we head for Milford Sound first thing in the morning minus Cathy who is not interested in a foggy cruise…the drive there is interesting and some places, like the Eglinton Plain are quite beautiful, even in the mist….as we approach the pass there are signs of clearing….near the Homer Tunnel we are visited by kakas who are very people friendly (nice term for beggars)….when we clear the pass, we arrive immediately in Milford Sound.....the harbour is beautiful and the sky is clearing…..the skies open up for the cruise and we are fortunate to be able to take in this amazing place, described by Rudyard Kipling as the 8th wonder of the world, without rain or fog….my camera fails me again but I managed to recover some of the beautiful vistas…..we stop at an underwater observatory and learn a little bit about the rich eco system that the fiords are surrounded by….black coral, crayfish and seals all thrive in this area as do many other species of fish, under and above water plants, and animal life…..it’s difficult to describe the experience in words or photographs……the actual sound is serene and powerful, mountains towering over you teeming with waterfalls and trees….the place is breathtaking……we head back to camp and more overcast weather but it doesn’t seem as heavy as it felt on the way in to Te Anau…….tomorrow we head to the Catlins…..
Lake Gunn....world's longest lake....and most overcast at this point....
Eglinton Valley....brilliant gold even in the rain...
in the far distance, the pass through Fiordland National Park to the west coast.....
I reach into the car to get my camera and when I look up, this guy is sitting right in front of me......!!
Jess loves birds........
hey, what do ya have??....chips?....I love chips!....cheese?...really love cheese!!....your finger looks good!....HEY! is that a twinkie???.....
navigating the pass........
a splash of blue sky makes us optimistic about the boat trip
a little NZ cafe and nourishment before we head down to the boat.......
the walk from the car park to the harbour is quite beautiful.......
and promising!........
no seriously, that boat doesn't look big enough to go out into that water....what web site did you book this on?!?!!
leaving the harbour, the falls provide an indication of what is to come.......
boats looking like little ants carrying enthusiastic visitors (like us).........
so beautiful and majestic and all that stuff......
a tour boat douses the folks on the front deck at Sterling Falls......
this is where the camera got wet......
this is where the girls got wet.......
seriously, it's not a roller coaster!!
crayfish sell for $60 or more each in New Zealand restaurants........
just enjoying the day......
and the view......
fiords provide high nutrients and higher water temperatures at the surface.....fish and plant life is abundant....
this is black coral....yes, you are right....black coral is white.....(those Kiwis).......
this is a Maori Chief......that's a tube fish in the background.......
lemonfish....very commonly used for fish and chips.....very tasty.......
time to head back to the harbour........
that's the observatory in the corner.....it is a floating observatory by the way.......
the trip back......
I agree.....8th wonder of the world for sure......
if you look closely you'll see all of these bowl shapes in the rocks caused by high velocity rapids containing little pebbles....very cool.......
heading back to Te Anau after a perfect day.........
Lake Gunn....world's longest lake....and most overcast at this point....
Eglinton Valley....brilliant gold even in the rain...
in the far distance, the pass through Fiordland National Park to the west coast.....
I reach into the car to get my camera and when I look up, this guy is sitting right in front of me......!!
Jess loves birds........
hey, what do ya have??....chips?....I love chips!....cheese?...really love cheese!!....your finger looks good!....HEY! is that a twinkie???.....
navigating the pass........
a splash of blue sky makes us optimistic about the boat trip
a little NZ cafe and nourishment before we head down to the boat.......
the walk from the car park to the harbour is quite beautiful.......
no seriously, that boat doesn't look big enough to go out into that water....what web site did you book this on?!?!!
leaving the harbour, the falls provide an indication of what is to come.......
boats looking like little ants carrying enthusiastic visitors (like us).........
this is where the camera got wet......
this is where the girls got wet.......
crayfish sell for $60 or more each in New Zealand restaurants........
fiords provide high nutrients and higher water temperatures at the surface.....fish and plant life is abundant....
this is black coral....yes, you are right....black coral is white.....(those Kiwis).......
this is a Maori Chief......that's a tube fish in the background.......
lemonfish....very commonly used for fish and chips.....very tasty.......
time to head back to the harbour........
that's the observatory in the corner.....it is a floating observatory by the way.......
the trip back......
if you look closely you'll see all of these bowl shapes in the rocks caused by high velocity rapids containing little pebbles....very cool.......
heading back to Te Anau after a perfect day.........
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