Saturday, December 10, 2005
Milford Sound
Decided to make our drive up to Milford Sound a leisurely one, and stop off to look at the scenery (yes, more) along the way. It's a beautiful road. The start is more open, and then the mountains close in and tower over it, reminding you of your insignificance. There are some great spots, and we had a map indicating where some of them are. We missed the first two. I don't know how, but they were only a small waterfall and some tarns reflecting the mountains. The next one, at Cascade Creek, was lovely. We pulled off the road by a creek where there were vast drifts of pink & purple lupins. Took a short walk through a red beech wood (native trees) which is noted for mosses & birds. We didn't see a single bird, but the variety of mosses on the trees and the ground was unbelievable. There were so many different shapes & sizes. Half way round we reached the shore of Lake Gunn, which gave us more great views of the mountains. Then back to the van for lunch with the sand flies.
Our next stop was at the Homer Tunnel. There was a great lump of snow still sitting at the base of the mountains by the road, so Max & Erin had to go & climb it, of course. Back to the van with soggy socks and frozen toes, and on through the 1.2km downhill unlined tunnel. Shortly afterwards on the other side we stopped at The Chasm, another short walk to an amazing waterfall, where the water has worn tunnels and channels through the rock, which are now dry as it's found its latest channel to flow through.
Then we made our way to Milford sound, where there's nothing much apart from a few hostels and a boat terminal, parked up & checked in for our overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner. We had a great evening, motoring out down the Sound watching seals flopping about on a rock and a pod of dusky dolphins playing around the boats. We moored in Anita Bay, where I went kayaking & saw a single penguin, and Sarah, Max & Erin went off in one of the small tender craft and saw all sorts of interesting things and places where Captain Cook had been. Motored back to the other end of the sound for dinner, admiring the towering scenery as we went. Great dinner, stayed up chatting until it was well & truly dark & then to bed.
Our next stop was at the Homer Tunnel. There was a great lump of snow still sitting at the base of the mountains by the road, so Max & Erin had to go & climb it, of course. Back to the van with soggy socks and frozen toes, and on through the 1.2km downhill unlined tunnel. Shortly afterwards on the other side we stopped at The Chasm, another short walk to an amazing waterfall, where the water has worn tunnels and channels through the rock, which are now dry as it's found its latest channel to flow through.
Then we made our way to Milford sound, where there's nothing much apart from a few hostels and a boat terminal, parked up & checked in for our overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner. We had a great evening, motoring out down the Sound watching seals flopping about on a rock and a pod of dusky dolphins playing around the boats. We moored in Anita Bay, where I went kayaking & saw a single penguin, and Sarah, Max & Erin went off in one of the small tender craft and saw all sorts of interesting things and places where Captain Cook had been. Motored back to the other end of the sound for dinner, admiring the towering scenery as we went. Great dinner, stayed up chatting until it was well & truly dark & then to bed.
// posted by Chrisl @ 10:15 PM 
