We left Te Anau at 9.15am to catch the 12.00 noon boat. We found out that this boat (one of the big boats) only had 25 people booked. It takes 300. It was great practically had the whole boat to ourselves.
We started out driving our two hour trip to the sounds stopping to see a few sights on the way but left some more for the way home. What a great drive, scenery with the high mountains, all rock and many of them the sides are a sheer drop to the bottom, Amazing. Before we reached the mountains we drove over flat tussock land beautiful colours.
Drove off the main road to a lovely lake called Lake Gunn. Very pretty and so peaceful.
Approaching the Homer Tunnel. Inside the tunnel you descend quite steeply 1 in 10 so we must have been a long way underground. Like being in a big cave as all the rock is exposed with water seeping and falling over the car. Nice to see light at the end of the tunnel. It is one way with lights controlling each end.
The view you get as you come out of the tunnal.
Then you wind down a snake road to drive through the gorge.
After winding through this beautiful countryside for another hour we reached Milford Sound. What a great sight. We were so lucky with weather after a bit of mixture of mainly sun then a little cloud came over then turned out perfect for the cruise.
Our boat the company is Real Jouneys. Mitre Peak in background.
As we were leaving Mirte Peak there right in front of us 1682m. (or Mitre 10 as Jack keeps refering it as. PT)
Closer shot
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Showing the sheer rock face.
One of the smaller boats, another company.
Looking at the entrance out to the Tasman Sea. Australia next stop.
When they turn around to come back in again, they explain that the fiords weren't discovered at first sighting from the coast, as you can see from the above photo if you were sailing down the coast you would have no idea that there was a fiord tucked around those hills.
Looking up the fiord as we were coming back.
Fur seal basking in the sun.
The end of our cruise amazing trip.
We left the boat to return on our trip back to Te Anau and stopped at a few sights on the way.
Mt Tutoko 2723m highest mountain in fiordland. Higher than Mt Egmont.
I loved the big rocks. They are all this white grey colour in the rivers around this area.
The Chasm. Standing on a bridge looking down into it. It is a lot deeper than this photo looks.
This gives you an idea how well all these walking areas are presented. Everything is so well done
The car park before you walk into the chasm
The above three shots on our way back to TeAnau. What a tremendous day.Sorry about all the photos but I didn't know which ones to cut out.
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