We left the Invercargill at 7:15 in the morning heading north. There were only a few of us on the bus. It was not until 3 hours later that we arrived at Te Anau which is where Fiordland starts. After a short break there we drove for another 2 1/2 hours along the sound to get to the Milford Sound ferry boat. The drive there was beautiful along the edge of the sound and then through a long tunnel that breaks out into a gorgeous steep valley full of waterfalls and rugged snow capped peaks. I never got any really good pics during the ride despite all the beauty around me. I so much prefer doing this on my bike where I can stop anytime and take my time getting a good pic instead of the cattle call tour bus style where they say ok get out and you have three minutes to get a pic and get back on the bus. I took some snaps with the crowds but my heart was not into it. Then we loaded onto the boat and for just under two hours we rode out to the ocean and back through the sound again. I wish I could have captured the beauty with my little camera but it was impossible.
On the way out on the road, there were a couple of accidents along the road. One was an RV trailer that hit another car and then jack knifed off the road but blocked the road in the process. Some other drivers quickly tipped the trailer back on its wheels and rolled it out of the way and we continued on. New Zealand drivers and the tourists combine for some really bad driving here. Lots of totally preventable accidents every day. So wrong.
I did enjoy the day despite my loathing of tour bus traveling. The Sound had perfect weather for the boat ride but it was a bit bright to get good pics. The people I was with were all friendly and happy. I hung out with a girl from England most of the day. I also met some CAL students here for a year abroad program. They were excited to talk to somebody from home. All in all it was a very worthwhile day ending up in Queenstown.
Some pics
