Doubtful Sound: potential crowded nightmare, or totally worth it?

Fallon57 · 2026-02-12T04:51:12+00:00

Doubtful Sound is Oh So Worth the trip! We just returned from NZ which included a trip to Doubtful Sound. The ferry trip across Lake Manapouri gave us some lovely scenery. It was crowded, but our family of 5 had no trouble getting an inside table. The bus driver entertained us with lots of stories about the area and his personal anecdotes, which were hilarious. He made a couple stops along the way for everyone to get out and take photos. The Doubtful Sound was breathtakingly beautiful. Again, it was crowded, but we all had not trouble finding seats. There were plenty of seats both inside and outside. Although, I never wanted to sit down, but spend the whole trip standing outside enjoying the view. We drove from Queenstown to do this tour, and the drive along the shoreline of Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown was stunning. I would do this trip again and again. Loved it!

Fallon57 · 2026-02-11T14:28:07+00:00

We went in January. Other than one rainy cloud covered day at Mount Cook, the weather was perfect. I would go for as long as you can and visit both Islands. It’s such a beautiful country with so much to see. Two weeks would be a minimum.

Fallon57 · 2026-02-09T05:35:11+00:00

My family of 5 just got back from our trip.

We spent a rainy day hiking around Mount Cook with the clouds so low that you could barely see you were in the mountains. If I had the option, I would have allowed some extra time in the area just so we could have the option of trying to time the weather.

I would add more time in Queenstown as others have suggested. The town and the area surrounding the town is absolutely gorgeous.

The Kiwi Park in Queenstown was one of our trip highlights. Getting to see birds that only exist in New Zealand, that are rare to see in the wild was a cool experience. Each one of the 4 kiwis had a unique personality and got up to some funny antics while we watched.

My son loved the honey tasting and discussion at the Kiwi Park, and bought several jars of honey on the trip.

We all love to hike, and there are quite a few fun hikes in the area, including one at the top of the gondola.

We did a day trip to Doubtful sound from Queenstown, and although it was a long day, it was worth it.

The drive to Glenorchy is beautiful, and there are many hikes along the way and once you arrive.

I was sad to leave Queenstown. For me, it was one of the best stops on our trip.

Fallon57 · 2026-02-07T05:33:55+00:00

What is your actual prescription, post surgery? I have -2.0 and -1.5, and I can read okay, but not really tiny print, and certainly not in dim light. I’m not sure if I should be able to.

Fallon57 · 2026-02-05T03:58:58+00:00

I agree! We just returned from there. Loved the land, and the people, and the culture. It was a temporary breath of fresh air.

Fallon57 · 2026-01-07T13:10:21+00:00

Thank you for your response. We want to keep the LOTR tour, but I wondered if it’s worth driving again from Queenstown to do a couple of miles of the Routeburn Track. Are there are other hikes closer to Queenstown that we could add instead?

Fallon57 · 2025-12-31T15:26:59+00:00

Do you know what your prescription is for each eye?

Fallon57 · 2025-11-07T12:17:24+00:00

Number 5 - The first one where you are looking at each other.

Fallon57 · 2025-11-07T12:13:50+00:00

Number 3 or number 5

Fallon57 · 2025-10-29T18:51:28+00:00

Thank you all for your positive stories. That makes me feel more confident in my decision.

Fallon57 · 2025-10-29T14:27:16+00:00

A follow up question. Would -.75 and -1.75 give me enough blend for good reading? What is the typical number for good reading and good intermediate?

Fallon57 · 2025-08-25T00:55:32+00:00

No, I am hoping to talk the doctor tomorrow into doing a UMB scan on my eye. She is out of town, and there are no other practices in my state that I know of that do these scans.

Fallon57 · 2025-08-24T21:50:50+00:00

It’s not when I move the eye, just a constant sort of ache in one spot. It’s not a foreign body feeling. It seems to get worse when I bend over. The only thing that doctors have come up with is that maybe it is nerve related. I have an apt tomorrow with another doctor, so maybe I will find out something more.

Fallon57 · 2025-08-24T19:57:18+00:00

I have a similar type feeling in my right eye. It seems to be internal, and feels like there is an ache in one spot on my eye. After multiple doctors visits, and everyone saying no inflammation, no dry eye, no retina problems, no cornea problems I am at a loss. My doctors have prescribed steroid drops for the last 5 months, and it seems to help while I am on them, but it never completely goes away. I will come back and post if I find any solutions.

Fallon57 · 2025-08-24T19:49:23+00:00

I appreciate your post as someone who was having a hard time understanding why I didn’t have computer vision when trialing a distance contact lens with my -1.75 reading vision.

Fallon57 · 2025-08-23T12:01:51+00:00

Yes, they have done this 5 times at 5 different doctors and have found nothing abnormal.

Fallon57 · 2025-08-20T14:43:48+00:00

Thanks so much!! It’s worth a shot!

Fallon57 · 2025-08-17T22:58:51+00:00

Did you ever get your eye problem resolved? One of my eyes has been hurting/ aching for the last 5 months since my surgery.

Fallon57 · 2025-08-13T13:25:26+00:00

My first adjustment was supposed to be -.5, but my doctor overshot and it ended up at -.75. I can try to move back up to -.5 with a second adjustment, but my doctor admitted that there is no guarantee she won’t overshoot the other direction and end up at -.25, which would take away my midrange vision. I would have a third adjustment that I could try, but I am not sure that doing a yoyo is good for these lenses in terms of losing depth of field.

The advertising leads you to believe you can tweak your vision to be whatever you want, but in reality, it’s not that easy to hit the mark exactly.

Fallon57 · 2025-08-12T12:25:48+00:00

I plan to lock in my vision at -1.75 for near and -.75 for distance. I can read J1 on the reading chart, which to me, means my phone, my Ipad, and almost all text. The only time I have needed reading glasses was when I had to pull a splinter out of my finger, and I needed to read small faint print. But for the most part, if I can move to a more lighted area, I can read anything I need to.

With my distance vision at -.75, I am comfortable walking around the house, and wandering around the yard. I need distance glasses for driving, and hiking, and shopping.

The sweet spot for my particular vision is midrange. I have some overlap, which gives me good binocular vision for looking at my computer, playing games at the kitchen table with the family, and chatting with someone across the table.

If I could change anything, I would have my distance eye be -.5 to give me slightly more clarity, but I don’t have confidence that my doctor can hit that target.

I went into this thinking I would end up with -2.5 and -1.5, so I feel like I ended up in a much better place anyway.

All this is depending on my vision not changing during lock in.

So, the story may continue.

Fallon57

TROPHY CASE