Milford Sound, finally! Monday, 11/28/16

Milford Sound IS New Zealand -- this glorious fiord comes to mind when you think of NZ's South Island, along with earthquakes and the Southern Alps, not necessarily in that order. Arrestingly beautiful, it's been named one of the Wonders of the World.  Milford Sound is a destination, though the journey to get here from Te Anau and the cruise on the sound were the same to me, and so worth the effort.  Together they made a whole. 

This is an end goal ... once here, you have to turn around and return to Te Anau or Queenstown, 'cause there's no town to speak of, no hotels, streets or grocery stores at Milford Sound.  Instead, throngs of jabbering tourists burst out of coaches, step off buses ... those behemoths lined up like sardines in a single-layer tin ... forming queues, to get on their particular cruise boat, cameras clicking away.  Is this another spectacular spot on earth being loved to death?  I hope not.  Our little Road Scholar group had an 11 am (early) cruise booking, which meant we wouldn't be crowded out. Hooray!

Ready to board.  Gray skies prevailed on the sound before Noon.  Yes, it was chilly, but not cold. You could sit inside and stay warm or roam the outside decks.  You know where we were -- taking in the sights and pictures up top.  (Is it me or are the people taking "selfies," running from location to location, becoming real pests?  Do they even care what they're seeing?  They sure seem pushy.) 

Snow-capped mountains serve as a backdrop for New Zealand's bright red flag.

Above and below:  No shortage of waterfalls on Milford Sound, each meriting a heap of photos.  Two permanent ones exist, and a hundred or more during the rainy season.

Appropriately named Seal Rock.  After diving for food at night, New Zealand's Fur Seals bask and relax (haha) here during the day.  Above is one big ol' male with a herd of females.  Looks like a great place to slide off, whether you wanted to or not. 

Wild, rugged mountains!  Mitre Peak at 1692 m (5,551 ft) is the highest.  Milford Sound's deepest point is 390 meters (1280 ft deep).  I was reminded of a fiord cruise we took in 2010 through Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne Nat'l Pk, Newfoundland, though that one is an "inland fiord." 

One of the world's rarest, we were lucky to get a glimpse of the Fiordland Crested Penguin. Check out the distinctive, bushy yellow eyebrows.  Seconds after I caught it on camera, it plopped in the water.

Red kayaks dot the pristine water above (kayaks can be rented), and it looks like yellow kayaks below. This water has to be cold, but it would be an awesome experience, maybe one I'd like if I was prepared for the really chilly water/weather.  But, maybe it'd be a bit scary, too.

Like a water jet, wonderful Stirling Falls is on full blast!

Looking toward the Tasman Sea, Milford Sound stretches inland roughly ten miles (16 km). Slightly misty conditions near the sea added to the overall ethereal beauty.

Geez, this scene looks primeval.

Might Gandalf, from Lord of the Rings, be lurking around the corner?

Thin cascades dripped off every mountain.

Back on our coach, the driver aimed for Queenstown, maybe four hours away.  I sat with my face glued to the window, drinking in all New Zealand had to offer.  We'll spend a couple of nights in Queenstown, with lots more adventure planned.  What a once-in-a-lifetime day!  What a trip we're having!

But before we get there ... Monday, 11/28/16

Traveling the Milford Sound Heritage Roadway is a one-of-a-kind spectacular alpine journey from Te Anau to Milford Sound (in the heart of Fiordland Nat'l Park).  The trip takes two-and-a-half hours, not counting stops.  Ohmygoodness, the scenery!

In our area of Nevada County, California, we try to eradicate Scotch Broom, considering it an invasive pest.  On the South Island, it adds a brilliant golden hue to the green landscape.   

Our first stop was at Mirror Lakes (above and below), a small tarn (mountain lake) in the Eglinton Valley.  A 10-minute walk provided us ample, and may I add picturesque, views of the Earl Mountains.  A few Scaup were rifling the otherwise calm water.  Check out the sign at water's edge (enlarge the photo above).

In our travels, Jimmy and I have passed these 45 degree signs in the Northern Hemisphere many times, but this is the first time we've ever crossed the halfway equatorial circle in the Southern 'sphere!  Way cool!  BTW, the road sign for the curve ahead isn't for 75 mph ... oh no, that curve would signal a slowdown to 75 km/ph.

A bit further along, at Knobs Flat, was a toilet stop. 

We women, especially, never pass one of these by. 

After reaching The Divide (lowest east-west pass in the Southern Alps), I'm not sure if this turbulent river is the Eglinton or a different one, but it's a doozy.

Our track takes us higher through the mountains. 

As we approach the Homer Tunnel (945 metres/3100' above sea level), we're up in the snow, but the coach is warm.  Homer Tunnel is unlined granite, hacked through sheer rock, and about 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km) long.  Completed in 1953, traffic lights control traffic flows through the tunnel, as it's only wide enough for a single lane.  Avalanches can pose problems here, too, but not today (whew!).

At the traffic signal, as we waited for our turn to go through the tunnel, what to my wondering eyes should I see?  Two Keas sitting atop a small camper (of sorts)!  Kea is a large species of an olive-green/ish parrot found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand.  What a nice surprise!

Once through the tunnel, we begin our twisty descent toward Milford Sound.

Simply stunning show!

And here's one more "but, first!"  Another don't-miss place on the way to Milford Sound is The Chasm, which is like entering a whole new world.  It's a twenty-minute forest loop walk. 

In the parking lot, walking around?

A Kea, obviously unafraid and probably looking for a handout. 

We have just traveled through snowy, Southern Alps, and now it seems like we've entered a Jurassic Park scene, full of terrific greens, with countless types of ferns!  My eyeballs were popping.

We enjoyed some fairly dramatic views of a rock chasm, 

and waterfalls, formed by the gushing Cleddau River.  

The tiny bleeding heart blossom from a very large New Zealand tree!

OK, back to the coach, after such a great little hike.  Now we really are going to Milford Sound. We'll have a picnic lunch on our cruise boat.  More tomorrow!

Te Anau NZ and Takahe, Sunday 11/27/16

Well, the short flight to Invercargill went smoothly, but as you see by the photo below taken from our coach, the city turned sopping wet very quickly.  The majority of passengers sitting near to the front agreed that, for a brief time, blobs of sleet were hitting the coach's huge front windshield.  Jacket weather.  We wouldn't be staying at Invercargill, anyway -- tonight's destination was the small town of Te Anau (approx 1,900 people), roughly 95 miles (153 km) away.

The ride to Te Anau was about two hours, and the foul weather quit soon enough to reveal some awfully pretty, verdant scenery.  Distant mountains are snow covered, but I can't remember which range they are.

No offence to anyone, I hope, but we've been in lots of different bathrooms on this trip as we hop from place to place, and we have seen (what we might consider) some crazy signs. We spotted this one at a potty stop between here and there.

As soon as we were out of Invercargill and "in the country," we saw SHEEP, and more SHEEP, and also lots of dairy cows grazing on this green, green grass.  The animals stay out all year long, no being cooped up on cement floors in barns during the winter months on these rich lands.  Picture postcard!

The lush countryside is beautiful.

When we arrived in Te Anau and before checking into our hotel, we went straight to the Dept of Conservation's Wildlife Centre to see the incredibly rare Takahe bird, which is one of Te Anau's biggest draws. There are only about 200 left in the wild, living high up in the Murchison Mountains, opposite Te Anau on the other side of Lake Te Anau, in Fiordland National Park.  We were told we'd have a very good chance of seeing one in this bird park. (It's officially known as the Wildlife Centre, but the only creatures in it are endemic birds.) And they were correct.  Above, you see a Takahe, which (to me) looks like a goofy, colorful, exotic chicken.  I took its picture thru a wire fence, framing my lens between the chicken wire!

With her two chicks, a lady Mallard followed our group, even getting under our feet!

This handsome fella, tho I'm not at all sure of its gender, is a New Zealand kākā, (Nestor meridionalis), also known as a South Island forest parrot.  Due to habitat loss and predators, these guys are vulnerable. Early settlers introduced mammals like rats, possums and stoats, among other predators, which are responsible for the loss of an estimated 26 million native birds and their eggs each year in New Zealand.  That is a sad statistic.  We heard the same thing from every driver:  There are so darned many possums in NZ, that if they see a possum on the road, they aim for 'em.  (NZ possums look a lot different than North American possums.)  Kākā exist only in small pockets on the two islands.

Our hotel, the Kingsgate, is across the road from beautiful Lake Te Anau, which is NZ's second largest lake.    Don't we have a beautiful view?  It'll be cold in the morning!

And looking down the street, is our spectacular view.

This is a quick overnight stopover ... tomorrow, after an early morning breakfast, our coach will whisk us away to Queenstown for a few nights.  The reason we're in Te Anau tonight? We'll have a head start on tomorrow's adventure -- can't wait!  We cruise on Milford Sound to the Tasman Sea. Hoy!  See ya mañana!