Milford Sound

Our cruise through Milford Sound will have to be one of the highlights of our NZ visit – in fact I think it will be up in the top 100 experiences of my life.
Milford Sound is acclaimed as NZ’s top tourist destination, and in 2008, was judged to be the top travel destination in the world by TripAdvisor. Rudyard Kipling has called it “the eighth wonder of the world.”
Milford Sound is not even a sound, but a fiord, being created by a retreating glacier.  A sound is created by the sea flooding a river valley.  This is a new piece of information I have discovered since arriving in NZ!

Europeans named Mitre Peak (1682m) because of its resemblance to a bishop’s mitre.  The Maori name, Rahotu, also refers to an upstanding symbol of masculinity.


In either case, on reflection, it’s pretty outstanding.


Kayakers get up close and personal.


Waterfall.


Looking back. 
Mitre Peak, with its masculine decoration, can be seen on the right.


Helicopter taking supplies somewhere.


Shafts of sunlight shine down through the mountains.


Earthquake crack.


Fairy Falls.
The captain of our vessel did not think that this name was in keeping with the masculine image of Milford Sound.  he suggested that the name may have come from the rainbow effect at the base of the falls.


Rainbow, Fairy Falls.
The captain took the boat in very close, so that people in the bow got wet.


Leaving Fairy Falls.


The open sea.
The captain said that while he had enough fuel to reach “that other island out there where they can’t play rugby” (Australia) he didn’t think he had enough beer, so wasn’t prepared to risk it.


Dale Point. on the left, marks the northern point of the entrance to Milford Sound.  From the open sea, the entrance is almost impossible to sight.
Captain Cook sailed straight past Milford Sound in 1773.  Captain John Grono discovered and named it Milton Haven in 1812, after his homeland in Wales, but it was not fully explored until the beginning of the 20th century.


Dale Point up closer, as we sail back into Milford Sound.


Sailing back in.


On the right is Mitre Peak, while on the left can be seen Mt Pembroke (2014m), one of the highest mountains in Milford Sound.  On it lies Pembroke Glacier, the remnant of the glacier which carved out Milford Sound.


Stirling Falls (155m – three times the height of Niagara Falls).


We went in close to Stirling Falls as well. 
The captain told us that there was a Maori legend that if drops of this waterfall sprayed onto your face, you would look ten years younger the next morning.  I put my camera away and made sure I received a good soaking, but next morning there was no difference…..


Mitre Peak in all his glory, with the Pembroke Glacier relegated to the background……


…..and even closer.


There was a pod of 53 bottle-nosed dolphins feeding in the fiord, unfortunately well below the surface, apparently.  This was my best picture of one.


Pembroke Glacier.


More kayakers setting out.





As we drew in to the wharf, we met this sailing boat motoring out – lucky them!  Pat remarked that it had very powerful engines for a sailing boat, and that the sails it had were probably just for decoration.
So ended a wonderful and memorable experience.  Lucky us!
Cruised on 14th April 2012.