Blogs from Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 10

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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound April 2nd 2010

Milford Sound is a very small town with nothing more than a few houses and mainly accommodation for the hordes of tourists that come here to see the fiords on a boatcruise. Most of the tourists don't stay here but are on day trips. Others come here to go on multiday hikes around the mountains. I arrived in Milford sound early in the evening, and after checking into my hostel, I drove down to the main part of the town that lies at the start of the fiords. It was an amazing sight with the sun setting in clear skies all around, quite rare for one of the wettest places on earth. The water coming from the sea moves inland between high mountains and cliffs, looking like a giant lake. The water was very quiet in ... read more
Milford Sound
Milford Sound - biggest waterfall
Milford Sound - water blown aside by the wind

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound April 2nd 2010

Weeks before I went there I had booked a trip on the Milford Sound (first a coach was to take me from Te Anau where I would be spending four nights over Easter and then a boat trip on the Sound) through the Naked Bus Company, getting what I thought was a good deal, but not having any idea what I was going to get. Having spent the last few years in South East Asia where Murphy and his Law is prevalent everywhere, I really wasn't sure what to expect. I often wondered how many times my bus would break down on the way out to the Sound (a two to three hour trip, depending on how many times one stops to enjoy the marvelous vistas). How many times would the tire fly off, roll ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound March 21st 2010

Today we are due on our Milford sound trip, so yet another early start. We are picked up and told - If a crow were to fly todays trip it would travel 60km however, due to the Mountains and terrain we would be traveling 600km. Our first stop was an hour and a halfs drive into Te Anau where we picked up more people and grabbed a bite to eat. The roads were so windy Kerry felt travel sick. Te Anau is the gateway to Fiordland National Park and world Heritage area. We saw some amazing sights and as it was raining the waterfalls were gushing. We also traveled through the Homer Tunnel and were lucky enough to spot and photograph a Kea (a green mountain parrot - which eats the fat from a sheeps bottom). ... read more
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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound March 18th 2010

It's my adventurous day again, but this time I'm taking exploration over physical exhertion.  An early start sees me up and, thanks to Richard and Ester, well fed and by 8am I am standing beside a landing stage overlooking the wide expanse of lake Te Anau in the early morning light. I'm waiting for my bus and guide to take me the 120km into the fiordland national park and part of the world heritage site. I form part of a small group, middle aged ladies and gentlemen from around the world ,filling the stereotype of those who play bridge, a description my mother hates me using. They are a nice bunch of people though and initially a little aloaf, soon accept me into the conversation and plans for the day.  We leave along the shores of lake Te Anau ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound March 6th 2010

There’s a mouse in our house (van)!! It took ages to drive back to Queenstown through Glenorchy, and then even longer through the centre of the south island to Milford Sound - all in all a drive that took all day! (It didn’t help that I wanted us to stop for photos of every bit of scenery that “could have been in the film - lord of the rings that is if you hadn’t guessed). We had a decision to make on our drive to Milford, stay at Manapouri where there was a power station for Nath to visit or go to Te Anue where there was slightly more to do in town and it was 20km’s nearer to Milford Sound. In the end we decided we’d go to Manapouri, not only for a possible visit ... read more
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Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound February 25th 2010

Monday, Feb. 22nd - Wednesday, Feb. 24th Doubtful Sound to Te Anau and the Road to Milford Sound Without a map in front of you it is hard to explain this southwest part of the Southlands of New Zealand. This country of 4 million has few roads and they are hindered by massive mountain ranges and fiords. After leaving the shrouded majesty of Doubtful Sound and our new Dutch friends, we headed to Te Anau - a small but central part of this desolate majestic part of the Fiordlands. It attracts trampers (hikers) from around the world, who seek some of the most breathtaking hiking scenery imaginable. We have learned there is an international faction of travel vagabonds who spend their vacation time traveling/hiking and adventuring around the globe, to places like Ghana, Antarctica, Galapagos, Shanghai, ... read more
Annie and Nico from Holland
Dock Bay Lodge
Dock Bay Lodge

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound February 21st 2010

Rachel: "should we get tuna... wow look at all the different flavors" James: "buy them all!" James: "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited to eat cold spaghetti-o's out of the can every night" Rachel: "why do you keep doubting my commitment to living like a homeless person?" "Let's get a station wagon so we can sleep in it" - Rachel These were all quotes from our first days in New Zealand. We didn't realize the consequences that would result from the decisions we were making that day. They have lead to fun quotes such as: "you should just write about how we are never prepared for anything... nothing... not one thing. Or you could write about all that awful tuna we bought." - Rachel "Ahhh, I slept in the same clothes I went ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound February 17th 2010

Day 82: Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 Queenstown, New Zealand to Milford Sound. Per Contiki brochure: "Need an adrenalin boost? We'll take you to a bridge to jump off! The bungee jumping bridge provides a hair-raising, gob-stopping adrenalin rush. It is one of the options on this tour that separates the tourists from the purists. Pure fun. Pure rush. Why don't you try it? After this we travel to Fiordland National Park, where we head through the Homer Tunnel (D'OH!) for our first view of Mitre Peak and Milford Sound. Then it's all aboard the Milford Wanderer for an overnight cruise taking in all the beauty of the fjord. There's the chance to kayak and see whales, dolphins and penguins along with towering mountains and breathtaking waterfalls. It'll be an evening to treasure!" We left Queenstown in ... read more
and Naked Contiki
Kris Cross won't make me, JUMP JUMP.
The  Milford Wanderer (aka, our hotel)

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound February 14th 2010

Sphère Alors que je quittais le Mt Cook National Park, je prenais le même jour la route de l'est, traversant presque toute l'île dans sa largeur, puis longeant la côte vers le sud. Le hasard et les hôtels bondés des petites villes côtières m'ont donné la chance de m'arrêter dans un petit bijou de backpacker, situé en rase campagne et orienté éco, tenu par une sympathique famille ayant décidé, il y a plusieurs années, de lâcher une vie citadine pour tenter cette petite aventure qui semble plutôt bien leur réussir. Une adresse superbe, bâtie autour d'un jardin où trône un olivier et où simplicité et détente ne sont pas de vains mots. Juste ce qu'il me fallait après une journée bien remplie. A quelques km de là, l'une des plages de la côte recèle une curiosité ... read more
Sphere
Dunedin sur Octagon Square
Mr le Pingouin a l'oeil jaune

Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Milford Sound February 8th 2010

Invercargill would be the last town of any decent size for a long, long time. As a person who is very much use to the general overpopulation characteristics of a gas station and McDonald’s on every corner and the convenience of 24 hour shopping, I grossly underestimated the scarcity of resources available on the southwest and west coast of the island. Also, as I learned, when the map shows no roads in an area, this is because there are actually no roads, it is not because the map is not enlarged enough to see them. I headed off eagerly to Te Anu, half-cocked. This dawned on my holiday-happy brain only after I arrived in the small tourist destination and, unfortunately, that sent me right back to “start.” (most recently known as Invercargill). Back again, this time ... read more




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