Milford Sound

Awesome, spectacular, magnificent – what other words can be used to describe such a wonderful place? The drive to Milford was lovely but just wonderful after Te Anau – towering cliffs with crevasses filled with snow. Then on through the Homer tunnel – it was started in 1935 and took 18 years to build, and 10,000 gallons of water had to be pumped away each day.

We boarded the Milford Mariner at 4.30pm and after a welcome and safety briefing by the Captain we put our things away and went up on deck.

Milford Sound is really a fjord and was carved out many thousands of years ago by four very large glaciers. To say it was breath taking is an under statement – the power and the glory was just so obvious there. We saw some New Zealand fur seals basking in the sun and further on some more playing in the water. We anchored at Anita Bay, just outside the entrance to the Sound. Ross and Colin went kayaking and Adrian and I went in a tender craft around the Bay. When we got back all three boys went for a swim. It was cold but exhilarating and they all jumped in a number of times. After all the water activities, the boat headed back in to the Sound to anchor at Harrison Cove for the night. While the boat was sailing back, the boys all had a warm shower, and then it was time for drinks and crudités in the forward saloon. At the Cove, the sun had come out making the snow and the glacier on Mt Pembroke beautiful shades of pink.

At dinner, we shared a table with some people from England whose daughter is working at Christchurch hospital. Ann, David and Rachel were very interesting to talk to, and they enjoyed our boys who were totally on show with their best behaviour out. Dinner was soup, followed by a buffet roast and dessert which was all delicious. After dinner we watched a slide show of the area. Then bed …only to be woken at 3.45am by Adrian who was excited beyond measure!

The sun only came up around 6.00am and we saw it had been raining all night and was still raining. Normally rain on holiday would not be pleasant but the contrary is true in Milford Sound as the waterfalls were streaming over the cliffs making it a truly spectacular sight. We were all so hungry that breakfast at 7.00am was very welcome and then we started up the Sound into the Tasman again.

On the way the captain piloted the boat really close to the cliffs where the water was thundering over and making a magnificent shower …many people including Adrian, Ross and Colin went out into it.

On the way back we were dropped off at the Underwater Observatory where many species of coral including the rare black coral (which is actually white) grow at a relatively shallow depth. This is a result of there being a tannin stained layer of fresh water on top of the sea water making it much darker at shallower depths.
After getting back to the wharf we said our farewells to Milford Sound and headed south stopping outside the Homer tunnel where there are very naughty Kea.

Then through Te Anau, Manapouri and Invercargill via the Southern Scenic route. It seemed like a long drive because we were all very tired, but it wasn’t really.