Day trip to Milford Sound and Queenstown - Day 10 & 11

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

I'm up at 5:30 AM and scheduled for a 7:25 AM bus across from my hotel to Milford Sound. This is the location that several people have told me about, so I've added it to the list of things to do. I swing by the coffee shop, and I must say, the one thing that has been horrible here is the coffee. Ick. But, the young gal is very sweet and she tells me about a great website in Queenstown called BookMe. It's a wonderful site for deals around town for everything. NOTE TO SELF... perhaps a spa day is in my future?

On the bus we start the 2 hour journey to Te Anau. Almost 600 km round trip.

As is everywhere, the scenery is astounding. 

In Te Anau, we stop to pick up more passengers and get something to eat. No bathrooms on the bus, which I think is a good thing. Inevitably, someone has to sit right next to them, and their trip is ruined. The town is small, but peaceful. I haven't found a place in New Zealand that I don't like yet.

We get back on the bus and "Brownie" (Paul Brown our bus driver, who reminds me very much of a cranky but lovable NYC bus driver) tells me he's happy to see me still in the front seat. (I always ride up front for the view, but it also lets me stretch out my leg).

Brownie:

I ask him why and evidently, a lady from Missouri demanded that I be removed from my seat. What??? She says it's because she gets motion sickness anywhere else. Brownie was quite animated. Evidently her request really hit a nerve and he told her to suck it up or don't get on the bus! Well then! haha. Thanks, Brownie! 


So we all get back on the bus and continue on the journey. We drive by waterfalls.

And beautiful fields of weeds! Yes, even the weeds are gorgeous in New Zealand.

You will see fields and fields of these beautiful purple flowers everywhere. At the side of the road, on mountain sides, in fields.... Peter Jackson even featured a scene with the characters running through an open field filled with them in the latest Hobbit movie - The Desolation of Smaug. 

There's always a loud mouth on a tour, and some diva from Missouri, (Why does it always have to be the American?) can't shut up about how she's seen better, this doesn't compare to places back in the states.... (Why did she come?) I find out later that she's the one that wanted me moved. (She was relaying what Brownie said to her and I don't think anyone had ever spoken to her like that! hah!) 

We finally get to the national park where Milford Sound is located, but we have to drive through one mountain...

and through a forest... We're told that Peter Jackson thought that the trees in this particular area looked like they had faces, and that's where they filmed some of the scenes with the Ents. (I, unfortunately, was unable to capture the trees Brownie was referring to).

It's now storming.... We're told that Milford Sound gets 7 meters of rainfall a year. That's 22 feet of water..... To compare, Mobile, AL just made the top of the US soggiest cities, with 5 feet of rain a year.... So the fact that it's raining won't stop our cruise. Everyone darts for the boat running inside the two covered floors.... 

Here's a rare picture of Milford Sound in the sun. 

I find a spot at the back of the boat, outside, with no one around, which is covered. Here's what I saw, which was still breath taking.

We see seals!!!

And Dolphins!!! (at the :22 mark)

The day before they spotted a whale! There are rainbows. It's insane... all in one spot. I can't comprehend what this place must look like on a sunny day because with the mist, and rain, and waterfalls, it's just magical. 

It's a nature cruise, so there's live commentary about what we're seeing. Some of the waterfalls are a mile high!!

There is a legend that if you feel the mist of the waterfall on your face, you will wake up looking younger!!! (Drench me please!)

Toward the end of the cruise, it stops raining. It's nice to be able to walk outside without being drenched. 

After 2.5 hours, the cruise is over. Back on the bus for the 2 hour ride to Te Anau. Jennie, a lovely Canadian woman also on a 42 day journey, and I talk the whole way. She's in her 50s and tells me all the things she's done in Queenstown. Her only regret was doing the Canyon Swing a second time. I HAVE to check out this swing. 

We stop at Te Anau and let off the wretched woman from Missouri, get some really bad coffee and then hop back on for the remainder of the drive. Once we're over the mountain, there are blues skies!! It's been almost 14 hours since our journey began, but we finally pull into Queenstown. I hug Jennie goodbye and go freshen up in my hotel room. 

In the summer, the sun doesn't set until after 10PM so I feel like I should be stay out and enjoy it, especially since I've been stormed on all day. I make my way to the Pub on Wharf, a great place for food and live music. It's my second time here in as many nights. Just a fun place with reasonably priced food. A great way to end the day.

I'm supposed to go on another 14 hour tour the next day, but just can't. I'm utterly exhausted so I cancel it. It was to Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak and a glacier, but I need to pace myself. I just hope that the tour company gets my message....

Thursday, December 12, 2013 - Queenstown

I wake up around 7:30 AM with a nagging suspicion that the tour bus driver didn't get my cancellation. I check outside, and I'm right. There's the bus and he's waiting on me. Always graceful, I rush to meet him, whack my knee on something right in from of me and  see stars with the pain. Did it really have to be my bad knee? Really? Can't wait for the bruise! The poor driver rushes over and helps me up. I explain that I've cancelled the tour. He helps me back inside, and decide I need a day of nothing.... and that's pretty much what I do... 

Around noon, I wonder outside to Flame for lunch. It looks amazing but was only OK. They seem a bit overwhelmed, but I must say they were very nice. I walk around a bit more, but decide it's too cold and go back to my hotel and work on this blog.... You're welcome!

4-5 hours later, I take myself out for dinner and I choose a nice place, on the water, called PRIME. Quite expensive, it has a great view overlooking Lake Wakatipu. There's a private party going on and there's me. I get a perfect table by the window and find out that my waiter is from Elon University in North Carolina. (I worked with two people who graduated from there!!) He's only been in Queenstown a month. He's very nice, but useless as a waiter, but I go with the flow. 

Food in New Zealand is definitely on the heavier side. Lots of beef, venison, and of course lamb. I do enjoy it, but I'm not used to eating like this on a regular basis. I'm hoping Australia's options with be lighter.... 

I'm still really tired, so I just call it a night.