After leaving Queenstown we followed the Remarkables mountain range to Fiordland National Park. We were to journey along the Milford road which is supposed to be one of the world's most scenic alpine drives but unfortunately the weather changed, the rain started to fall and visibility was reduced to a few metres by the mist. This area has an annual rainfall of 7metres so the rain was no surprise. At Milford Sound we took a cruise along the full length of the fiord.
Due to the weather we could not see the height of the cliffs but we did see some fantastic waterfalls.
That night we stayed in a small town called Te Anau in a very unusual hotel.
All the rooms were behind a gold mining village facade. I was the gold diggers banker.
Due to the weather we could not see the height of the cliffs but we did see some fantastic waterfalls.
That night we stayed in a small town called Te Anau in a very unusual hotel.
I totally called it!!! Milford Sound (you need to correct your post title!) it is!!! :o)
ReplyDeletePity you couldn't enjoy the view of the Milford Road, it was indeed STUNNING!!!
I spent 3 full days in the area, sleeping in a Backpacker's in Te Anau, right on the Lake! Before I got there though the bust from Queenstown took us to Milford, stopping at a couple of spots along the road to visit other things (Mirror Lake and some waterfalls). Once down at Milford some people went on the cruise, I stayed walking around the side of the Fjord, got my feet in the beautiful water (summer!) and got some fabulous photos of a rare Fjordland Crested Penguin!!!
Next day in Te Anau I wandered around town in the morning and went horse riding in the afternoon. Beautiful back country! The following day I did the last leg of the Kepler Track (on the the "big" hikes). And was so exhausted at the end of it that upon reaching the lake decided I couldn't hike the extra hour back into town so decided to do some hitch-hiking for the first time in my life... and was picked up by a couple from Jasper, Canada... who were friends of one of my Aunts there!!! SMALL world!!!
Then my last day I went back into Milford with a Dive Club. We went in a van, early, got on the dive boat and got in two dives (saw black coral!), saw the waterfalls, did some walking around the bush at the base of one of those cliffs (awesome), swam under a small waterfall and had a blast!!! I had gorgeous blue skies so my cruise was a different experience from yours... but I'm told you haven't really experienced Milford if you don't see it in the misty rain. So I guess I'll have to go back!
Your photos look mysterious and fabulous! :o)
Great waterfalls! The weather was like that when we were there but it is still a magic place to be.
ReplyDeleteWhat an original hotel ! and the waterfalls impressive !
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