The long way to Milford Sound...

We spent our second night in Te Anau in the Ranch public house listening to the house band murder some classic songs and some local builders telling us that the Queen secretly ruled the world. The drink didn’t help as much as you’d think. We woke up the next morning expecting to be told that the Milford Road was still closed and so we’d be heading off for Queenstown (Adventure Capital OF THE WORLDä). To our surprise the road was going to be open that day, so having waited around just for this eventuality we sorted ourselves out and headed north out of town.

We had been warned about the Milford Road by just about everybody; even the tourist stuff they give you when you get to NZ has stuff about it. About 20 km of a 120 km road is quite steep (third gear kind of steep, think Port Hill Hertfordians), and I’m sure if it was icy you’d have no chance getting up it but the grit was well and truly spread by the time we got there so we didn’t have any trouble. The rest is just a normal, quite easy country road with some fantastic scenery and was worth the drive in itself.

We got to Milford Sound in glorious sunshine and took a one and a half hour cruise, which cost us about 25 quid each. Complete bargain, check out the photos words don’t do it justice. It was definitely worth hanging around in Te Anau (Walking Capital OF THE WORLDä) for, it might even have been worth having to listen to someone tell me in all seriousness that the Queen rules Israel and arranged the Iraq and Afghan wars because she likes guns. He was from Gore (Brown Trout Capital OF THE WORLDä), which is not named after Al Gore regardless of what anyone (Aruna) may tell you.

Milford Sound is not actually a Sound at all but a Fiord so should be called Milford Fiord but it was definitely “sound” in the Liverpool sense! So I was very happy to have seen my first fjord. Only they spell it fiord here but I’m sure it’s fjord? Anyway, however you spell it it’s a beautiful part of the world and the most convincing reason to visit New Zealand I have to offer you at this point. Also it comes with some comical fat green parrots called Keas who quite happily waddle around in the snow.

Today we are off to Queenstown, only I keep calling it Queensland by accident. It will be slightly colder than Queensland I expect. The main reasons we’re going there are one, there’s only one road really so we kind of have to go there, and two, to have a world famous Fergburger! Budd managed to stay there for two weeks so we should be able to amuse ourselves for a couple of days at least..!

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