Milford Sound

In the early afternoon of Friday we arrived in Te Anau, the small gateway town to Fiordland National Park. The entire southwestern portion of the south island is uninhabited national park and home to some of the most gorgeous waterways in the world. We were set to head further into the park the following day, but for the remainder of the afternoon we decided to explore part of the Kepler Track, one of the great tramps of New Zealand. There are shorts walks, day walks, and tramps which are multi-day loop tracks through the mountains. Strategically situated through the tracks are shelter huts where trampers can get out of bad weather. It is serious hiking and with the proper preparation could be great fun. This trip was not about tramping, but we found a bit of the Kepler Track to walk from Rainbow Reach to Lake Manapouri. From the carpark we crossed the raging Waiau River by a bouncy suspension swing bridge. We walked through the relatively flat beech forest that was covered with moss, lichen, and ferns. Along the way we also crossed one of the few remaining bogs in NZ that they are conserving. Part of the trail was flooded and to keep my feet dry I had to shimmy along the handrail. After about an hour we reached Lake Manapouri and had an excellent view of the mountain ringed lake. We returned along the same tranquil forest path across the wing bridges and back to the car. We had dinner at a small restaurant in town and turned early for the day ahead.

We got an early start on Saturday morning to make the drive to Milford Sound. The road to Milford Sound has been a constant source of attention for us because the area has experienced fourteen earthquakes this past week has been closed off and on due to landslides. There was only one road in and if it was closed, we couldn't go. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and put petrol in the car. Going out of town we passed a road sign saying the road to Milford was closed, but we had checked the day before and it was open then so we were unclear if the sign was accurate. Further down the road we heard a news update saying the road was indeed closed so we turned around. On our way back to Te Anau we passed cars and tour buses and since they were heading in we figured we would turn around and follow. We drove for about an hour until we reached the Hollyford section of the road that was closed. There were a few road trucks moving earth so Dad asked a road crew worker and said they hoped to have the road open in about an hour and a half. A few other cars had pulled aside to wait so we took our place to wait it out. We kicked back our chairs and took a little nap on the side of the road. As we waited, a forest parrot called a Kea perched on our car looking for food. It even tapped on our window.

At just before 11 am the road reopened and we were off to Milford Sound. The next part of the road starting gaining elevation and the overnight rain had left a dusting of snow on the road. We had seen the plow go through and the road was in good shape, but once again I was driving on a winding mountain road in snowy conditions. Then we entered the Homer Tunnel a narrow sloping tunnel through a mountain and at the end began down a series of switchbacks to get to the valley floor before. A nerve-racking drive, but we made it safely to Milford Sound.

Milford Sound is not really a sound but actually a fiord carved into the mountains by glaciers. The little settlement there is nothing more than a few lodges and a dock for the cruise boats. The main activity is to take a cruise around the sound on one of the many boats of different size. We had missed our scheduled cruise due to the road closure, but we were able to book another cruise that was leaving shortly after our arrival. The boat only had 22 passengers, but could have handled hundreds so we had plenty of room to spread out. The weather was cold and rainy, but rain is very common in the area. Our boat driver pointed out the silver lining in that the rain runoff resulted in many cascading waterfalls all over the fiord that don't appear unless it is raining. Just past the dock is the large Lady Bowen Waterfall that was surging down the cliffside.

The boat took us out into the fiord and we had lunch while slowly sailing along. We would occasionally bundle up and go out in the elements, but the constant wind and rain kept us inside most of the trip. Even through the rain the view was spectacular with the sheer rock faces and countless waterfalls. We could just make out the tops of the mountains like Mitre Peak and a few times a couple rays of sunshine peaked through to help the view. We eventually reached the mouth of the fiord where it meets the ocean and the wind was ferocious as we turned around. As we came about we we treated to the best of the fiord in all its beauty.

On the trip back we stopped at the underwater observatory for a short tour. The underwater observatory is a large concrete cylinder submerged in the water allowing visitors to go down and view the sea life. The window paned cylinder is ringed by boxes that have coral living in them, most notably the rare black coral. Symbiotic organisms living on the black coral actually give it the appearance of a white tree, but is endangered because of its value as jewelry. We stayed a while and watched as fish ambled by the glass. We returned to the boat and continued the cruise. Along the way, our driver took us up close to a waterfall and got everyone wet. Despite the wet weather, cruising Milford Sound was well worth the difficult drive.

The drive back to Te Anau was much easier and the road was clear for the drive. The rain kept us from walking any of the side trails and we returned directly back to our motel. We had a lamb and venison dinner at the Fat Duck in town before turning in for the night. The following morning we got an early start and drove all morning from Te Anau on the west coast to Dunedin on the east coast.

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