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Published: April 9th 2007
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Milford Sound
That's all I have to say about that! Jagged mountains sprout out of the pristine sea, their snow-capped peaks glimmering in the morning sun. The low hum of the engine fills your ears as your boat gently pushes along the water, wind ruffling your hair as it rushes by. Dolphins playfully follow, beckoning you to join them, but all you can do is stand on the deck and admire this piece of unspoilt beauty. Seems like one hell of a fantasy, doesn't it? Well it's not a fantasy, it's Milford Sound. It's real, and is another entry on the long list of beautiful spots in New Zealand. Also on that list is the Otago Peninsula (near the city of Dunedin), and Mt. Cook.
But first thing's first, let's start with Milford Sound. You know that expression, 'pictures say a thousand words'? Well, when it comes to Milford Sound, that phrase is absolute bull-excrement. It's the kind of place you really have to see to believe. I took a ton of pictures, and my guess is they say seven-hundred words, tops!
Milford's a place where the sea runs into mountains. Literally, it's sea, then BAM! Mountains. Although called a
sound, it's actually a
fjord, which are
Damn Dirty Dolphins!
At least that's what Charlton Heston would call them. Seriously though, this was pretty cool, they were following alongside our boat for quite a while. "very long inlets from the sea with high steeply sloped walled sides" (
Wikipedia.org). And despite my opening passage (facewash, Margaret Atwood! Total facewash!), most of the time it's not that sunny. Most of the time it's pouring rain. Still, the place is 100%!g(MISSING)orgeous all of the time, no matter the weather. More rain just means more waterfalls flowing down the sides of the mountains. Oh, I didn't mention the waterfalls, did I? Well, there's also lots of waterfalls.
The Otago Peninsula is a pretty awesome place too. Great views and a ton of different wildlife. We're talking albatrosses, sea lions and penguins. PENGUINS?! Goulet! To really get to see this area you have to take a tour because most of the land is private property. Totally worth it though - it's such an experience. For example, I never realized how big albatrosses were before. Their wingspan is over 3 meters! That's a big fuckin' bird! It looks like a giant seagull, and it's really something when they swoop by.
Seeing penguins in the wild was really interesting; I didn't even know penguins lived in NZ until I landed here a couple months ago. The penguins on the
Yellow-Eyed Penguin
Stand up and waddle you son of a bitch! peninsula are Yellow Eyed Penguins and they're kind of shy, so it's difficult to see them up close. But my streak of good luck must still be going; our group managed to see one taking a break in the grass.
As cool as it was to see albatrosses and penguins, the sea lions really stole the show. That surprised me because I've seen these animals plenty of times before. But it's one thing to see them far away on a boat, and quite another to be standing on a beach, maybe 10 meters away from them. For one, they're big.
Really big. We're talkin' about 400 kg big! They're fast too - they can go up to 20 km/h on land! And last but not least, they aren't scared of anything, which is probably why you can walk on the beach alongside them.
Be warned though: just because you can share the beach with these monsters doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful. Our guide said that one of these guys once tried to make him his bitch (the males are always trying to establish dominance with each other). He never did say how he got away from that
Sealy Tarns
Complete with a great reflection of Mt. Sefton! one... and I for one don't want to know. However, he did say he's been doing this job for five years and only had one bad day... I'm guessing that was it!
Last but not least, there is the majestic Mt. Cook. Spectacular-o! There are some super hiking trails here (I did just about every one of them) and super sights too! Take a look at the pictures of Mt. Cook and Mt. Sefton and you'll see what I mean. The area looks a lot different than other mountainous regions, probably because of all the wheat fields (most of the original flora was burned down for farmland many years ago). Personally, I think it makes the area look more unique; it gives it a different flavour. And no, I'm not into interior decorating, so shut up!
Scattered Thoughts
-I recently discovered that a lot of businesses charge a 15-20%!c(MISSING)ommission when they're open on holidays.
15-20%!!(MISSING)!! Stupid Easter! Like food products here aren't expensive enough. Bastards! It's times like these that I wish I didn't have any morals and knew how to shoplift...
-I've been reading like a fiend on this trip and just wanted to recommend
The Airport Smile
This is in Queenstown. I smile like this every time I go to through customs. I also pinch my ass real tight and walk like I'm constipated. Can you hear that rubber glove snapping? a couple of books:
The Great Shark Hunt - Hunter S. Thompson: This book is a collection of articles the late, great Thompson wrote in the sixties and seventies, and also includes a couple of chapters from
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Drug culture in San Fransisco, the Nixon Administration, and various crazy shit that Thompson always seemed to get himself into... it's all here and much, much more. A great insight to life in the sixties and seventies and Gonzo Journalism at it's finest!
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hossini: My friend Natalie, another fellow traveler, recommended this book to me. At first I thought it was going to be some sappy, boring chick book. I mean, just look at the title!
The Kite Runner? come on! However, after reading it, I have been forced to eat my words. The book is phenomenal!!! It's fiction and deals with two kids growing up in Afghanistan, something bad happens, and well, one of them goes to America and, well..., just read the damn book!
And with that my friends, I bid you adieu!
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Sarie Southern Fairy
non-member comment
I miss NZ!
Looking at your pics has made me realise just how much I miss NZ. Have spent quite a bit of time there with my aunt and am moving over there next year - cant wait! The whole place is sooo beautiful! Enjoy the rest of your trip and if you're still in the South Island try to take a trip to Akaroa - you can swim with the dolphins in the wild there and the town is incredibly beautiful! The dolphins are Hector's dolphins which are the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world! (Also, you can get really great fish and chips in Akaroa!)