Real Journeys is a major tourism

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 company based in Fiordland

Fiordland

Fiordland is a geographic region of New Zealand that is situated on the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the western-most third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lakes and its ocean-flooded, steep western valleys...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It is New Zealand's largest marine tourism operator, and operates a number of ships, as well as a tourism flight airline.

History

It was set up in the early 1950s as the 'Manapouri-Doubtful Sound Tourist company', and is known for its cruises (day trips and overnight) on Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound is a very large and naturally imposing fjord in Fiordland, in the far south west of New Zealand. It is located in the same region as the smaller but more famous and accessible Milford Sound...

, Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island, within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site...

 and Lake Wakatipu

Lake Wakatipu

Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland.With a length of , it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at , its third largest...

. It operates six major ships: the Milford Sovereign, Milford Monarch, Milford Wanderer, Milford Mariner, Milford Haven and the Fiordland Navigator, all, except for the 'Milford Haven', built in Southland

Southland Region

Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...

. They also own a number of associated tourism activities such as a bus company and the concession to run trips to the Te Ana-au Caves

Te Ana-au Caves

The Te Ana-au caves are a culturally and ecologically important system of limestone caves on the western shore of Lake Te Anau, in the southwest of New Zealand. It was discovered in 1948 by Lawson Burrows, who found the upper entry after three years of searching, following clues in old Māori legends...

.

In 1969, the company purchased the TSS Earnslaw

TSS Earnslaw

The TSS Earnslaw is a 1912 Edwardian vintage twin screw steamer plying the waters of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago, and the only remaining passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere.-History:At the beginning of the...

, a steamship carrying passengers on Lake Wakatipu

Lake Wakatipu

Lake Wakatipu is an inland lake in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of Otago Region, near its boundary with Southland.With a length of , it is New Zealand's longest lake, and, at , its third largest...

.

In 2006, Environment Southland, the Southland Local Government Authority, recognised the company for its work to minimise negative impacts of tourism on Doubtful Sound.

Air tourism

Milford Sound Flightseeing was originally Southern Scenic Air Services Limited, subsequently renamed to Tourist Air Travel Limited, then Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company who subsequently decided to simplify the name with yet another change to Mount Cook Airline. It then became Tourism Flightseeing, a joint venture between The Helicopter Line and Real Journeys Limited. The most recent name change was to Milford Sound Flightseeing around 2002, when Real Journeys bought 100% ownership, and the Real Journeys brand was added to the hangars and aircraft.

Milford Sound Flightseeing is based at Queenstown Airport, Frankton

Frankton, Otago

Frankton is a settlement close to and effectively part of the town of Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand.Frankton is located at the end of a large inlet in the northeastern shore of Lake Wakatipu known as the Frankton Arm on State Highway 6...

, and is responsible for passenger flight operations between Queenstown and Milford Sound, and occasionally into Te Anau, as well as aircraft maintenance.