Blogs from Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 8

Milford Sound is one of the highlights of New Zealand, and the only way to see it is by helicopter, or by cruise. It was formed by a glacier, so it should be called a fjord instead of a sound (apparently!), but it is basically a big body of water, surrounded by enormous, lush green mountains, with waterfalls cascading down from above from every direction. Not the most exciting thing I've ever done, but a perfect sample of the country's outstanding natural beauty. The best thing was the underwater observatory. In only 3 places in the world, there are areas underwater where the sealife of the ocean is replicated inland, as here the seawater is trapped by a layer of freshwater on top. The one here is the most accessible of the three. So we walked ... read more

From Curio Bay we travelled to Te Anau for the night, passing on the way Invercargill and the gorgeous Lake Manapouri. From Te Anau I went to Milford Sound for a 2 hour fiord cruise. This time the weather gods were on my side and it was utterly fantastic. Again, I feel I cannot justly describe Milford Sound. It was quite simply majestic. Massive towers of rock rising from the sea bed having been carved out over a million years by six ice ages and many many glaciers. Technically this means it is not a "sound" at all, but is a fiord. Milford is just one of several fiords in the aptly named area of Fiordland, yet another World Heritage area.... read more

OK, this is almost too much for me to handle. Like a heroin addict dipping into a back alley and finding a fix, here I am being told that we have more time (!) in this little internet cafe in the middle of Queenstown (Melissa is putting some pictures on her blog entry and the slow computer is giving her fits). So, I thought I'd take the opportunity to start writing about our trip to Milford Sound. This will be written by both melissa and me, as I am also working on uploading some photos... Milford Sound is the most well-known of the fiords in New Zealand's Fiordland National Park. Its a World Heritage Site (others include the Grand Canyon, the Pyramids, etc). Check out this link for more info: http://www.fiordland.org.nz/Explore-Fiordland/Milford-Sound/Default.asp Fiords are created by the ... read more

The scenery in New Zealand is impossible to describe, it truely is amazing, and so completely different as you journey through the country. But nowhere is more impressive and awe inspiring as the southern fiordland, and today we journey to Milford Sound fiord to take a boat cruise. The drive itself is amazing, twisting through mountains and valleys. Then through the Homer Tunnel, a bizarre dimly lit hole blasted down through a mountain and out to Milford Sound on the other side. The day is cloudy but clear, and the view is stunning, contrasting the black tannin-stained water with the steep rocky sides of the mountains, Mitre Peak being the highest. We boarded the Mitre Peak cruise boat, a small boat which was much better for close up views of the scenery, and free tea, always ... read more

Milford Sound was our next stop; we decided to go here after numerous recommendations from people we had met. It was a 5 hour drive but we left early after being woken up by an extremely loud snorer in our dorm. On the way we made a couple of stops, one was at ‘Mirror Lakes’, and ‘Homer Alpine’ for a walk and look around. Whilst driving in NZ there are so many places to stop and have a look you have to be selective or you will be stopping every 10 minutes, which was the best thing about having a car and not being in a coach where you don’t have that option. Milford Sound is in the Fiordland National Park and is New Zealand’s largest of these parks. Once in the National Parkland there are ... read more