descend over a height larger than the width of falling water stream.
Plunge: Fast moving water descends vertically, losing complete contact with the bedrock surface. The contact is typically lost due to horizontal thrust of the water before it falls. It always starts from a narrow stream.
Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool.
Horsetail: Descending water maintains contact with bedrock most of the time.
Slide: Water glides down maintaining continuous contact. Ribbon: Water descends over a long narrow strip.
Chute: A large quantity of water forced through a narrow, vertical passage.
Fan: Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with bedrock.
Cascade: Water descends a series of rock steps.
Tiered/Multi-step/Staircase: A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.
Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall. Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
Catadupa: A cataract or waterfall, originally those of the Nile. The term catadupae refers to people inhabiting near such cataracts; there are suppositions that these people are deaf due to the constant din. Frozen: Any waterfall which has some element of ice or snow.
Moulin: A moulin is a waterfall in a glacier.
Sound versus Fiord
Sound.
Large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight, wider than a fiord. Can be caused by sea invading a glacier but more usual to sea invading a river valley. Usually have sloping valley hillsides. Can be the waterway between a mainland and large island.
Fiord.
Long narrow deep inlet of sea between high cliffs formed by submergence of a glacial valley.
When looking at the sound, the height of surrounding cliffs to get some perspective of the size of the place, the level of the water is close to halfway up the cliff face. This is the reason that it is hard for ships to find secure anchorage. They usually have to be connected to the shore by ropes.
Sea wildlife.
The only sea creatures are those that can have short periods in fresh water. The top layer of water in the Sound is fresh water. This is due to the extreme high rainfall spread over rain 200 days of the year on average. This is why the water is dark and cold. Increasing the fresh water layer is the water from Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri via the two tail races from the power station. Expect to see whale (occasionally), dolphin (usually), seal, groper fish (if you are fishing). Not much seaweed or mollusks if any. Black coral grows below the freshwater layer.
Results of a previous glacier.
There is much evidence to show this valley was once a glacier. Slide lines in the rock cliffs, the U shape valley (almost shear cliffs with a U shape bottom),Terminal moraine At the sea end of the Sound, but underwater), other glaciers entering from the side of main glacier (hanging Valley). These are found high up the valley wall. Large rock that have been dumped (erratic wanderers).
Amazing facts of the sound.
Students that stay for 5 or so days at the Hostel go out on little boats and do experiments (as well as fishing). One of these is dropping a black and white disk over the side and measure depth of visibility. Another is to drop a bottled net and this gets towed behind at various depths to catch plankton. These are observed later under microscopes. Thirdly temperature of water is measured. Once you get past the cold freshwater layer the temperature gets hotter for a time. On average the freshwater layer is 8m in depth.
Logging questions'/p>
1. On your observations which is it. Sound or Fiord?
2. On you observation of impressive Helena Falls waterfall. Which type does it fit? It is an experience to view after a night of heavy rain.
3. What shape is the hanging valley above the falls?
4. From the wharf look at the shoreline. Explain the absence of seaweed.
5. A non essential activity to log. Take a worthwhile picture of an interesting part of what you see. (You wont fit everything in one shot usually)
Send answers to CO when you claim your found it. I usually reply with a message promptly.
Please register nationality in your log so I can tabulate statistics.
as up to 18 Feb 2024
New Zealand 34, Australia 10, USA 18, Belgium 3, Canada 3, Ireland 1, Denmark 2, Singapore 1, Germany 22, Switzerland 4, Slovakia 1, Netherlands 2, Italy 1, France 2, Czech 1, UK 6, Sweden 1.
Congrats to Sman42 for posting 20 pictures.