Hear the roses

On our trip to New Zealand in March ’03, we chose to go to spectacular Doubtful Sound instead of Milford Sound. Getting there involved a motorboat across Lake Manapouri, a diesel-powered bus and another boat — hours of diesel motors and human voices.

At one point on the boat, the captain cut the motors, announcing, “I want you all to stop talking and listen to the silence.” We heard birds singing, dolphins splashing and utter silence.

For us, renting a kayak to drift in the peace and grandeur would have been a better choice than being on a boat noisy with chatter and engines.

JOHN & NANCY OSTHEIMER
Fort Collins, CO