Pure nature in Fjordland
An early start today. OK, I confess it's a bit different getting up for the coach to Milford (followed by cruise) than for the 7.23 to Euston (followed by Northern Line). This retirement thing is kind of fun, at least until the credit card bills come in.
Just the drive to Milford is scenic enough - 100 photos before we even arrived at the Sound. Towering mountains, pure crystal-green streams and steaming waterfalls, each better than the last. Then the weather. It's changeable in this part of New Zealand - as you may have figured out - and wetter to the west of the mountains: Milford gets 300 inches of rain a year, that's an average of nearly an inch a day. So we weren't counting on full sunshine today...but that's exactly what we got. Glorious.
Milford Sound has a huge and deserved reputation. It's one of those places which, despite hundreds of visitors, maintains a pristine sense of nature (in that sense, reminiscent of Alaska). It's actually a fjord rather than a Sound - come on, we covered this in 4th Form Geography - carved by glaciers and now featuring dramatic walls of forest and rock rising straight from the water. And you can get wet when the boat sails in close to the waterfalls (very wet).
The road to and from Milford is carefully crafted between the mountains, except for the bit where they said 'what the hell', and hacked and blasted a tunnel through three-quarters of a mile of granite. (For avid readers and Simpsons fans, it's the Homer Tunnel.) The drive back would have been quicker if we hadn't run into a flock of sheep - one hazard you don't normally have to worry about on the M25.
Doubtful Sound tomorrow - more beauty, plus dolphins (apparently). Off now to re-charge the camera batteries, and our own. Sorry we can't upload pictures here.
PS Steve just wants to let his fans know he's working on his next message. Watch the next couple of days.
An early start today. OK, I confess it's a bit different getting up for the coach to Milford (followed by cruise) than for the 7.23 to Euston (followed by Northern Line). This retirement thing is kind of fun, at least until the credit card bills come in.
Just the drive to Milford is scenic enough - 100 photos before we even arrived at the Sound. Towering mountains, pure crystal-green streams and steaming waterfalls, each better than the last. Then the weather. It's changeable in this part of New Zealand - as you may have figured out - and wetter to the west of the mountains: Milford gets 300 inches of rain a year, that's an average of nearly an inch a day. So we weren't counting on full sunshine today...but that's exactly what we got. Glorious.
Milford Sound has a huge and deserved reputation. It's one of those places which, despite hundreds of visitors, maintains a pristine sense of nature (in that sense, reminiscent of Alaska). It's actually a fjord rather than a Sound - come on, we covered this in 4th Form Geography - carved by glaciers and now featuring dramatic walls of forest and rock rising straight from the water. And you can get wet when the boat sails in close to the waterfalls (very wet).
The road to and from Milford is carefully crafted between the mountains, except for the bit where they said 'what the hell', and hacked and blasted a tunnel through three-quarters of a mile of granite. (For avid readers and Simpsons fans, it's the Homer Tunnel.) The drive back would have been quicker if we hadn't run into a flock of sheep - one hazard you don't normally have to worry about on the M25.
Doubtful Sound tomorrow - more beauty, plus dolphins (apparently). Off now to re-charge the camera batteries, and our own. Sorry we can't upload pictures here.
PS Steve just wants to let his fans know he's working on his next message. Watch the next couple of days.
As ever, the blog's a great travelogue we're all continuing to follow, either before or after our much, much more workaday routines! I printed off a selection of the photos from your blog pages and dropped them off for your mum to enjoy yesterday. We spoke on the phone this morning and she was thrilled to be able to see you both safe, well and really enjoying life and travels in New Zealand. I'll keep her up to date with pictures so when logistics allow, keep loading them up!
ReplyDeleteThis week Jack and I hope to join your friends in the Cathedral Lounge on Tuesday evening and watch Norwich progress to the next round of the FA cup. As you know, I'm sure, we hit the post twice at Sheffield yesterday afternoon but still lost...
In such circumstances your blog is a welcome distraction and source of consolation...