19DEC2019 – DAY 6: THE BEAUTY

Up at 5:00AM, I prepared myself (and my camera) for the all-day trip to Milford Sound to experience what would be the most beautiful and breathtaking scenery I had ever laid my eyes on. My time on this day trip was not spent with my Contiki tour group as they had already done this excursion prior to my joining them. Milford Sound was mentioned to me as one of the “must-see” sights in New Zealand by several people before I had even left home. Unwilling to pass up the chance to see Milford Sound and all of its hyped-up beauty, I asked my Contiki tour leader a couple days prior if there was a way for me to go and she pulled some strings to send me with a different group for the day to Milford Sound. I seemed to have been blessed with good luck this day as the weather could not have been more perfect. It was bright and sunny for the majority of the bus ride down to the ferry station allowing for amazing views of the Southern Alps (the Misty Mountains for those versed in the lore of Middle Earth). We made a few stops along the way to admire the towering mountains and wide-open fields. The tour bus driver provided some brief commentary on the movies that had been filmed in this area. The most notable scene filmed in the specific area were in was the helicopter hijacking scene from Mission Impossible 6 performed by none other than Tom Cruise. Other movies scenes of note filmed nearby were Jurassic Park, Avatar, King Kong, and of course Lord Of The Rings. Another brief stop was made at the Mirror Lakes, a marshland area rich with the diversity of plants and animals and unbelievably clear reflective pools. The closer we got to the ferry station at Milford Sound, the more rainfall there was. This was a good thing as the rain gives way to the waterfalls seen flowing down the sides of the mountains. After driving through a lengthy tunnel, we emerged into a rainforest as we continued down into the heart of Milford Sound along a windy road seemingly not suited for a large tour bus. At the bottom, we arrived at the ferry station and boarded. As the ferry pulled away, the rain began to pick up providing a little extra water running down the sides of the canyon walls along the fjord in the form of little waterfalls. I proceeded to head up to the top deck to check out the view. The sights from the top deck did not disappoint and only got more gorgeous as we made our way through. I spent about 90% of the 2 hour ferry ride on the top deck unable to stop staring at each waterfall we passed and looking out in awe at the massive rock walls on either side of us as passing through the fjords. Needless to say, by the time the ferry returned to dock, I was absolutely drenched yet I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Back on board the bus, we proceeded to make our way back through the rainforest and out the other side of the tunnel. At this time, I felt I had deserved a brief respite for all I had been through as well as in preparation for what was to come as this trip was still only just beginning. I spent the remaining 3.5 hour ride back dozing off in my seat as I attempted to ignore the soaking wet clothing I was still wearing. Once dropped off back at the hotel in Queenstown, I threw my wet clothes in the dryer and went to find some members of my tour group to compare our versions of the day’s events with. We ended up heading into town for a few drinks at several bars for our last night in Queenstown as we made ready for our next destination: Franz Josef. No words can express the true nature of the beauty I had seen this day. I would recommend making Milford Sound a “must-see” place to visit (as was mentioned to me) for anyone traveling to New Zealand. There is no substitute for being there in person to see it all with your own eyes.