We planned to go to fjordland to see either Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound.  Hopefully to do some kayaking on the sounds and a bit of walking. Simple?  Oh, no it wasn’t.

It turned out that the whole Fjordland experience has been sewn up by the National Parks guys, and commercialised by the tour guys.  So if you want to do anything,  there’s a company or two with the franchise.  And about a half-dozen glossy brochures.

The closer we got, the less interested I became.  It was clear we were going to have to pay about $800 for 3 days seeing and doing stuff in a highly controlled manner, living in plastic overpriced accommodation.  I was ready to turn around and leave, keeping our dollars intact, thanks.

Until we came across this little place.  A gem on the shore of Lake Manapouri.  There are two places in fjordland – Manapouri and Te Anau.  Te Anau has been done over and is totally commercialised.  Manapouri has been forgotten, and is only a place from which boats set out for the lesser-known Doubtful Sound and the Routburn track.  Once upon a time it was a holiday centre, but that was 20 years ago.

It’s run by a now-old lady who brought her family from Queenstown in the 70s because they didn’t like the development.  Her husband died, and the two boys have helped build the park since then.  It’s quite extensive, with an ecclectic colletion of living accommodation.  There’s a delightful family feel to it, with faded pictures in the kitchen of family events over the years, and ancient books in the TV lounge.

The family is clearly obsessive – everything is labelled – perhaps no longer as clearly as it was, but labelled nevertheless. And perfectly clean.

Mother’s glasses are held together with sellotape, and the boys – now in early middle age – potter around doing odd jobs.  There is a spotless collection of old british Morris cars on the lawn and in a garage. With a tent over some, and one son was washing them down.  He keeps them “mainly for uniformity of spare parts”.  

Our little house was a gem of a place, a miniature swiss cottage, beautifully crafted with a stunning view of the mountains.  Its chimney was a ladder with a trapdoor at the top, and the neatly planted shrubs formed a sort of garden around the house.

The view was remarkable. It was cheaper than anything else. We settled in and stayed 3 days.