I was privileged to sail down to Milford Sound on our mate Luke’s family house boat, leaving from Nelson. The journey took three days and we entertained ourselves catching albacore en route.
Once anchored in Milford Sound, we enjoyed a few nights in the tranquil waters, waiting for another three of our mates who drove down with their trailer boat.
We couldn’t resist going for a tank dive to check out the black coral and catch a feed of crays. Once the other three boys turned up, we motored down the coast to Bligh Sound for one night. After a couple of drops with the lines, we had enough blue cod for dinner.
Next day we headed down to George Sound, where we spent the next three days free diving, with plenty of crays around for a feed and a few to take home. We actually found it harder to find a good patch of pāua, so we set out looking for some, trying a few different spots. Rolling off the boat, I managed to drop straight in on this good looking moki, so I got the boys to throw me my speargun. Sucking in a good breath, I dipped below the surface and glided into position and then the rest was history.
The following day, before heading back up the coast, we stopped on top of one of the outer banks and hauled in a few groper from the depths. It was a sublime experience, fishing with the grandeur of Fiordland as a backdrop To put the icing on the cake, our mate Kris hooked up a good bluefin tuna while trolling a lure.
It certainly was an adventure to treasure.
