Itinerant Durangotangs: On to Milford Sound and Queenstown

On Board the Milford Mariner

Here we are again, having just been here three weeks ago.

Judged to be the world's number one top travel destination by TripAdvisor, acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination and a World Heritage Site, the Milford Sound was also called the Eighth Wonder of the World by Rudyard Kipling. But it's not a sound actually; it is a fjord. And it is spectacular.

It was pretty much a spectacular drive to get there.

Key Summit, off the Routebern Track

Around Lake Gunn. Rain Forest for sure!

The Kea, world's only alpine parrot

Sign says do not feed the Kea. They get enough to eat by tearing apart the windshield wipers and window gaskets of parked vehicles. They love rubber, much like the buzzards in Florida's Everglades.


Brrrrr

We stop at a lookout point along the way, and our guide Nicole decides to jump in and take a dip. Twice! That is glacial ice water.


Our Overnight Accomodations

Some of the folks kayaked off the ship

Sister ship Milford Wanderer dipping its bow in Bridal Veil Falls

The commercial side of Milford Settlement, home to 120 residents

The Mariner cruised out the length of Milford Sound into the open ocean next morning, allowing the 60 overnight guests to see seals and a few penguins, then we returned, docked and disembarked and, while our tour companions kayaked, Shannon and I hiked up the Sutherland trail to this viewpoint. Iconic Mitre Peak directly above Shannon.

Then it was back through the Homer tunnel toward Queenstown, the Aspen/Vail of New Zealand. (Interesting sidelight on the Homer Tunnel: there is an annual nude foot race through the tunnel. Shoes and headlamps only. One of our guides reportedly has perhaps participated in that race -- the female one.)

Shannon and I enjoyed dinner in Queenstown overlooking the lake with the late sun on the mountain ridges.