The Fiordlands

We had a relaxing morning visiting at the farm. G made eggs benedict with a baked shredded potato base, topped with bacon or smoked salmon lox. By midday we were on the road heading west to Te Anau for the next couple of nights with J2.

We made a quick stop at J2's favourite cafe enroute, and savoured a delicious carrot cake with our tea. Another quick detour brought us into Manapouri, then into Te Anau, a short distance away.

It was clear, but quite blustery out. We opted for a short walk near the lake, along the southern beach, crossing the control gates. These control the flow of the Waiau River into Lake Manapouri, which is also a local hydro-electric reservoir.

We chose a relaxing night back at the house, making hamburgers and salad for dinner. 🥗🍔

An early start to Monday morning with a trip to the local coffee shop. The forecast last night was for over 20mm of rain, so the waterfalls should be flowing 🌊. It is a incredibly scenic two hour drive to Milford Sound. Eglington River valley is very wide and quickly narrows approaching the mountains, which is quite spectacular to see. With the recent rain, there were water falls everywhere! We learned that this region can get around 8 meters of rainfall, and a wet year can be up to 10 meters of precipitation!! With the cool weather, even the mountain tops were capped with a light dusting of snow.

We arrived with plenty of time before our boat tour of Milford Sound, so we opted to use the far parking lot with no fees, and walk the forest trail to the pier. The treed rocky slopes were covered in rivulets creating various tiny waterfalls along the way.

Milford Sound is a stunning Fijord! Endless waterfalls and even a recent tree-slide. This happens when they lose their grip on the rock and plummet down the steep slopes into the fjord. Our small ship, with at most 75 passengers, was perfect to enjoy the cruise without being crowded. We chose seats on the very front of the top deck. It was nice being out of the wind while tucked out of the way of milling tourists.

The rains held off till after the boat returned, but we were met with an intense thunder and hail storm upon disembarking! At least two good flashes of lightening too. It was short lived, and we stayed fairly dry on the 20 minute walk back to the car. Fresh air while enjoying a walk, saving over $30 in parking!

The return drive to Te Anau was just as spectacular as the drive in, and we stopped at a few more pullouts to explore. Sadly The Chasm Walk was shorter than expected due to storm damage washing out the pedestrian bridge!

Upon our return to Te Anau, we found the weather hadn't changed much with bouts of sudden rain, but at least the wind had died down. J2 surprised us with his one and only baked chicken curry casserole dish and a salad for dinner 😋🐔 Simply scrumptious! We had another relaxing evening at the house visiting and watching a few shows on TV.Read more