20-28 degrees, Sunny
We left the campsite at about 9.20 (having left a note for the warden regarding the disgraceful toilet) for the 60km drive to Milford Sound as we were booked on a 10.45 boat trip. The sat nav said arrival at 10.30 which was cutting it fine but we made up some time on the high plains road as there was nothing in front of us all the way. Until we reached the tunnel, that is.
There is a 1.2km tunnel cut through the mountain which is only one way traffic and is traffic light controlled with a potential wait of 6 minutes – we hadn’t built this into our calculations. We used the time waiting getting ourselves ready for the boat trip and then after about 5 minutes went through the rough hewn tunnel and out other side to a completely different world.
We were heading down to sea level through many snow capped peaks and waterfalls and vistas, but we had to push through to the visitor centre and couldn’t afford to stop. We reached the visitor centre car park at 10.28 only to see signs indicating it was park and ride, which meant we would definitely miss our boat. But the car park attendant took pity on us when we told him our boat time and let us go through to a closer car park but with the warning that we probably wouldn’t make it.
Thankfully we didn’t have to search for a parking space so rushed out of the van towards the centre which signs told us was a 15 minute walk away! Run!
Arrived 5 minutes later very puffed out but we hadn’t missed our boat, we were the last passengers to arrive and got to the back of the queue just as boarding started. Phew!
The trip through the sound was excellent. We had chosen the smallest boat operating so that we could get close to seals, waterfalls and anything else of interest. Wonderful scenery and snow capped mountains all around – it was jaw dropping at times.
Stirling Falls entering the Sound. The wind created by this fall was incredible and the captain drove the boat right into the spray. Clare got very wet, John used her as a shield!
Fur seals basking on rocks
When we returned to the dock we spotted a water taxi running across the harbour to take a walk to Bowen Falls, the main fall in the Sound from which they draw their power and water supply,
We could get right up to the falls and again the draught created by the waterfall was incredible.
We left Milford Sound at about 2pm and took a much more sedate drive back to Te Anau, stopping to look at all the sights we had missed on the way there.
Found ourselves a lovely campsite in the town with views across the valley and it was now scorching hot, so we sat in the sun for a couple of hours admiring the view with a few drinks.
