Leaving Queenstown was another busy day, full of wonderful sights and adventure. It was a big drive in the coach, heading to Te Anau where we stopped for lunch, then up to Milford Sound.
Not for the faint hearted, avalanche areas along the way
It was calm and peaceful driving through Eglington Valley
The scenery soon changed to grandeur, mountains crowding in on both sides of the road.
This was a view worth waiting for, when Mt Talbot appeared before us.
Mt Talbot
The road took us through the Homer Tunnel, named after Harry Homer, who discovered the saddle in 1889. The tunnel was begun in 1935 as a project for the unemployed, and took 18 years to complete. A little further on, and the road ends at Milford Sound. As the climate warmed at the end of the ice ages, huge amounts if ice melted and the sea level rose, flooding many of the deeply cut glacial valleys to create the fiords we see today. And there was our boat, waiting to take us on our Milford Sound Cruise. Can you see the famous Mitre Peak just behind the boat?
It really was a glorious day for a cruise, nice sunny weather, just a little bit choppy, and such glorious scenery. There was a female crew of two taking care of us, afternoon tea provided, and we settled down to enjoy the trip. Some climbed to the open area upstairs, or out the back, or just sat inside and listened to the commentary. I found trying to walk around a moving boat a bit tricky with my walking stick, so after a quick trip to the open rear of the boat, decided it was easier for me to sit and relax by a window.
The Captain
The views were spectacular, rugged cliffs, waterfalls, we stopped to watch some basking seals, all in glorious sunshine. This is such an amazing part of the country indeed.
Views from the boat
Finally, the boat turned around and headed back. Tired but happy, we climbed aboard the waiting coach, back tracked along the road revisiting all that magnificent scenery again. What a wonderful day indeed. Our overnight stay was at Te Anau.
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