New Zealand: Milford Sound Tour

The second day in Te Anau, we had a rest day and had a guided tour from Te Anau through Fiordland National Park to a cruise on the Milford Sound fjord. While it was an enjoyable day, I was not particularly impressed - I still think the fjords of Norway are more scenic.

On our way to Milford Sound we stopped at some scenic photo-op spots in Fiordland National Park. Lake Gunn (1st below). Milford Valley Lookout (2nd).




Cruise check in was easy. Our guide handed us over "boarding passes", I hit the toilets, and then we waited about 5 minutes at the dock before boarding.




The cruise lasted 2 hours. There was free coffee onboard and bag lunches were provided by the tour company.


Several times our boat pulled up close to waterfalls. This seemed to be a hit with the passengers! ;-)




The skies were clear, and we were dressed warmly.


After an hour we reached the mouth of the fjord and cruised a few hundred meters out into the Tasman Sea before turning around. Video (1st below).






Seals were spotted.


And another waterfall was nudged. Video (1st below)






The final waterfall.


We stopped for a few short walks on the way back to Te Anau. At Gertrude Saddle (1st below), and Marion Falls (the rest)








Back to our "home"at Tasman Holiday Parks where SL cooked a delish meal in the shared kitchen.