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…