We left early Monday morning for Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park. The day before we had some crazy rain - expected as the area gets more than 200 days of rain a year, and some 10 m or something like that. But by morning, (and still 2 days later!) the sun was out and we were on our way!
At only 119 km from Te Anau, the ride took more then 2 hours. We were hoping for an early morning cruise (10:30) so set the alarm for 6am. We barely made it - I guess that's what happens when there's a manchild that needs to be addressed. And a man, too, I suppose :) The first half of the ride was standard NZed fair - rolling green hills and sheep. With the occasional deer farm. But the second half, was well, amazing. Steep fiords carved into the mountain scape, with lush valleys that go right to the edge of the mountains, no foothills here…
At Milford, we did the expected - took a 2 hour fairy out as far as the Tasman Sea and back again. Saw a few seals, dolphins, penguins, and of course, Mitre Peak, named after the popes hat :D We can't wait to see our pictures!!
Ethan's going to be disappointed though. The poor guy was so exhausted that he slept pretty much the entire time. I can see the conversation now… "Dad, I don't remember the Milford cruise, can we go again?", to which I'll have to say - "Sorry son, you were sleeping" … Let's of course, ignore that he's only seven months old ;)
Monday night there was no room at the inn, so we booked a hut on the Routeburne Great Walk, a way better alternative. There were maybe 8 of us who stayed the night, although it could probably hold 30. John, the park ranger, was excited to see Ethan, doesn't get a lot of infants backcountry. Although the Kiwi definition of backcountry and the North American definitions differ greatly! This was almost luxury: running hot water, a wood stove, gas stoves, bathrooms, padded bunks, the works. Ethan spent half the night in my sleeping bag, and half in Amy's - but it worked out well - both according to us, and the other guests !
New Zealand has the right idea with their "walks" and huts. Monday night we were the only foreigners on site, the rest were older, locals. None wanted to mess with tents or "technical" gear, they just wanted to go tramping. The system in place here really does a terrific job of making nature accessible to all people, regardless to experience and physical ability. I love it.
Tuesday morning we hiked past the hut to Earland falls, at 200m high it was pretty sweet. No empire falls of BC, but one of the larger falls I've seen in some time. On the way out we took another side journey up Key Summit. It's a geographically interesting area - a single peak in a fiordland valley that's the head of three rivers, one to the east, south and west..
The evening found us back in the small town of Te Anau, at the same lakefront hostel we stayed at Sunday evening. We didn't have any agenda, other then to clean up from hiking, enjoy a little lamb on the bbq, and to take it easy for the evening… One of the few nights we were inside by 7 - we watched "The fastest indian", a movie that was based out of Invercargill, New Zealand, a town not to far away.
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