Fiordland Cruising


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Published: January 10th 2006
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Milford SoundMilford SoundMilford Sound

This is one of the many spectacular waterfalls in Milford Sound.
The journey from Wanaka to Te Anau gave me a brief glimpse of Queenstown, the adventure capitol of New Zealand. I didn’t have enough time to stop and explore the town, but I could see that I had made a good choice stopping in Wanaka rather than Queenstown - Queenstown was just too big to properly explore in two days. The road to Te Anau followed the rugged shoreline of Lake Wakatipu for a while and then the scenery changed into the rolling, green hills full of sheep that are so common in New Zealand. We arrived in Te Anau around lunch time and I checked into a hostel with a nice lake view and set off to explore the town. The town of Te Anau is situated on the shore of a lake by the same name in the heart of the beautifully scenic and wild Fiordland National Park (the town is actually on the edge of the park, but the scenery is still spectacular). The town of Te Anau is a good starting place for several of New Zealand’s best hikes including the famous Milford Track and the extreme and punishing Dusky Track. Lake Te Anau is New Zealand’s
Lakes on the Road to MilfordLakes on the Road to MilfordLakes on the Road to Milford

There were several lake vistas along the drive to Milford Sound.
second largest lake (Lake Taupo on the North Island is the largest) and it was formed by the movement of glaciers during one of the past ice ages. I didn’t have enough time (or the proper gear) to do one of the multi-day hikes, so I decided to take an overnight cruise on one of the sounds - The word sound refers to a narrow opening or body of water between two land masses, but all of the ‘sounds’ in Fiordland are actually fiords, meaning narrow, sheer walled, glacier carved openings in to the ocean, but when the ‘sounds’ were discovered and named by Capitan Cook in the 1700’s the Norwegian word ‘fiord’ was not yet used in the English Language. Fiordland National Park is part of the Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area and is one of the last strongholds of some of New Zealand’s (and Earth’s) rarest and most endangered animals - There are populations of kiwi and fiordland crested penguins in the remote fiords and a small population of flightless Takahe, which was thought to be extinct, was rediscovered on the shores of Lake Te Anau in 1948. The two fiords that are fairly accessible to tourists
River ValleysRiver ValleysRiver Valleys

The first part of the drive to Milford passed through forests and fields like this.
are the famous Milford Sound and the remote Doubtful Sound - I couldn’t make a cruise to Doubtful Sound work with my schedule, so I reluctantly signed on for an overnight cruise on the small boat M.V. Friendship at Milford Sound. I said reluctantly because, due to the popularity of the Milford Sound cruises, I had heard horror stories of boats, full of people, packing the fiord and giving off the feeling of a busy amusement park attraction - My reluctance was not necessary, as I found out later, because the overnight cruises had the fiord to themselves. That evening at the hostel I ran into a friend that I had met in Franz Josef who was starting the Milford Track the following day. I spent the following day walking around Te Anau seeing the sights - I walked along the rocky shore of the lake and watched the float plane take off and land on the water, I toured the wildlife sanctuary and got to see several of the rare, native birds including the beautiful Takahe and I watched as a large storm rolled in shrouding the mountains on the far side of the lake in a misty fog.
The Hidden RapidsThe Hidden RapidsThe Hidden Rapids

These are the rapids that we walked to on our way to Milford Sound.
I got on the shuttle to Milford Sound in the afternoon and, after watching someone use a whole can of insect repellent on herself (she was apparently scared of interacting with the local sand flies, which have a bad reputation in Fiordland), we were on our way.

The 119 km drive from Te Anau to Milford passed through a scenic wonderland of large forests and lakes broken by expansive, flat, river valleys walled by sheer cliffs and rugged mountains. After a while the road began its winding ascent out of the valley into the mountains of the divide passing several large waterfalls cascading down from the mist covered heights of the surrounding peaks. We made several stops along the way to Milford to take in the beautiful scenery. We even did a short hike over a swing bridge and through the beach forest to a spectacular section of rapids that our guide knew about on the trail to Lake Marion. Our final stop before reaching Milford Sound was at the entrance to the Homer Tunnel, which was a one lane tunnel we had to drive through to get to the fiords. At that stop we could see down a
The KeaThe KeaThe Kea

The kea is a parrot that lives at higher altitudes in New Zealand. They are funny to watch.
spectacular amphitheater-like valley surrounded by sheer peaks topped with glaciers. It was at that stop that I had my first sighting of the kea, a large alpine parrot that is common at higher elevations in New Zealand and is a notorious scavenger (the posted signs say it has been known to eat the rubber weather-stripping from around the windshields of parked cars). We also got to see an avalanche that happened, as if on cue, immediately after an explanation of the danger of avalanches in the area by our guide - He was as surprised to see it as we were! It started to rain as we were taking pictures of the keas, so we got back on the shuttle and headed to the tunnel. We waited for a few minutes at the entrance to let the oncoming traffic clear out of the tunnel and we got the green light to proceed. Construction of the Homer Tunnel began in 1935 as a way to provide much needed employment during the depression and it wasn’t completed until 1953 due to a large break in construction for WWII. The windows of the shuttle steamed up and we encountered thick fog when we
Avalanche!Avalanche!Avalanche!

This is the avalanche that I saw at the entrance to the Homer Tunnel.
exited the tunnel, so we didn’t get to see much else until we pulled up to the cruise terminal at the fiord and got out. We went directly into the terminal and got our boarding passes and then went outside to the docks to wait. My first view of Milford Sound was one of fog and rain, but rain was a good thing there because it fueled the many spectacular waterfalls that cascaded into the water from the cliffs above. There were four vessels at the docks and my boat, the M.V. Friendship, was the smallest and the last one to leave. I watched as the captains of the larger boats backed out of the slips, which seemed like an impossible feat to me due to the small space they had to work with between the docks and the break-wall (I have difficulty maneuvering small motor boats though), and headed out towards the sea. The rain stopped and, as we boarded the Friendship, diffused rays of sunlight began pouring through the mist revealing the faint outline of the hidden walls of the fiord - It was a magical sight. On board, we were greeted by the ships crew and we
The Homer TunnelThe Homer TunnelThe Homer Tunnel

The Homer Tunnel was built between the years of 1935 and 1953.
met our fellow passengers. We discussed the plan for the cruise and the safety rules for the ship while we enjoyed a delicious bowl of mushroom soup. In all there were six of us on the ship, two crew members, one couple from Christchurch, me and another American - The small group meant more flexibility as far as the activities went and also there wouldn’t be a wait for kayaks when we stopped for the evening. By the time we got out into the middle of the fiord the mist had lifted leaving only the tallest peaks hidden in the low clouds that were still concealing the sky. We began cruising along the southern wall of the fiord heading west towards the Tasman Sea. Our guides pointed out all of the interesting geologic features and history of the area as the shear cliffs passed slowly by on the port side of the boat. They told us of the wildlife we could expect to see and explained the plight of New Zealand’s unique native birds and their seemingly losing battle against extinction - Even in the remote fiords there is a problem with the introduced predators. When we came around a
Shear Cliffs & Cruise ShipsShear Cliffs & Cruise ShipsShear Cliffs & Cruise Ships

The cliffs of the fiord were formed by the movement of glaciers in a past ice age.
sharp corner of the cliff we were following we saw two big waterfalls, one of which was cascading into the water. I was standing in the bow of the boat with the other passengers, because it allowed the best views of the passing scenery. The captain of the boat headed straight for the first waterfall, which was the one landing in the water. We were close enough to feel the mist coming off of the falling water on our faces when the captain got on the intercom and told us to put our cameras away, because we were about to get wet! He continued straight ahead and put the bow and everyone standing there directly into the flow of the cascade - It was a refreshing, but cold shower that left us all energized and shivering. It also showed us that the shear cliffs continued below the surface to a great depth, because the bow of the boat was only a few feet away from the rock wall. After our brief shower we continued along the southern wall passing many more waterfalls while we learned more about the fiord. We learned that there was a layer of fresh water on
A Landscape of WaterfallsA Landscape of WaterfallsA Landscape of Waterfalls

There were waterfalls everywhere as we passed through the fiord. This waterfall is the one that we went into with the boat.
the surface of the fiord that was full of tannins which gave the water a dark brown color - Massive amounts of rain and the flow of many large waterfalls coupled with the calm waters in the fiord allow the freshwater layer to form. The tannins in the freshwater prevent sunlight from getting down into the saltwater causing an unusual darkness in the shallow depths that is a lot like what would be present in the deepest parts of the ocean. Due to the darkness, many deep sea life forms can be found in the relatively shallow depths of the fiord. The steep walls were blanketed in large trees that somehow found a precarious foothold on small ledges and cracks in the rock. At several places along the cliffs the forest was broken by large, barren patches of rock that were the result of what our guide called tree avalanches. Tree avalanches happen when the ground gives way under the trees or the trees get too large to be supported by their narrow hold on the cliffs and break away, taking all of the trees below them along for the ride - We saw several examples of the resulting pile
A Refreshing ShowerA Refreshing ShowerA Refreshing Shower

The Captain put the bow of the boat right in the flow of the waterfall. This is me after my shower.
of trees in the shallower parts of the fiord. Every once in a while the blanket of green on the slopes was broken by islands of red, which were caused by the red beech tree, also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree. As we approached the Tasman Sea we had our first wildlife sighting - A pair of bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins were riding the bow wave of another cruise boat, and our captain got us close enough to see them, hoping that they would break away and join us instead - They did not, but we were close enough to watch them for a while. The sheer cliffs started to fall back to lesser slopes, the channel got wider and the water got rougher - We had reached the sea. We were greeted by blue skies and sunshine, which was a nice change from the misty, overcast vistas in the fiord. We enjoyed the early evening warmth of the sun and marveled at how well the opening of the fiord was concealed - From the sea it looked like a shallow bay. We headed back towards the calm, sheltered waters and quickly had our first of many penguin
The Fault LineThe Fault LineThe Fault Line

This waterfall follows one of the area's many fault lines.
sightings of the cruise. The fiordland crested penguin is only found in the waters of Fiordland National Park. It is a small penguin that has a yellow crest in the shape of a V starting at its beak and ending in protruding horn-like feathers at the back of its head. They make their nests amongst the boulders and tree roots along the shore of the fiords, but they spend most of their time in the water. The penguins are shy animals, but we still got to see five of them before it was time to move on - It is ironic that in one evening in Milford Sound I saw more penguins than in the entire nine months I spent in Antarctica! We headed to the north wall of the fiord and quickly found a group of small New Zealand fur seals basking on a large rock - They climb surprisingly well for an animal with no hands and feet. We came to a large waterfall (too big to put the boat in thankfully, because I was enjoying being dry and warm again) that was being fed by a large, still hidden glacier. It was nearing dinner time and we
Mountains in the MistMountains in the MistMountains in the Mist

The peaks that surround Milford Sound are very rugged and steep.
had reached the end of our tour of the fiord, so we headed towards the place we would moor for the evening, accompanied by the wonderful smell of steak and chicken cooking on the grill at the back of the boat. Suddenly, while we were cruising in the middle of the channel, the clouds parted and sunlight poured through the cliffs filling the fiord with a warm, orange light. For the first time we could see the famous beauty of Milford Sound unobstructed. The shear, triangular form of 1692 meter tall Mitre Peak to the south and the giant glacier covered mountains to the north were in view for the first time, complimented by several full-flowing waterfalls and a big rainbow stretching across the sky - The view was stunning. We reached our mooring and sat down to eat another excellent meal while we told each other about our lives. While we ate, a roving cloud came out and stopped above the boat - It was raining on us, but sunlight was still highlighting the tops of the peaks surrounding us. We decided to go kayaking despite the rain and in a few minutes we were each in our own
New Zealand Christmas TreeNew Zealand Christmas TreeNew Zealand Christmas Tree

There were several spots of red in the blanket of green on the walls of the fiord. Our guide called this red beach and New Zealand Christmas Tree and one of the passengers called it a rata - I don't know.
kayak, gliding across the smooth surface of the water. I proceeded to the edge of the cliff closest to us and I followed the contour of the fiord looking for wildlife and whatever else came my way. The rain was slowing and another large rainbow formed in the waning light of the setting sun which necessitated a stop to get my camera out of the waterproof case. Later I startled a large group of shags sitting in a tree hanging out over the surface of the water - The last of them had flown away before I could get the camera out again. I glided across the water occasionally passing through large tufts of submerged grass, the tops just protruding past the surface. I passed through several clouds of sand flies, but I never noticed the behavior that has given them such a bad reputation - I was only bitten twice the whole time I was there and I didn’t use the repellent. The sun was nearly gone and a full moon had come out, so I decided to make my way back to the boat. I stopped the slow, exploratory pace I had been following and paddled as quickly
Blue-Green WaterBlue-Green WaterBlue-Green Water

As we approached the Tasman Sea the water started to take a very tropical appearance.
as I could to get back - It took me nearly ten minutes of hard paddling to reach the boat, so I must have gone a long way. I stopped to try to get a few pictures of the boat before I went in. We spent the rest of the evening talking and retired to bed early. I woke up around six in the morning completely refreshed and went up for coffee. We all piled onto the tender craft and headed across the glassy-smooth water towards Sandfly Point, which is the ending point of the Milford track. The morning was beautiful, so we decided to hike a short distance down the track to a nice overlook. The forest scenery was nice and the trail well groomed. Occasionally we passed little eyelets fastened to the trees, which our guide told us were used to hold up a continuous piece of copper wire that went the length of the trail - It was apparently used for communication until the phone lines were run to Milford. Our guide also pointed out some of the strange plants along the trail, one of which had adapted to the presence of the giant moa (a nine
Mailbox IslandMailbox IslandMailbox Island

Some of the early settlers in the area used this island as a mailbox - Passing boats would pick-up and drop-off mail there.
foot tall bird, now extinct) by having spiky, inedible leaves as a sapling that turned into normal leaves when it had grown taller that the moa. We reached our destination and enjoyed a view down the river towards the fiord - It was worth the short hike. We quickly made our way back to the tender craft, which was being guarded by a pair of New Zealand pigeons and we were on our way back to the Friendship. We ate our last meal on board and then we headed back to the docks and our ride to Te Anau - I am glad that I got to experience the beauty of Milford Sound and I would highly recommend the M.V. Friendship to anyone looking for an overnight cruise.

The ride back to Te Anau was a lot of fun. The sky was blue and the temperature was warm. We made several stops along the way and did a few short hikes (we even picked up a Japanese hitchhiker who added a lot of flare to the ride back). The hike we did was to the Chasm, which was a large waterfall passing through a heavily eroded chasm, or canyon
A Cloudy SkyA Cloudy SkyA Cloudy Sky

This is what the sky looked like for a lot of the cruise.
- It was a very nice, but heavily developed walk. We pulled back into Te Anau at lunchtime and several of us went to a small café for lunch before parting ways (most of them were heading on towards Queenstown).

The following day I decided to hike an eight mile section of the Kepler Track (four miles each way) to the swing bridge at Rainbow Reach. The hike followed the Waiau River and passed through a large forest, blanketed in moss and full of bird life. I passed several hikers finishing up their multi-day trek, which made me wish that I had found time to do one of the tracks. I came to a place where the trail descended via a few switchbacks through a ravine filled with giant trees, but no undergrowth - I thought it was the most beautiful part of the trail and apparently I wasn’t the only one, because there was an elderly couple seated at the base of one of the larger trees resting. I was surprised to see them because it was a long walk to get there, but they were as happy as I was to be there - I hope I
New Zealand Fur SealsNew Zealand Fur SealsNew Zealand Fur Seals

These seals were youngsters, but they sure could climb.
am that active when I reach their age! I reached the swing bridge after having a wonderful walk through a cool, breezy section of the forest and I walked out to the center of the bridge, took a seat for a few minutes and enjoyed a small snack before I started back towards town. The return trip went quickly and I made it out just as the sky was clouding over. I hiked the last ten minutes of the trail with a few ladies from Canada and Germany who had just finished the multi-day hike and we shared stories of our time in New Zealand. I made it back to the hostel early and scheduled my shuttle to Dunedin for the following morning - I was going to take the longer scenic route along the southern coast through the remote Catlins.



Additional photos below
Photos: 35, Displayed: 35


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The Ten Story FallsThe Ten Story Falls
The Ten Story Falls

This is one of the tallest waterfalls in Milford Sound. We did not pull the boat under this one.
A Close UpA Close Up
A Close Up

I just liked this picture. It is a close up of the big waterfall in the previous picture.
After the Clouds PartedAfter the Clouds Parted
After the Clouds Parted

The best view of Milford Sound Came as the day was ending.
Mitre PeakMitre Peak
Mitre Peak

Mitre Peak is the most famous feature of Milford Sound and it was shrouded by clouds for most of the cruise.


10th January 2006

I love New Zealand!
Great pics! Hope you are well!! K
10th January 2006

Pictures are so nice!!
14th February 2006

Kepler Track
I think Kepler track looks like an Ewok village. Great photos - I am very impressed with your travels - esp since we have just arrived in Christchurch from Aus - it's particularly interesting for me. We'll hopefully make it to a number of places the same as yourself. Cheers, and thanks for sharing fab trip info and great shots! Sharon.
17th August 2009

wonderful story
Thank you for your story. I might do an overnight on the Doubtful Sound fjord in October.

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