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New Zealand Fiordland is located on the SW part of the South Island of New Zealand. It's a remote area, a huge national
park with no civilization and no road access at all. It resides well in the infamous roaring forties latitudes with exceptionally
violent storms and winds around the globe.
This time I decided to go solo. I hope not to be alone though. Colonies of albatrosses, seals, sea lions, gulls, whales and many other spieces - all of them make noise. They will become my partners for the following weeks of paddling. The rushing waves should complete the orchestra of the nature. 
I chose this area because I missed those amazing and scary days of paddling on the South West coast of Tasmania.
This time it might be even a bit rougher, though I am more experienced than three years ago, so I hope to be more prepared for what the mother nature
will cook. It's about 600 km of
nowhere with huge cliffs, snow topped mountains, narrow channels, wild life, restless seas and no single man on the land. Should
one ask for more? I hope to do it in 3-4 weeks including quite a few days of bad weather when I will be forced to stay on the shore.
I don't plan to push hard, I want to enjoy this time, paddle for myself, thoroughly explore this amazing piece of land.
Unlike in Tasmania and Ireland, this time I didn't make long preparations for this trip. I decided not to contact other kayakers who paddled in this area. I want to explore and discover it myself. I'll take a sattelite phone with me to get the forecasts, VHF radio and an emergency beacon. It should be enough. My wife Inna will stay with the kids on the South Island. She will keep track on my progress update this web site send me weather forecasts, support me and update this web site. Misha Hoichman ( ) |
Last updated: March 14, 2008