On Tuesday we set off from Te Anau for Milford Sound, the most accessible of Fiordland's fjords. Incidentally, a 'fjord' is a valley carved by a glacier and subsequently filled by the sea, and a 'fiord' is the New Zealand English spelling of hte same thing.
There's only one road from Te Anau to Milford Sound and it runs through more scenic highlights than you'll ever see in many countries. The road climbs up through the glacial valleys to the 1270m Homer Tunnel, a project that took 18 years to complete. Once we were on the other side, we had the oppurtunity to cycle 18km downhill through the valley to The Chasm.
Being such an easy ride through such a spectacular landscape, I didn't hesitate to get on a bike and down the hill. It turned out to be the most enjoyable bike ride I've ever done, with no traffic and a sky without a cloud in sight.
We arrived at The Chasm in a matter of minutes, far quicker than I expected, and we had a chance to have a walk to the waterfall it's named after. The views around and down the valley were so good that it was almost unbelieveable. Pictures can't even do many of the places I've visited in New Zealand justice.
We got back on to the bus and drove the remaining distance downhill towards Milford Sound itself. With such clear waters, towering peaks and perfect weather, it certainly lived up to the hype that is basked upon it.
A small boat cruise at noon took us out into and around the fjord for two hours, and proved to be one of the best things I've done in New Zealand so far. The luck we had was quite amazing. Fiordland is one of the wettest places in the world, with 7m of rainfall annually, yet there were no clouds. I also chose to stand at the very front of the boat, outside, which as you'll read in a minute was an unbelivably good choice. What happened in the next couple of hours was so good that you wondered 'when the dice would stop rolling sixes', as it were.
We sailed out towards the side of the fjord, admiring the towering sides and the immense Mitre Peak, one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly out of the sea. Waterfalls tumble down from hanging valleys and the vegetation on the fjord's sides are essentially tropical rainforest. There were even a seal and a couple of penguins waddling around on the rocks.
When we got out into the open ocean, something happened which I never expected; a pod of dolphins appeared. You may or may not know, but dolphins don't just sit alongside a ship and swim away; they come over and play, racing alongside almost within touching distance. They especially like swimming at the front of a ship, exactly where I was standing. The next few minutes was awesome, as I took photo after photo and got to see dolphins for the third time in a fortnight. The pod came back again twice, so I got a ton of shots, partly due to the motor drive on my camera allowing me to take photos one after another, like a machine gun. As you'll see, I think I got some stunning images.
Words and pictures can't really describe how good the morning was. I got such a buzz from seeing dolphins so close up and being able to take photos from such a great position. It was even better in the context of the weather and the spectacular scenery. I don't think I've ever been so lucky.
After the cruise, we headed back up the valley to The Devide, where those who were going on the Routeburn Track got off. I didn't opt to go on the three day hike because I would have to buy all of the gear for an alpine walk and don't have anywhere to put it all once I've finished. The remaining seven of us returned to Te Anau, where another great sunset greeted us at an end to an outstanding day.
