Lavender memories

We departed Fiordland shortly after breakfast on Wednesday, initially retracing our steps back to Queenstown before making our way over the Crown Range summit to Cardrona. In winter this is the heart of New Zealand’s ski region while in Summer Cardrona is typically known for its picturesque country hotel and the infamous Cardrona Bra Fence.

However, the tranquil, uninterrupted lake view from our hotel room in Hawera proved the ultimate winner of the day’s postcard moment.

The following morning, we made our way north toward Mount Cook. Our first stop was Puzzling World, a quirky attraction on the outskirts of Wanaka. Here we spent an hour or so experiencing all manner of mind-bending illusions including a sloping house that made you appear to walk its rooms with a rather unconventional lean. Garry and I then finished the morning at a nearby Lavender Farm. It was quite something wandering through iridescent fields of flowers.

Our final stop for the day was another memorable highlight. We briefly pulled into a scenic lookout on the shores of Lake Pukaki before making our way to the Hermitage Hotel. I've always wanted to visit this iconic venue, located in the shadow of Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain. Today, I've finally realised another one of my childhood dreams.

This evening, the summit of Aoraki, as Mt Cook is also known, is shrouded in heavy clouds. We may not get to see it in all of its glory. The forecast for the next couple of days isn't promising, Rain is predicted tomorrow and the day after. Click on the panorama below to experience the view from our hotel room balcony. It's pretty awesome!

Doubtful Sound

If you ask me, one fjord is never enough. Today we visited Doubtful Sound. Our guided tour was a marathon seven-hour expedition involving two boats and two buses. We ventured across Lake Manapouri and over the Wilmot Pass before finally sailing deep into New Zealand’s remote southwestern coast. Sadly, after stunning blue skies at Milford Sound, today's weather was mainly overcast.  However, despite the weather, we thoroughly enjoyed today's outing.

Doubtful Sound was a wonderful contrast to the tourist-driven glamour of Milford Sound. This sound, for the most part, is broader and framed by less dramatic mountains than its famous counterpart. However, the tour we took still managed to take us on a scenic, and leisurely, circuit passing all of Doubtful Sound's most memorable highlights.

Our cruise included a full circuit around Bauza Island which saw us briefly venture out into the Tasman Sea. Here we witnessed seals lounging and frolicking on and around the Shelter Islands and the barren rocks of the Nee Islets. The Tasman was surprisingly calm with a gently rolling swell. Our skipper remarked how lucky we were as the boat doesn't often venture out as far as the Nee Islets.

We then returned to the safety of the sound where we took a breathtaking detour into Doubtful Sound’s iconic Crooked Arm. At this point, the sun kindly played its part. It briefly broke through the clouds as we sailed past the Crooked Arm's picturesque valleys. That's the image you see directly above.

In fact, the entire journey was punctuated by moments like this where the scenery suddenly shifted gear from mundane to iconic.  For example, the far reaches of Lake Manapouri's West Arm were impressive after crossing open water for much of our first boat ride. It was here we transferred onto our first bus of the day. Then, as we passed over the summit of Wilmot Pass, we were greeted by a classic view of Doubtful Sound stretching into the distance. Likewise, Deep Cove, where we boarded our second boat, proved another postcard-perfect location.

Sadly, we didn’t get to tour the impressive Manapouri Power Station as it’s currently undergoing major refurbishment. However, a small visitor's centre at West Arm gave us a good feel for this impressive complex. Its exhibits included a detailed 3D model of the underground power station's hidden reaches.  Then, just outside, we could see its dramatic penstock intake and transmission substation. The grounds also had one of the station's original turbines on display. These were replaced by more efficient units that increased their output in 2002.

Today's entire journey was made possible by the construction of this power station. The road we followed into Deep Cove was originally built to provide access to outlets for the station's tailrace tunnels. These tunnels channel water from Lake Manapouri through seven enormous underground generators and then discharge it into Doubtful Sound. 

I was disappointed that we didn't get to see the outlets up close. It would've been nice to bookend the tour with the penstocks at one end and the tailrace outlets at the other. Instead, we were teased by a battered road sign pointing to a side road as our bus drove by.

Tomorrow we'll start our journey back towards Christchurch. Our itinerary includes overnight stops in Wanaka, Mt Cook, and Lake Tekapo. Stay tuned for more stunning photos.

Takahe teaser

Garry and I enjoyed a rare conservationist’s treat. We were lucky enough to see a family of endangered Takahē in active grazing mode at the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary earlier today.

 
As recently as 1983 only 118 of these large and chunky flightless birds remained. Today more than 440 are alive and thriving thanks to a concerted breeding program over many decades.

The Takahē was hunted extensively by Māori but were not named and described by Europeans until 1847, and then only from fossil bones. By 1898 the species was presumed extinct. However, fifty years later, after a carefully planned search, the South Island takahē was dramatically rediscovered in 1948 by Geoffrey Orbell in an isolated valley in the South Island's Murchison Mountains.

Sutherland Falls

Just when we thought Milford Sound couldn't get any better! Today we enjoyed Garry's Christmas present. I shouted both of us on a scenic helicopter flight to Lake Quill and Sutherland Falls. The experience was simply out of the world. I doubt we'll ever forget the truly awe-inspiring scenery we witnessed. My photos simply don't do it justice. This was nature at its very, very best. Wow! What a flight!

We woke this morning to perfect flying conditions. The skies were blue. The air was still and there was barely a cloud to be seen. To put this in perspective, Milford Sound is the wettest inhabited place in New Zealand and one of the wettest places in the world! The mean annual rainfall in Milford Sound is 6,813mm, and it rains on average 182 days a year.

Our flight departed from Milford Sound Airport and retraced the famed Milford Track as winds its way down the Arthur Valley past Lake Ada, and on towards Sutherland Falls. I’d read that this was one of Fiordland’s more spectacular valleys. However, nothing could’ve prepared either of us for today’s breathtaking flight. The river valley literally shimmered in the morning sunlight and the falls were a sight to behold. I honestly can’t find enough superlatives to describe the entire experience.

Sutherland Fall is fed by Lake Quill, a tarn that sits in a stunning rocky amphitheater more than 979 metres (3,212 ft) above sea level. Year-round the lake’s snowmelt flows over a narrow granite rim and cascades more than 580 metres (1,904 ft), in three dramatic tiers, into the verdant Arthur Valley below.

As the helicopter crested the falls and Lake Quill came into view one of the most extraordinary sights I've ever witnessed came into view. The lake's surface was literally mirror flat with barely a ripple to be seen. Our pilot then deposited us gently on a grassy knoll where we took a short alpine hike across damp and spongy tundra straight into one of those “once in a lifetime” Instagram moments.

We then retraced our steps with a stunning circuit over the lake, a breathtaking flight over the verge of the falls, and back down the valley. Below us, we could see the fourth leg of the Milford Track winding its way toward us before veering off to traverse the grueling McKinnon Pass nearby.

I'll let the photo I've posted tell the rest of the story! (And don't miss the video below).

The Sound of Silence

2023 is off to an extraordinary start. Today Garry and I enjoyed an absolutely breathtaking cruise through Milford Sound. The images posted here simply cannot capture the experience in all its glory.

Perhaps the smartest thing we did today was base ourselves overnight at Milford Sound Lodge. Most people visit late morning on day tours coming from Queenstown or Te Anau. As a result, most people experience the Sound late-morning as a cacophony of crowds and tour buses fill the area.

By staying overnight we could book an extended morning cruise and avoid the crowds. As a result, we enjoyed Milford Sound in relative peace, on a smaller vessel. As the only accommodation in the area, the lodge was also a wonderfully refreshing experience. We're thoroughly enjoying its well-appointed boutique accommodation nestled in picturesque bushland along the banks of the Cleddau River and one of its tributaries.

I began the day of the year with a coffee outside as the sun rose over the surrounding mountains. The air was still with barely a cloud in the sky. We couldn’t have picked a better day to go cruising. Sadly, my outdoor excursion was relatively brief as the biting sandflies here are ferocious!

After breakfast we made our way down to the waterfront in time to witness a classic postcard moment; that is Mitre Peak, the area’s iconic mountain, reflected on the glassy smooth water of Freshwater Basin. This is an immoral scene that I fondly recall appearing in countless calendars and advertisements throughout my childhood.

Our cruise spent three hours sailing up the southern shores of Milford Sound and out into the Tasman Sea, before returning down the Sound along the opposing shoreline. The boat’s itinerary also included a stop at the Milford Sound Underwater Observatory anchored in Harrison Cove. This incredible facility features a spiral staircase that descends into an underwater chamber where you can watch the Sound’s abundant aquatic life go about its business. 

Who knew that so much life was flourishing below Milford Sound’s murky waters?  This video gives you just a hint of what we saw.

As we cruised, the skipper of our boat stopped several times to let us watch the local seals frolic. He also teased us with a brief shower at the base of the spectacular Hanging Valley waterfall. We then finished our morning with a picnic lunch overlooking Mitre Peak while being entertained by a hungry native duck. Today was undoubtedly New Zealand at its best.

UPDATE

Just when we thought our time at Milford Sound couldn't get any better, we experienced this extraordinary helicopter tour the following day.