Skip to main content

Story: Southland places

Elizabeth Island, Doubtful Sound

Image
Elizabeth Island, Doubtful Sound

Fiordland consists of very old rocks, but its topography is created by geologically recent glaciation – a series of ice ages during the last 2 million years. After an ice age, the glaciers melted and the sea rose, flooding valleys and creating islands.

Using this item

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10058686

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

David Grant, Southland places – Fiordland’s coast, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/20215/elizabeth-island-doubtful-sound (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by David Grant, published 2 March 2009, updated 25 May 2015.