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You are here: Home / Archives for Milford Sound

Milford Sound

Milford Sound—Part 3—The Trip Back

March 21, 2021 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

After we walked everywhere we could around Milford Sound, we gathered at the back of the vans to eat our sandwiches. It was raining, so some of us stood under the open back door; others got inside and sat in the seats. Wherever we were, the sandflies were BAD! They came in clouds, attacking every inch of exposed skin. We didn’t waste any time eating, and got on the road again quickly to escape the hungry hordes.

This is what we saw as we got on the road again. The mountains were absolutely spectacular, even through the rain.

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Here we were heading up to the Homer Tunnel again, from the seaward side. Again, there were sheer rock cliffs going straight up. It’s nearly impossible to get a feel for it from a photo. I was absolutely awestruck by these mountains.251-IMG_7438252a-IMG_5088252b-IMG_5089252c-IMG_5098252-IMG_7439

There’s the tunnel! I was quite disappointed that the light had just turned green. I was hoping we would have several minutes to sit there waiting, and soak in the grandeur of the scene. 253-IMG_7440

Have you noticed the water streaming down the rocks all around?254-IMG_7441

Going down the landward side.255a-IMG_5100255-IMG_7443

We stopped at a pulloff beside a waterfall. Miss Joy was asleep, so I stayed in the van with her while the others went to the viewing platform. This kea was on top of a motorhome; it rode for a little ways, and then flew back to our vans. 256-IMG_7445259-IMG_7449

Miss Joy didn’t sleep long, so I got out of the van and went to see the waterfall, too.260a-IMG_5101260c-IMG_5105260d-IMG_5109260-IMG_7450261-IMG_7452

When we moved on, the red van went ahead. Maybe I needed to feed Miss Joy? I can’t remember for sure. That left Esther and the two little girls and I together when we stopped at another overlook where we could see this spectacular valley. I can’t remember what it was called, but it was an amazing sight.262a-IMG_5113

Our next stop was the Cascade Creek Nature Walk at Lake Gunn. Miss Joy needed some time to play, so I stayed in the gray van with the two little girls while everyone else went on the walk. These are Esther’s pictures.262b-IMG_5114262c-IMG_5116262d-IMG_5118262e-IMG_5119262f-IMG_5120262g-IMG_5121We also stopped at Mirror Lakes. A nice boardwalk led along the edge of a beautiful pond.

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We were trying to get a picture of all the children, and another tourist offered to take our family picture, so we quickly organized for this.266-IMG_7459

Then, we went back to work on the children’s picture.267a-IMG_5138

Miss Joy didn’t want to be separated from Mommy.267b-IMG_5141

Finally, Daddy had to help keep her in place while I took the picture.267c-IMG_5143

When we got back to Te Anau, we still had a few hours of daylight, so we stopped at the bird sanctuary. This is a takahe, a very rare bird. They have a couple of pairs there.267d-IMG_5147267d-IMG_5149

These are blue ducks, also very rare.267d-IMG_5159

Paradise ducks aren’t exactly rare, but we enjoyed watching them. The mother (the one closest to the camera) was very worried that we would hurt her babies, and kept trying to get us through the fence.267d-IMG_5161

This is a relative of the kea, some sort of a parrot, but I don’t remember what it’s called.267d-IMG_5164

This is another parrot.267d-IMG_5169267d-IMG_5171

A table and chairs just her size!267d-IMG_5173267e-IMG_5175

A little house for her, too!267e-IMG_20210106_174411

This is the view from our friends’ house. I would love to see it on a sunny day!267-IMG_7460268-IMG_7461Here is a video put together from several clips that various family members. The first clip was taken in the Eglinton Valley, on the way to Milford, by Mr. Imagination. Next is Esther’s clip of going through the Homer Tunnel, and then of going down the mountain from the tunnel. After that is a clip from sea level at Milford Sound, followed by one of the waterfall where we saw the kea. Then, there is one of Lake Gunn and a few from the nature walk.

Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Holiday Trip, Milford Sound, Video

Milford Sound–Part 2

March 17, 2021 by NZ Filbruns 1 Comment

We were excited to go through the Homer Tunnel. Around eight years ago, we read a book titled Below the Mountains, about digging this tunnel, and have wanted to see it ever since. It is about 1.2 km long, and was blasted out of solid rock. It goes down at a 1 in 10 gradient. It is only one lane wide, so there are lights at each end. At times, people have to wait up to 20 minutes to go through. We only had to wait about a minute and a half—just long enough to get out, stretch, say hello to the kea who was keeping an eye on the traffic, and jump back in.

The mountains surrounding the south side of the tunnel are incredible! As far as we could see through the mist and rain, there was roughly a horseshoe of cliffs going straight up, with waterfalls coming down here and there.

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This kea was hopping around beside the road, looking for handouts—we didn’t give him anything!225-IMG_7396226a-IMG_5026226a-IMG_7397226b-IMG_5022226c-IMG_5025227-IMG_7398228-IMG_7399

Into the tunnel!229a-IMG_5029

And out the other end.229b-IMG_5031

On the north end, toward Milford Sound, the road goes down sharply in a series of switchbacks. The tunnel is at around 900 meters above sea level, and it takes only 15 minutes to get to the sound! That is a fast descent.229c-IMG_5036229d-IMG_5037

We have arrived at the Sound!229-IMG_7400

The sheer cliffs are incredible.230b-IMG_5041A duck on top of a campervan.

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Some of the cruise ships tied up at the dock.230d-IMG_5046230e-IMG_5048230f-IMG_5050230-IMG_7401231-IMG_7402

Mr. Sweetie under a tree.232-IMG_7403

Sometimes we got to see Mitre Peak, the famous mountain out in the fjord.233-IMG_7404

That large white splash in the center is a huge waterfall.235-IMG_7406236a-IMG_5051

Gayle and James figuring out where to go next.236c-IMG_5054

We walked out on a strip of land that goes a ways out into the sound.236d-IMG_5059236e-IMG_5061236-IMG_7407

We got a good view of the spectacular waterfall from out there.237-IMG_7409238-IMG_7411239-IMG_7413

Elijah, Mr. Sweetie, Simon, Mr. Diligence.241a-IMG_5069

Me with Miss Joy, Gayle, Mr. Imagination, Little Miss241b-IMG_5070241c-IMG_5071

An oystercatcher241e-IMG_5078241f-IMG_5079

Paradise Ducks241-IMG_7416243-IMG_7419

The mist about half way up the right side of the picture is from the waterfall.244a-IMG_5080

Mr. Imagination found this crab.244-IMG_7421

Baby Paradise Ducks245-IMG_7422

We climbed to an overlook above the township, and were rewarded with this view.

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I was fascinated with the plants growing out of the cliff.

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The next post will show what we experienced on our way back to Te Anau. So much spectacular scenery! It about overloaded me.

Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Holiday Trip, Milford Sound

Milford Sound—Part 1

March 14, 2021 by NZ Filbruns 4 Comments

Near the end of our trip, we spent a day driving to Milford Sound and back. We have wanted to go there for a long time, and especially to see the Homer Tunnel, which is part of the highway going out to Milford.

We started out around 9:00 from Te Anau, where we had spent the night with some friends. There were low clouds; we could see the water of Lake Te Anau, and the lower slopes of the mountains.

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As we drove on, the clouds thinned little by little, and we caught glimpses of the towering mountains lining both sides of the road.213-IMG_7380

This valley with farmland opened up as we came over one hill. Most of the way, we drove through a valley with mountains fairly close on either side.214-IMG_7384215b-IMG_4975

Lake Te Anau is long! I think this is near the end where the highway goes away from the lake shore.215c-IMG_4976215e-IMG_4978

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After about an hour of driving, we left the farmland behind completely and were driving through wild country.215f-IMG_4981215g-IMG_4982217-IMG_7387

This is the Eglinton Valley, where we stopped at a pull-off for a few minutes.218-IMG_7389219-IMG_7390220-IMG_7391

The weather soon closed in again.222a-IMG_4996222-IMG_7393

We stopped at another pull-off to swap drivers. This would have been about an hour and a half after leaving, just before we reached the Homer Tunnel. There was a beautiful little creek, and a lot of interesting vegetation.223a-DSCF0144223a-IMG_5000223-IMG_7394224a-IMG_5001224b-IMG_5002224d-IMG_5007224g-IMG_5010224h-IMG_5011224i-IMG_5012

…to be continued. After my first sorting, I got down to 141 pictures for this day. I got that reduced to around 120—still too many for one post!

Filed Under: Away From Home Tagged With: Holiday Trip, Milford Sound

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