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Published: March 8th 2011
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Our first full day in New Zealand.
Set alarm and surprisingly had no difficulty getting up. Bus met us at the main entrance to our motel and off we go, Lovely knowledgeable driver with a great sense of humour. His running commentary kept us well informed and entertained during the day.
I am not a fan of bus tours but this was areal delight for our first day in New Zealand as we were not driving and could relax. 4 and a half hour drive to Milford Sound via twisty, narrow roads through strange country driving on the wrong side of the road. It was good to NOT be driving. And we were still tired and a bit disoriented.
Headed to south to Te Anau - a cute little village on the shores of Lake Te Anau. Here we stopped and had a potty break (pay toilets!) and a chance to stretch our legs and shop a bit. Driver recommended the lamb or steak pies and they were delicious. Norm and I picked up a few souvenirs including a raincoat for me – which thankfully, I have yet to need.
Onward. There had been a severe rainfall just a day earlier
that had caused rivers to overflow and some flooding. One man who had been hiking in the Milford Sound area was rescued by helicopter the day we were in Milford Sound, He had escaped the flooding by climbing high in a tree. We stopped at a beautiful area to see waterfalls in a chasm and also at the Mirror lakes. Water so clear and pure and still that it reflected like a mirror. One more quick stop at "The Chasm" - a unique rock formation and waterfalls. Short 20 min hike. Also saw some Keas here. Keas are South Island New Zealand parrots, very very smart parrots who have the intelligence of about a 5 year old child. Like children they beg and scream and like to take things apart.
At Milford Sound we said good bye to our driver and boarded our boat fro the cruise and got our lunch. It was a bit windy and cool so I was grateful for the jacket. Amazing, rugged landscapes. Milford Sound is a Fjord – a long jagged cut in the rocks created by a glacier along the ocean. Wonderful waterfalls. Some of the waterfalls like the disappearing Falls did not
even reach the fjord. The water cascaded off the rock and evaporated or vanished before it hit the water level below. The boat took us right up to several of the waterfalls – so close many of us got wet. The water was so clear you could see down quite a way.
Saw fur seals resting on the rocks in several places. cruise went out to the ocean and then turned back.
To avoid the long drive back to Queenstown and see things from a different angle.Norm had booked a flight back to Queenstown. 4 and a half hour drive back over the same roads we came on , or a scenic 20minute flight? We choose the flight. It was beautiful to see the mountains from the air, but the ride was rather bumpy. This day was the first they had been able to fly for several days dueto weather. It was still abit rough.
Back to Queenstown and out for supper. Queenstown reminded me very much of Victoria - harbour, very Victorian, very touristy downtown. Mild climate, even had similar stores and buskers on the street.
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