Milford Sound
Last time I was in New Zealand I did not get a chance to visit Milford Sound, so I was really excited that we were going to make the 5 hour drive there and stay for the weekend. We thought that we were used to driving by now, but nothing could prepare us for the windy, narrow, mountainous roads full of hairpin turns, steep incline climbs and fast dipping slopes. We felt like we were in a car commercial the entire time! The views and scenery continued to amaze us on every turn. It was a truly beautiful drive.
Since we had gone fishing the day before we had to purchase a 24 hour fishing license. We left Queenstown early enough in the morning that we still had a few hours left on the license. We pulled over at a rest stop at the banks of a river for a picnic and then pulled out the travel rod and reel we had with us. It was really one of those magical New Zealand moments. What looked like a small spot with a picnic table off to the side of the road ended up having a path that led straight down to an untouched beach and river. Everything looked perfect – the sun was shining, the sky was bright blue and the water was perfectly clear. We didn't think that anything would bite- but all of a sudden Joey saw a big dark shadow swimming in the water and chasing our lure! We didn't end up catching anything- but Joey was so excited that we actually saw some signs of life. It was a wonderful “at one with nature” moment. Once our fishing license expired (they are very serious about that here) we got back in the car and continued our drive to Milford Sound, where being “at one with nature” is taken to a whole other level.
Milford Sound is actually just a small part of the enormous Fiordland National Park. The park is huge and very remote. We had to drive about one and a half hours out of the way to get to Milford Sound, because there is only one road in and out. But this road is one of the most amazing drives in the entire world. Driving up and down huge mountains along winding roads, passing waterfalls and rapids and rolling through ancient moss covered forests – that kind of describes the drive. We were enjoying the scenery until all of a sudden we arrived at a tunnel. There was no more room for the road so they had to blast right through a mountain and create a road going through the mountain. It was called Homer's Tunnel. It was the scariest tunnel I had ever seen. It was as if they dug it out with a spoon and didn't bother to finish it once they reached the end. The jagged walls and constant dripping of water reminded us that we were driving through an actual mountain. There were a few light bulbs strung along the wall- but they barely lit up anything in the dark and only really created shadows that made the drive even more scarey. Thankfully it is a one way tunnel so we didn't have to worry about oncoming cars. After the tunnel and a few more miles to go we finally arrived at The Milford Sound Lodge.
Fortunately we were able to book a reservation in the only accommodation in the entire Milford Sound area. Unfortunately there was a glitch with the computer and the only room left was a room with bunk beds. We didn't mind as it added to the camp-like atmosphere, away from civilization, and relying on flashlights and bug spray to keep us safe. The weekend at the lodge was the perfect blend of relaxation with a little bit of adventure.
Over the weekend we rested and walked around a little. We took in the beauty and quiet of the Fiordland National Park. Except for the breeze, some birds and the running water of the river, the entire place was silent. Sunday morning we went to the waterfront dock and took a 3 hour cruise around the Milford Sound. We saw beautiful scenery as the boat sailed around the peaceful body of water. There are hundreds of waterfalls all along the mountains that pour icy cold water from melting snow from the recent rains. The best part of the cruise was when the boat driver announced we were going to get as close to one of the waterfalls as possible. As the boat inched closer to the pounding water we felt the mist of water and wind get stronger and stronger until finally it felt like we were being consumed by the powerful gush of water. It was an amazing feeling and experience.
As the boat continued to sail we even got to see some natural wildlife. To the left and right of the boat we caught a glimpse of seals jumping and playing in their natural habitat.
After an amazing morning on the water we continued our drive to our next stop- Fox Glacier. Since the drive is about 8 hours we decided to take a break on the way. I was excited to see that the little town of Wanaka was on the way- and insisted that we stop there. I had been to Wanaka 6 years ago and went to a small museum called Puzzling World. I was so excited that it was still there and made Joey stop there and see it. It is not a typical museum. Its more like a fun-house full of brain teasers and optical illusions. They also had a giant maze in the back, but we decided against it because we still wanted to get to Fox Glacier in daylight. We included some of the brain teasers in the pictures- so enjoy and good luck!
Even though we aimed to get to Fox Glacier before dark, we underestimated just how far of a drive this actually was. The sun was setting fast while we still had about an hour to go. We weren't too disappointed as this was one of the most beautiful sun sets that we got to see on this trip. We pulled over on the beach along the west coast of the South Island, stopped rushing, and just enjoyed the beautiful moment.
