We left Queenstown Sunday morning and made the drive out to Te Anau to see the town and pick up some last minute supplies as there are no stores to speak of once you get to Milford. We had lunch there and then began the drive to Milford. It is only 110kms but even the sign posting says to expect a 2 hours drive. It would have been easy for it to take 8 hours, every corner we took was more beautiful than the last and we must have pulled over to take photos every 10 minutes.
After a quiet night in the Milford Lodge we were picked up and taken to the wharf to get on a boat for a day of scuba diving for Schuyler's birthday. The water was really cold, about 15 celsius but the dives were amazing. The sound has a layer of fresh water over the top which traps in a certain amount of light and heat so animals and corals that would normally live much deeper can thrive within about 16 meters under the water. We saw crayfish, nudibranches, black coral (which is actually white, it turns black when it dies) and even a seal diving for fish. In our time out of the water we saw huge waterfalls (even got to go swimming under one) and enjoyed some great time on the water.
The next day (our last day in Milford) we woke up to some of the heaviest rains I have ever seen. We spent a good part of the day in the lodge just watching the rain fall and sipping tea but we did get out on a short trek to see some the bigger waterfalls in the area. The waterfalls here only come out when it is raining so we felt pretty lucky to get to see them in full force.
Today we are in Te Anau after a beautiful night on Lake Manapouri. We are spending the day here as I'm teaching a yoga workshop tomorrow morning and then heading south for more adventures.
My love to you all,
Kaitlyn
I've been enjoying following your travels. If you're still in Te Anau, be sure to check out the Fjordlands documentary made by a local helecopter pilot and an amazing film crew. It's well worth the price, and you can have a brew while you watch!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you're still in the area, you should make the quick tramp up to the Key Summit, as it gives great panoramas of the area. It's less than an hour hike in (if I remember correctly) from The Divide car park at the end (or beginning) of the Routeburn Track. I snapped a bunch of great photos there, including this one http://www.olafimages.com/landscapes/h115315c2#h115315c2