Nature's Cathedral- Milford Sound

---

Milford Sound Coach and Nature Cruise

Well I just had to see it. Milford Sound so I booked a coach and cruise. It was much better than your large tourist buses. Its a small van with only 8 of us. The driver stops at a number of different scenic sites along the way and there are 3 short hikes. The drive to Milford is as impressive as the cruise. It has the magesty like Mt. Rainier. We drove from Lake Te Anau from the lake across grasslands and then entered the bush. The forest was old and had been protected since the 1800s. We stopped to drop of some local mail and food to a couple of homesteads (different). Then on to Mirror Lakes in the early morning. The lakes were in shadow but the surrounding mountains were like replicas on the smooth water. Beautiful. Then we stopped at a lakeside for a view and an admonishment from a native diving duck who was protecting her babies. Then it was off to the Homer tunnel. A 1. 5 km tunnel literally through a mountain. We stopped next to it and did a short nature hike through native plants, large stones with a 300 ft waterfall as a back drop. The mountains are shear rock jutting up from the valley in the classic glacial "U" formation. Absolutely stunning! Our guide had an old fashioned water boiler. While we were hiking he sparked up a small cooking fire underneath it and made us some hot water for tea and coffee.

After the break we headed into the tunnel. They recently put lights in it and it is one way in the summer months so it wasn't anything but a great tunnel cut our of the rock itself. At the other end the Milford Valley spread out before us, dropping away as it makes its descent to the actual fjord. We arrived at an incredible fjord with 9000 ft peaks towering over the water. Literally the mountains jut out of the water floor and the 9000ft is above the water. Most of the mountains were stone but there was also a couple of glaciated peaks. Off to our right was a 2000 foot waterfall. Mesmerizing.

We loaded in our Nature Cruise boat that was a sailboat with a motor and relatively small compared to the megacruise ships. We had on board commentary on the sound as we cruised along the sound starting on onside cruising out to the ocean. All along the lower slopes were native plant life. Green from all the rain that this area gets. By the way this day was perfect. The sun was shining and it was warm and welcoming. We saw fur seals basking in the son on rocks along the shore. As we came out into the ocean the mountains became smaller and the rock formations were different. Also apparently they mined Jade in some of the fjord. "The Green Stone" is famous in New Zealand. The water was a deep blue. The waves were calm rollers. The kind that lull you into a state of hypnotic relaxation not the kind that leave you heaving over the side of the boat.

We then turned around and made our way back along the other shore. The highlight was when the boat motored right up to a waterfall that fell from about 500 ft above us. The fjord is so deep that the boat could literally go right up to the mountain wall. I had staked out a position just to the left of the bow when we turned around so I could bask in the sun and take photos. As we neared the waterfall the mist went from a fine mist to a full on soaking. I just hungout under in the mist of this giant waterfall taking in the moment and a unique experience. Everyone commented on how wet I got and they couldn't believe I just stayed there as they were dashing backwards to avoid to much of a shower. I don't know. How often do you get to do something like that on a perfectly sunny day aboard a sailboat in one in an beautiful fjord. Too cool. I loved it.

We headed back and I felt totally content and happy with the day. It was perfect. The ride back in the van was just as great. We did one quick hike to a place called the "Chasm" which is a deep river cut gorge. The trail has bridges over the gorge so you can look into its dark depths as the white water swirls over falls and around water smoothed stone.

Great day. I think I took 300 photos that day.

More later.

Backyard Adventure Girl

Lisa

---

Comments

[John Merritt]

It's All Right
This Girl knows how to live!!! She is so interesting, I am just applauding every move she makes! I wish her the best times ever.

[John Merritt]

Wet!
I hope you didn't get your camera wet!!!

[EILEEN]

wonderful
Thanks for the great sharing! By the way, did you have problems with sandflies on the walks during Trips+Tramps? I have sensitive skin and it became badly infected with those bites many years back. You are so right about the joys of being in a smaller group. I am not sure if you are talking about Trips+Tramps having their own little boat or did they put you on a separate operator? We are going October 06 (3 of us) and want to avoid the huge groups like the plague. Cheers!