Sights and Sound of Milford

Thursday, October 23
South Island: Milford Sound

Thursday began before 6 a.m. for us. Groggy, we were picked up by a taxi at 6:30 and taken into town in order to catch the bus that was to take us to Milford Sound for the day. The sun was just painting the mountains pink as we boarded our Milford Select bus and hit the road.

Milford Sound (really not even aptly named, as it’s actually a fjord – or fiord as the kiwis spell it – and not a sound at all) is New Zealand’s most well-known tourist destination. It’s a gorgeous fjord on the west coast of the country that you can sail through on ferry boats or hike around, rain or shine. Mostly, it’s rain, as Milford sees upwards of 6,500 mm of rain per year. Our bus driver actually told us that the Sound sees less than 150 rain-free days per year.

Somehow, we had managed to hit one of these 150 days. By the time we were nearing the town of Te Anau to pick up some more passengers, the sky was turning a pale blue as the sun continued climbing. We stopped for a brief lunch in Te Anau, and then hit the Milford Road.

The Milford Road winds through Fiordland National Park, one of the most stunning bits of rugged New Zealand country and coast. Our bus driver regaled us with local stories and legends of the area as we traveled, and kept wondering at our good fortune with the weather. He said it had been a long time since he’d taken a group out on a such a perfect, sunny day. Somehow, our luck was holding out once again.

We stopped at the Mirror Lakes not long after Te Anau, where the mountains are (on good days) reflected perfectly in a handful of still ponds. The fog from the morning hadn’t completely lifted from the little valley when we arrived, however, so the true beauty of the Mirror Lakes was perhaps lost on us.

Our bus wound in and around increasing amounts of mountains, some made of ridiculously tough stone that had been carved out by glaciers. Most of them in this part of the country were still snow-capped, and therefore rather dazzling in the morning sunlight.

Our driver stopped a few times to point out mountain streams and waterfalls, great views, and even some kea birds – the world’s only alpine parrots – in the Hollyford Valley.

We also stopped at a little stream, where our driver encouraged us to fill up our water bottles with what he called the clearest, purest mountain-stream water. Andrea, despite her freakout at the Pinnacles when Jamie had dipped into a clear stream, filled her water bottle with the ice-cold water. Jamie and I each scooped up a handful, and I’ll agree that it was delicious. Our driver told us there was a legend that anyone who drank from that stream would live to be 102, so I’m holding him to that.

Getting to Milford Sound took nearly five hours, and I think we were all fairly thankful to stretch our legs and set eyes upon the famous Mitre Peak at the head of the sound. We were encouraged to take a short walk up into the nearby hills for a good view before our boat was set to sail.

Half an hour later, we were boarding the small, relatively uncrowded Milford Adventurer. Andrea, Jamie and I headed straight for the bow of the boat, and were warned that we stood a chance of getting wet on the way out thanks to a rather strong wind that was blowing inland. I didn’t really care, but as soon as we got underway and the spray starting flying, Andrea and Jamie retreated indoors.

I staying out front for a good portion of the ride out, chatting with a few other study abroad students from Christchurch. We marveled at the mountain waterfalls, and the lush, green rainforests that clung to the sides of the sound. One of the boat crew told us that, on rainy days, the mountains are just covered in waterfalls plunging into the Sound. I could imagine that being pretty spectacular, too, though I was secretly really glad for dry conditions.

We passed by Bowen Falls (one of the waterfalls that’s always present in Milford, no matter the weather), saw a few seals sunning themselves on a rock, and were taken virtually right underneath Stirling Falls. We got a bit damp, but I really didn’t mind too much.

Our cruise through the Sound lasted about an hour and a half, and I suppose I can understand why it’s such a popular destination. However, nothing could compare to what we were about to do next…

On our way to the Sound, our bus driver had mentioned that the other transportation option to and from Milford was by scenic flight – either by plane or helicopter. He quoted prices (which were pretty outrageous – over $500 for some of them), but then mentioned that if he got enough interest for the ride back, he could probably talk to price down considerably with Glenorchy Air.

Jamie, Andrea and I hadn’t really even considered this option, until, right as we disembarked our cruise, he told us that he could get us a flight back for under $200. I know that sounds like a lot, but the price coupled with the perfect day made it sound very appealing. Plus, it meant we didn’t have to ride five hours back the way we’d come on a tour bus. We decided to throw our bank accounts to the wind, and sign up for the “flightseeing” tour.

We were dropped off at the Milford airport, which was so miniscule that I don’t think it can really be considered an airport at all. It consisted of one short runway, and a collection of small fixed-wing planes. It was into one of these (a Cherokee SIX 300, to be exact) that we were soon clambering, along with a young mother and her two kids. Jamie got to sit up front with the pilot, with Andrea and I right behind her and the family in the back. And that was the small plane’s full capacity – 7 people, two of them being kids. I’ve never been in a plane so tiny; it was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. The terrifying factor was probably compounded by the life vests we were required to wear, too…

Once we got into the air, our flight was nothing short of breathtaking. The course our pilot took flew us right over top of the Sound to begin with, and then looped back around over the Southern Alps for most of the flight. The snow-capped peaks were dazzling in the afternoon sunlight, and you could see literally for miles – miles and miles of mountains. I fell in love with New Zealand all over.

We flew over crystal-clear mountain lakes, and even past a waterfall – Browne Falls – high up in the range. It’s actually the tenth-tallest waterfall in the world, and I still have a hard time believing we were lucky enough to see it. Actually, I have a hard time believing we actually took this perfect, gorgeous flight at all. As we sailed above the silent peaks, I found myself realizing how much my helicopter ride the day before paled in comparison.

After perhaps half an hour of coasting over the mountains, one end of long, serpentine Lake Wakatipu came into view. It was a deep, royal blue beneath the plane, and none of us could stop snapping pictures. The whole flight, Andrea and I would swap cameras every few minutes, in order to get shots on both sides of the plane.

We eventually glided over Queenstown itself, and touched down at the small airport. We took some photos outside the plane, and thanked our Glenorchy Air pilot thoroughly. To this day, I quote this flight as possibly my favorite experience in New Zealand. It was beyond amazing, and I wish I was a talented enough writer to properly capture it.

A shuttle took us back into town, and, since we were back roughly four hours earlier than we had anticipated, we decided to do a little souvenir shopping. We hit up all the little souvenir stores we could find – and, let me tell you, there are more than a few in Queenstown – and picked up some things for ourselves and others. I realized how close we were getting to the end as I bought some last gifts for friends and family, and realized just how much I’d done since July. The time had flown, and I had been lucky enough to do far more than I ever imagined.

We grabbed dinner at Winnie’s again, and then Jamie hit up an Internet café while Andrea and I went to check out the newly re-opened Lord of the Rings shop located on the main street. I picked up one or two things there and chatted with the guy working the cash register briefly, before we met Jamie again to catch the hotel shuttle. It was an early night for us once again, with a bit of New Zealand TV thrown in for good measure. Oh, how I miss NZ TV sometimes…

Thrillseeking in NZ's Adventure Capital.

Wednesday, October 22
South Island: Queenstown

We were up extra early the next morning in order to catch the shuttle into town for our early-morning jetboat ride down the Shotover River. We had to meet at The Station – the hub in Queenstown for all things adventure sports – in order to get bussed to the river (which, coincidentally, ran basically right past our hotel). It was a chilly, clear morning, and we were almost happy to receive our ridiculous raincoats and life vests before we boarded our boat.

A jetboat, in case you’re wondering, works almost like I’d expect a hover craft to work. It zips really fast down the river, skimming along the top of the water at ridiculous speeds. Our driver was fun and delivered a thrilling ride – 360-degree turns, taking curves at breakneck speed, and coming dangerously close to the Shotover Canyon walls. We were definitely glad that we had paid a little extra for the Shotover Jet – it was well worth it. And, to top it all off, the handrails on the boats were heated, which helped take a little of the bite out of the ride.

Following our exhilarating wake-up ride, we took some photos by the river, and then it was time for my helicopter ride. Jamie and Andrea walked back to the hotel, and were going to meet me back in town. I boarded another bus with three others, and we were driven up Coronet Peak. The mountain is used as one of Queenstown’s ski fields in the winter months, and also as a taking-off point for a lot of the helicopter tours that pan over the city.

Since I was by myself, I got to sit up front in the chopper, right in front of the control panel next to the pilot. Taking off was a lot different than I was expecting it to be. It’s not at all like taking off in a plane, where you can feel yourself being pushed back into your seat as it accelerates. Taking off in a helicopter feels almost like floating… you’re on the ground one second, and the next you’re hovering feet above it and banking toward the mountains. It’s a loud experience – we all had to wear earphones – but amazing all the same.

Our first stop was the Queenstown Gondola (where the girls and I had had our adventure the afternoon before) to drop one of the passengers off. Coming in to land was almost as fun as taking off; the pilot had a small little square of concrete to set the chopper down on.

After our quick stop, it was over Lake Wakatipu and into the Remarkables. We landed above where the winter ski fields are, at 1538 meters. There was still snow up there, and the city of Queenstown was nothing more than a tiny collection of dollhouses laid out at the foot of the mountains.

We stayed in the mountains for a short while, taking in the birds-eye view, and then headed back down to the Queenstown airport. We thanked our pilot, and then caught a shuttle back to The Station. Andrea and Jamie were already waiting for me there, checking out other exciting things to do. Drebo really wanted to go both parasailing and river surfing. I decided I could spare another $70 to do the parasailing with her, but she signed up for river surfing that afternoon by herself. (River surfing is basically what it sounds like… You get a boogie-board type thing, and float down a river of rapids. Not exactly my idea of a good time.)

We all headed down to the lake front in time for our parasailing. Andrea and I felt bad leaving Jamie out, but she assured us that she’d be back to do it with Adam in a few weeks. Plus, her being on the ground meant that she could be our photographer.

Andrea and I hopped the parasailing boat, which was manned by two younger kiwi guys and their excitable dog. They strapped Andrea and me into our harnesses, and before we knew it, we were going up, up, up into the clear sky above Lake Wakatipu beneath our large smiley face parachute. The sun rose higher in the sky as we were pulled along behind the boat, but it was still a chilly ride. There was one instance where we dipped so close to the water that I thought we were going in, which amused Andrea a bit. I still stand beside my fear – that water would have been freezing!

After we got back to the dock, we headed back into town to find some lunch. We decided on Winnie’s, possibly my favorite discovery in Queenstown. It’s a pizza place, essentially, but it’s set up like a ski lodge complete with retractable roof, and their pizza is thin-crusted, wood-fired, and delicious. We ordered a large “Americana” (basically a pepperoni pizza) and sat ourselves down right next to the fireplace. My fingers were numb after being above the river so long, and the heat felt amazing.

Andrea headed back to The Station after lunch in order to do her river surfing, and Jamie and I decided to make use of our free time and our last afternoon with our rental car. We ended up driving about half an hour to Arrowtown, a quaint little mining town that is famous for being just what it is.

The afternoon was sunny, and Jamie and I just walked the streets of Arrowtown, snapping photos and taking it all in. We stopped in a photography shop, and also Patagonia Chocolates to pick up a snack and a post-surfing treat for Andrea.

We drove back to Queenstown via a different road, which took us past Lake Hayes and eventually to the airport, where we had to turn in the rental car. Jamie and I hung around at the tiny airport until we could catch a bus back into town. Once we got there, we had some time to kill before Andrea was due to get back, so we took a stroll along the shore, where a lot of people had the same idea as us.

Queenstown has such a great, eclectic atmosphere, especially considering its tiny size. We saw a conglomeration of tourists – since they’re who really make Queenstown the resort town that it is – and didn’t mind fitting into that category ourselves for once. Sometimes, I have no shame in being a camera-toting tourist.

We met an exhausted Andrea back at The Station around 6, and decided we could all benefit from a relaxing night in after our various adventures. We settled on getting take-out from Fergburger (basically the most delicious burger place in the entire world), and catching the free shuttle back to our hotel to lounge around, share our stories, and watch TV.

Going to bed early in preparation for an early start the next morning was – needless to say – not a problem for us at all.