Milford Sound

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Thursday December 27th
We got up early as the journey was going to be a long one. The drive to Queenstown was as usual beautiful and spectacular the snow capped mountains and blue skies just need to be seen. It's so difficult to describe the scenery as it is always beautiful yet in different ways. When you stop and get out of the car the smell hits you, lupins and broome fill the air with their scent and the birdsong is so NZ, distinctive and by now familiar but so different to the UK.We took route 94 which took us to Te Anau where we checked in to our motel for the night all six of us. Went for coffee and a bite to eat in town and then set off for the 120k journey to Milford Sound. This is a journey to be appreciated. It follows the foothills of the mountain range through heavily wooded mountainside, forests and open plains. Towards the last 30k of the journey we climbed up towards the Homer Tunnel this was carved by hand through the mountain over 80 years ago and is over 400m long. We then descended to sea level arriving at Milford sound and travelling through spectacular scenery, high mountains waterfalls and deep gorges.Rob went on a training bike ride back up the mountain whilst we boarded the 3.45 wildlife cruise and the water was choppy. As we moved along the sound which is really a fiord the mountains rose to over 2700m three times higher than the sky tower in Auckland. The weather was sunshine and blue skies although we were told that rainfall made the waterfalls more spectacular, the sunshine was so beautiful on the snow covered mountains. There was little evidence of wildlife, but we did see a lot of sea birds and a colony of seals. We then went up close to a waterfall and could see the rainbow in the spray. The boat ride was scenic even if the wildlife were not there today.We made our way back to Te Anau stopping at mirror lakes to take photos. The colour of the water in the streams was ice blue and seeing the scenery from a different perspective made for a great car ride.We all went to a Italian Pizzeria for a meal which was excellent and deserved its 5star trip advisor award. What a great way to end the day.

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Photos

Amanda, Lea and me Boxing Day
Where's my teeth?

Milford Sound
Steve and me

Waterfall
Nice rainbow

Mountains
Snow capped mountains