Milford Sound Wed-Jan-27

On the road by 7 am for Milford Sound; our incentive a bakery with freshly baked scones and coffee. I-Site lady told us the drive from Te Anau (120K) could take 3 hours with stops at all the vistas; she suggested restraint until the return leg! Truly good advice but difficult to follow; with only one stop we arrived at 9:30 for our 10 am cruise departure. The drive was scenic! We drove by Lake Mistletoe, Mirror Lakes (45 degrees latitude south), Lake Gunn, Divide, Lake Marian and the Chasm. Along tree-lined roads, where the sun never reaches; trees and rocks covered in mosses and lichens; views of waterfalls, fiords, towering granite peaks and sculptured rock formations. The road a constant of sharp switch-backs with recommended speeds 25 to 55 KPH. Uphill and down vale as the saying goes, as we drove deeper into Fiordland National Park. A stunning alpine drive!
Our one stop was just before we entered Homer Tunnel; glacier snow and a pull off area with a plaque on the tunnel’s history were right there. Exiting the car we were caught by the road incline – I staggered like I had too much Baileys with my morning coffee! The Homer Tunnel took over 20 years to complete. Construction began in the 1930s with workers from all walks of life; first time labourers for most. The tunnel was initially started with 5 men using picks & wheelbarrows. Conditions were harsh. The camp received no direct sunlight from May to September, and frozen snow covered the ground for most of the year. The tunnel opened in 1954; surviving WWII, avalanches and numerous flooding. A straight tunnel with unlined granite walls to reflect your car’s headlights & to guide you through the 1270 metres with a 1:10 gradient down! It truly is a hole-in-the-mountain! There was no transition to get use to the darkness inside the tunnel; once again Tom heard 3 female voices asking if he had the lights on. It was narrow, dark and uneven surfaces; the car seemed to dip towards one side for awhile and then to the other ... hair rising! Traffic lights operate between 9AM to 5PM allowing traffic to flow in one direction. Since we arrived before 9 am, we drove with our fingers crossed that the only light coming towards us was the end of the tunnel and not the preverbal freight train!
Arriving in Milford Sound the two things we noticed were the steep slopes of mountains rising directly from the ocean and the black flies! Thank goodness Liz brought fly repellent! You must Google Milford Sound! Absolutely worth the drive! Shortly after leaving the wharf we see waterfalls 160+ metres high. Mitre Peak at a height of 1682 metres is one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly from the ocean. It is difficult to comprehend the geological events; the captain said 20 ice ages have occurred & each one carved another step into the Sound. We stopped at Seal Rock to see Southern Fur Seal! (I snapped a rare photo of mom feeding her pup!) We cruised the 16K from the head of the fiord to the Tasman Sea; depths from quite shallow to 300+ metres. We turned around in St. Anne’s bay to show how the entrance to the Fiord was hidden from open view. As the sea was smooth the captain gave Liz and Helen a turn at the helm; one more item of their individual bucket list.
Shortly after noon we were back on the road driving away from Milford Sound. We had a picnic lunch but fearing the Black Flies would eat more than we, decided to try our luck elsewhere. We now shared the road with traffic so while the scenery was magnificent all eyes were focused on the road, especially since we were now driving the outside lane! The tunnel traffic lights were operational and the stream of traffic helped light the tunnel. We were still ready for lunch and a break from the road after driving 30K through these steep passes. Gunn Lake was perfect; a tranquil setting of mountains, white clouds, blue sky and aqua water! We sat on two large logs on the beach to eat our picnic and drink in the view. We watched 3ft-long eels circling the reeds just off shore (I have several photos). We arrived at Te Anau by 4pm. We enjoyed a glass of NZ white wine on our patio; Helen & Liz cooked a fine dinner and prepared a picnic lunch for our drive tomorrow. WOW!
Reflecting on Milford Sound and this Maori legend: “Toitu he kainga: whatungarongaro he tangata.... Long after people have disappeared, the land will remain”; all I can say is “I hope so!”