We had been looking forward to seeing one of New Zealand’s highlights, Milford Sound.
The drive to get there from our overnight stop was very dramatic, with low clouds shielding the mountains we were driving through. At one point the clouds were very dark and created a strange light over the landscape....
Eventually the clouds dispersed and those remaining hung low over the land and roads. Driving into a cloud is a very strange feeling....
The scenery became more stunning the nearer we got to Milford Sound. The road passes through some great parts of the Southern Alps, with twists and turns that make the drive very enjoyable. It would be even better on a motorcycle. The road passes through Homer Tunnel, which has a 1:10 slope in a near-darkness. Great fun!
The fjord is 15km long inland from the Tasmin Sea and has sheers cliffs that rise 3,900 ft / 1,200 metres above the water. We travelled on the 40m long boat, Milford Mariner on a two-and-a-half hour sailing along the sound and back again.
Milford Sound is a World Heritage site, and it is easy to see why....
It was a good day to see such a great place, as this was our 15th wedding anniversary....
On the return journey inland, we saw seals....
The base of the 155 metre Stirling Falls. Trying to take a picture and keep the camera dry at the same time was impossible....
On the way back....
Milford Sound has an average annual rainfall of 268 inches. That is a staggering 22 feet or 6.8 metres, making it one of the wettest places in the world. We were blessed with a wonderful day, with blue skies and sunshine.
As we arrived back at the boat dock, we passed the second of the ever-running waterfalls....
A couple of pictures from the journey back. Who couldn’t like driving on roads like these?
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