Today was our big trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound for a nature cruise. Milford Sound is actually a fiord (as it is spelled in New Zealand), not a sound. We took a tour bus to and from Milford Sound and were entertained and educated by our driver. He is Maori and had much to tell us about what we saw along the way as well as some Maori history and legends that related to them. We were on the cruise for about two and a half hours, just long enough to sail the length of the fiord, turn around in the Tasman Sea, and come back to port. The day was overcast but it didn’t rain on us. Here are some of today’s photos.
On the drive to Milford Sound we stopped at a fresh water stream and filled up our water bottles.A Kea, one of New Zealand’s parrots, perches in a mountain tree. Although this picture shows how well it blends with its surrounds, when they fly you can see bright orange under its wings.We took a ten minute walk into the forest and were amazed how many shades of green we saw.We also heard and spotted this New Zealand Bellbird on the walk.Finally, after five and a half hours, we arrived at Milford Sound and boarded this boat, the Milford Mariner.Our first clear view of Milford Sound.There were many waterfalls along the way.Here’s a closer look at the same falls. The captain would maneuver the bow of the boat within a few feet of the base of the waterfalls.This is a view of the New Zealand coastline to the north of Milford Sound. We only spent a few minutes in the open waters of the Tasman Sea. Of note, at this latitude, if we sailed due east we wouldn’t reach land again until Argentina.Milford Sound was the last of fifteen fiords in New Zealand to be found by the European explorers because its opening is hard to see from the ocean, as this picture shows.Just inside the inlet we spotted some fur seals resting on a rock.None of our pictures captured the grandeur and scale of the mountains and the waterfalls.Here is another shot with some boats in the foreground to try and lend some perspective.We neglected to get any pictures of the kids on the boat. This is the best we could manage once we got ashore.
