Charles Sound was known as Charlie 's Sound during the early to mid-19th century . It was very probably named after Charles MacLaren , the captain of the '' Sydney Cove '' , a sealing boat which visited the sound in 1810 . During the magnitude 7.0 23 August 2003 Fiordland earthquake , a significant landslide swept into Charles Sound causing a 4 - to 5-metre high tsunami that damaged a wharf and helipad in the sound
2003 Fiordland earthquake
2003 Fiordland earthquake
Charles Sound