New Zealand

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Sunday 21st November: I've not blogged for a couple of days, as you know I'm living it up in Australia but as I've not finished the New Zealand blog; and there's more, I'll continue.
Sunday early morning start as this is the day we intend to get to Milford Sound. Because you can't get direct to M.S. very few roads you have to travel south to go north west. After about an hour and a half of early morning driving which we take in turns, we came upon Te Anau a very picturesque fiord commercial small town. The lake Te Anua is the largest in the south island 61km (938 miles) and 417m (91,370 ft) deep all the result of glacial action. Many people loke ourselves were heading for Milford Sound but first stopped off at Te Anau before heading another 121km (75 miles). We thought that shouldn't take us too long but what they fail to tell you about is the narrow mountain passes you go through, stunning but wild. You have to go through a tunnel 19km (12 miles) east of M.S. which is 1,200 metres (3,940ft) long, cut out of a mountain. As you leave the tunnel the road slopes dramatically and the views are breathtaking. If the boat trip out of the Sound is as spectacular as this then today is the ' iceing on the cake'. Milford Sound is a 16km (10mile) long fiord and one of the most popular. It's most famous landmark is Mitre Peak. We got tickets for one of the large ferries and boarded for a two hour trip out into the fiord. We sailed along side some basking seals and the captain sailed up to a waterfall so one of the staff could fill a tray of glasses with the fresh water from the fall for everyone, so we all got the chance to taste the pure water. so we had a ceramonial toast. We sailed along shear rock faces towering above us, we felt very small. Parts of the fiord felt as so huge you felt as if you were inside a watery cathederal. Two rocks took the shape of a lion and an elephant at what was named Copper Point. So spectactular it certainly was the iceing on the cake for the south island.But I'm sure there's more to come. Especially as we had the drive back through the tunnel and narrow passes and beautiful scenery. What a day!

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