- Starting the trip, the Bay of Islands, and the Muriwai Gannet Colony
- The Coromandel Peninsula
- The road to Wellington
- Northeastern South Island — Wine Tasting, Abel Tasman, Nelson, and Havelock
- Kaikoura — marine life everywhere!
- Christchurch, a stay on the farm, and the TranzAlpine Train
- Starting down the West Coast — things are starting to get real!
- A glacier’ing we will go!
- Queenstown
- Milford Sound and Fjordland National Park
From Queenstown, we were off to visit one of the South Island’s Crown Jewels — Milford Sound and Fjordland National Park. The drive takes about 5 hours, especially with all the photo stops. In order to get there by car, you have to drive through the Homer Tunnel, a hard rock carved .75 mile tunnel through the Darran Mountains. this tunnel took 19 years to construct and settlements nearby sprung up to support the workers. It is only a one way tunnel, so we had to wait for a while to get through and that is when we had more interaction with the “bad boy” keas. A group of them harassed car passengers by buzzing them and then try to peel the rubber gaskets out between the windshield and the car. They were not easily scared off either. Anyway, we finally made it through the tunnel and the vistas start to open up. And, speaking of opening up, so did the skies! While this normally would be an annoyance, the massive amount or rain led to many more waterfalls down the massive cliffs than it would have on a sunny day!
The plan was to take an overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner, but before we could even get onboard, “Mischievous Moira” started up again. She came over to Glen and said “I need a hug.” Then she promptly snuggled closely, but then said out loud in an excited voice, “Glen, what are you doing? Your wife is sitting right there!” Needless to say, we got a few looks from the other passengers in the waiting area! Anyway, we left the marina in the late afternoon, accompanied by a very knowledgeable guide. We got our first look at the many permanent and temporary waterfalls, cruising right up to the edge of the cliff wall. So powerful!
We then anchored in a sheltered cove and accompanied the guide on a kayak tour of the area. The highlight of the paddle was a stop at the Milford Sound Underwater Observatory. The center of the facility is a giant clear tube that descends over 30 feet down into the sound. In Milford Sound there is about a 3 foot layer of tea-colored fresh water that sits on top of the saltwater beneath it. Because the fresh water is so dark, the seawater below it has light levels that are roughly equivalent to 200 feet. Consequently, things like black coral and certain species of fish live at 30 feet. Amazing!
After a restful night, we headed out of the sound and into the Tasman Sea to get a perspective of the coastline, mountains, and the fjord from the sea. It was was a little rough out there, but the view was amazing. We then turned around and started to slowly make our way back to the marina. A truly awe inspiring journey!
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
