Swazi Stories: Zoe and Nick Mulligan in Fiordland

Five days, three sounds, plenty of crays and one waterfall. Northland couple Zoe and Nick Mulligan took Swazi along on a SEA Fiordland charter through Dusky, Breaksea and Dagg sounds. Here's how it went, in their words.

Who are you, where are you based, and what do you do when you're not outside adventuring?

Hi, we're Nick and Zoe from Northland. We both work locally. Zoe is a pharmacy technician at the local pharmacy, and Nick is a team leader at the Marsden Point fuel terminal. When we're not out and about in wider NZ, we juggle a busy household with school runs and multiple sports across multiple children, and try to get the boat out as much as possible.

How did you each get into fishing and diving? Who got who hooked?

Nick: When I met Zoe, she was running big kilometres seven days a week, training for ultramarathons. Running wasn't for me, so I gently coaxed her to come hunting and fishing with me. Over time the running eased off, which left more time for hunting and adventuring.

What does a good day out together look like for you two?

Any day out in the mountains with no phone coverage is the ideal. Closer to home, it's a day on or in the water, exploring our backyard in Northland. Anything for the table is just a bonus.

Why Fiordland, and how long had this trip been on the list?

Nick: After seeing lots of videos of people in Fiordland, I'd been putting it off for years. No charter boats had dates that lined up, so I reached out to SEA Fiordland, and Emma essentially let me set the dates for a combined charter that worked for us. We took that as a sign. We booked the charter, paid our deposit and did a freediving course so we could make the most of what Fiordland had to offer.

Why Fiordland? It offers everything we love: hunting, fishing, diving, great food, and scenery you could look at in awe for hours.

Where did you head, and how did you get around?

We joined a charter with SEA Fiordland. Te Anau Helicopters flew us to the boat, the Tasman Explorer, in Supper Cove (did we mention Zoe hates flying?). From there, over five days, we explored Dusky, Breaksea and Dagg sounds.

Talk us through a typical day out there.

To make the most of every day, we were up at 7am for breakfast and coffee, to assess the weather and to not make a plan for the day. Captain Clint never made plans.

After breakfast we'd steam from our mooring to the three cray pots we'd set the evening before. We hauled them in with the help of the other guests, counted the crays, and put all the females, soft shells, small ones and big bucks back. Over the week we caught 180 crays and put more than 140 back.

Once the pots were up, we got into the fishing. Clint would steam to whatever spot looked good on the sounder and we'd fish for bait and for dinner. Then the boat would wind through the arms of the sounds looking for a lunch spot, and we'd suit up for a dive.

Jason, the deckhand, would bring the tender in close to rocks with big cracks and crevices that looked promising. We'd work our way around, taking turns diving down for crayfish, pāua and kina, while Jason followed us, collecting the catch and giving us much-needed encouragement.

Then it was back to the boat for lunch, more fishing and more meandering through the sounds until we found a good spot to reset the pots for the night. Clint never failed to find an amazing place to moor. We'd get comfortable, chat with the others and have a beer while the smell of Bridgette's cooking filled the boat.

What was the best catch or the best dive of the trip?

Our very first dive. The spot was full of pāua and crays, and we both grabbed our first crays. That was it, we were hooked! In Northland we're no longer allowed to dive for crays, and the pāua population isn't huge, so this was easily the most memorable part of the trip.

Was there a moment that didn't go to plan?

Nick: One morning, when we were hauling the cray pots, the grapple used to bring the rope up got stuck in the rocks. It was jammed hard. No amount of tugging, shuffling or swinging would budge it, and the boat was uncomfortably close to the rocks in a good old Fiordland swell.

Clint looked at me and said, "Suit up, you're going in." Off I trudged to squeeze into my already wet and cold wetsuit. In the meantime, the others tied a buoy to the grapple and pulled the pot in with the spare. I jumped off the boat, swam to the buoy, unhooked the grapple and swam back to the boat, which had moved away from the rocks. Clint and Jason pulled me aboard and we carried on to the next pot.

We let someone else throw the grapple next time.

Fiordland weather has a reputation. What did it throw at you?

We knew the first few days weren't forecast to be good. When we landed in Queenstown and switched off flight mode, we both had missed calls and texts from Emma asking if we could be in Te Anau within four hours to fly in that night. The helicopter wouldn't be able to fly in the wind forecast for our original day.

Once we were in, we slept in a lovely sheltered cove, so we had no idea what was coming when we got out into the sounds. The wind pushed the boat around, making for a bumpy, rolly ride. Fishing was an extra challenge, with gusts knocking us off our feet. Most of the other guests stayed inside, but we were determined to make the most of it. As long as Clint and Jason were happy for us to be out there, we were fishing. Poor Jason had to stay out in the elements with us. We learnt how to bait the cray pots in that weather, and a couple of the guys braved it to help us throw them overboard.

Once the weather settled, we had two days of amazing Fiordland weather: blue skies, little to no breeze and warm temperatures. So when we set off from Breaksea Sound up to Doubtful Sound, we expected the kind of seas we're used to in Northland, gentle swells at most. Clint told us conditions were, in his opinion, perfect. It turns out that meant rolling swells that could turn even the strongest stomach. Once we turned into Doubtful Sound, it was glassy water again.

What Swazi gear did you take, and what did you end up living in?

Nick: I took a Tahr Anorak, Chamois jacket, Micro Driback pants and a selection of fleeces. I ended up living in my fleece singlet as a base layer morning and night, and the Tahr Anorak on deck. Layering the fleece, Chamois puffer and Anorak, we could stay out on deck in the elements, nice and warm, barefoot even, while everyone else retreated indoors.

Zoe: I took the Artemis jacket, Glacier jacket, Catlin hooded jacket, Microfleece T-shirt, Huttie pants and Ionia tights. Out fishing, the Artemis with the Glacier underneath kept my top half dry and warm, and I paired them with the Ionia tights, which were comfortable and easy to move in. They dried super quickly, ready for the next session out in the cold.

Inside the boat, chilling out, I lived in my Huttie pants with the Catlin jacket, which was comfy and cosy after being out in the elements. The Microfleece T-shirt was great for the warmer days when it was too hot for a jacket but not warm enough for just a tee. I live in it at home too.

How did it handle the wet, the cold and the sandflies?

We literally stood under a waterfall in our jackets and came out dry underneath. We were never wet through at any point on the trip, despite some awful conditions. Pairing the waterproof jackets with the insulating jackets kept the icy wind off and kept us toasty on the front of the boat.

We came prepared for sandflies with gloves, mesh face masks and long sleeves, but didn't see a single one until we were mauled waiting for the bus back to Manapōuri at Doubtful Sound. Typical!

Was there any piece that surprised you, or that you won't leave home without now?

Nick: I wouldn't leave home for a hunting trip without the Tahr Anorak, but that didn't surprise me. I bought it knowing it would be an invaluable piece of kit.

Zoe: I loved pairing the Artemis jacket with the Glacier underneath. They'll be a staple on every hunting trip, especially in winter. The Ionia tights were a surprise favourite. They even get worn to work.

What's one thing about Fiordland that photos just can't capture?

The sheer scale of it. Someone once said, "Once you've seen one of the sounds, you've seen them all," but that simply isn't true. We were in awe at every sound and every arm we explored. The mountains are steep, rugged and untamed, and the morning mist on them is simply magical.

What advice would you give someone planning their first fishing or diving trip down there?

Just do it. Book the trip and go. Make the most of every minute, even when the weather throws everything it can at you. When are you going to be there next?

Where to next?

We're off to the Kawekas for Labour Weekend to hunt sika and fill the freezer to feed our army of children. We've also started planning our next tahr trip in the Southern Alps. Zoe invited Clint along, and he called us on it. He and Emma are keen to join us on the next one!

Nick: Tahr Anorak, Chamois jacket, Micro Driback pants, fleece singlet

Zoe: Artemis jacket, Glacier jacket, Catlin hooded jacket, Microfleece T-shirt, Huttie pants, Ionia tights

Thanks to Zoe and Nick for taking us along. Follow their next adventure and tag us in yours. @nick_mulligan_ & @zoe_hunts_far on Instagram. @nickmulligan185 on YouTube.