Milford Sound

a mirror image on the way to the Sound

The goal was to be on the road by 6:30 am,, so we'd have plenty of time to wind through the steep, snow topped mountains, past the glacial waterfalls,

and be at Milford Sound for a 10:05 cruise through Milford Sound.  We made it with time to spare, which translates to Stress Free, a very good thing.

The cruise pictures won't be mixed up with other boat trips, because the mountains in all the backgrounds are straight up and down rock cliffs.  Rock cliffs, yet heavily forested.  The comentator said that one tree comes up, the second tree tangles its roots with the first, and the progression continues, then moss and lichen add to the mix.   All is well until there are heavy rains and storms that blow over a tree.  That tree slides down the rock cliff, taking the trees in its path with it.  

Just before the end of the Sound, where it becomes the Tasman Sea.  The boat pulled in close to the heavily vegetated shoreline, and told us to scour the rocky edge.  There, patiently waiting to be photographed, was a fjord penguin.  They make their nest in the bush.  

To help us realize just how straight up these cliffs are, towards the end of the trip, the commentator asked every one to come out onto the port side of the ship.  We were then to turn our backs against the side of the ship, hold onto the handrail, and lean back until we were looking straight up, looking straight up at the top of the mountain overhang.  did you follow that?

Milford Sound

When we got to Queenstown, we heard a news blip that the road to Milford Sound had been closed because of a rock slide.  Good timing, we could still be in Milford Sound, looking at those beautiful craggy mountains.