Milford Sound and Beyond

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July 12th 2006

Published: July 11th 2008

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Milford Sound

Team T's

We had partied made new friends drank loads tried to scar the living daylights out of ourselves and watched England stumble out of the World Cup. It was time to leave Queenstown!

Hopped back on the Stray Bus and headed for Milford Sound. Today was Georgina's birthday and the World Cup final only one of which we where celebrating. We bumped into a few friends made at the top of the South Island apparently on their 3rd loop, you meet all sorts.

It took about 5 hours to get to Milford, we drove into Fiordland National Park. The landscapes where simply stunning, snow topped mountains split by wild grassy plains forests dotted all around set amongst the spectacular fjords. I took some of favourite NZ pictures here. If it wasn't for the bad weather I would definitely have spent a few days trekking but it was so spent our day on a cruise through the fjords. The rain, mist and cascading waterfalls added to the feeling of a land from another time. That night we stayed just down the road in the sleepy town of Te Anau and celebrated Georgina's birthday in the local with neat vodka and birthday

Milford Sound

cake!

Another early start for the 100Km journey to Invercargill, NZ's southern most town founded by Scottish Presbyterians. Only stopping for a mandatory look round a sheep farm, I think the stat is that there are more sheep than people in NZ. Got the guided tour shown the sheep dogs and shearers in action. We where then unexpectedly invited to have a go, obviously Mark and I weren't going to turn that one down. Not easy as it looks you really have to pin the sheep down and get the razor in close, top marks for both of us, textbook technique in fact and told we had potential!

Our friend Mandy now lives in Invercargill and she kindly put us up for a few days. It was nice to stay in a proper house, sleep in a proper bed we took full advantage sightseeing was on hold. We lazed around caught a bit of cricket on TV, hit the local swimming pool for some top board diving action and had a fun night out on the town where Mandy & John beat us all comprehensively at pool.

Recharged we left Invercargill and headed for Dunedin passing through

Milford Sound

The Catlins. We stopped at Curio Bay which has an 180 million year old petrified Jurassic forest and also hosts a yellow eyed penguin’s colony. Watching from the hill just above the beach it wasn't long before 3 of them waddled out of the sea and up the beach. Penguins are great fun they just always seem to be having a good time. Wandering further along the beach we came across a Sea Lion, none to pleased to see us mind. Mark and I played who could stand the closet without it chasing you off. Although slow, carrying a lot of blubber and clearly on the look out for his next meal Mark still proved quite nimble at getting away from the Sea Lion.....!

After Dunedin we headed to our final destination Christchurch. A couple of nights out and a few days taking in the Christchurch sights and it was time to say our goodbyes and head off on our separate ways round the world again.

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