Today I planned to go to Milford Sound, on the coast of the South Island, deep within Fiordland National Park. There is a road from Te Anau to Milford Sound, and Google Maps says it is a two hour drive, but to save myself some driving and because I'd heard the Milford Road could be a bit difficult to drive, I booked a day tour from Te Anau. The tour included a round-trip bus from Te Anau to Milford Sound, a boat cruise in Milford Sound, and a box lunch.

It turns out the bus is coming from Queenstown and picking up passengers in Te Anau, so I didn't need to meet at the bus stop until 9:40am. This gave me time to check out Miles Better Pies, a well-regarded pie shop in Te Anau. Meat pies are a staple takeaway item in New Zealand, and Miles Better Pies is particularly known for their venison and plum pies. I purchased a venison and plum pie and walked a block down to the lakefront to enjoy it with the view. Like at Lake Tekapo I was harrased by some black-billed gulls, but they did not get any of my delicious pie.

While waiting for the bus I chatted with an older American couple. The husband grew up in Detroit and noticed my Michigan hat and initiated a conversation. They were traveling around the South Island for a few weeks, and they said the day before they had met a solo traveler around my age from Texas who drove from Te Anau to Milford Sound in 5 hours (remember it is a 2 hour drive) because she kept stopping since it is so beautiful.

The bus from Queenstown arrived around 9:20am at Kiwi Country, a gift shop and cafe masquerading as a bus station in Te Anau. The passengers from Queenstown had an opportunity to stretch their legs, and then they were all allowed to re-board the bus before new passengers could get on. The bus driver, Adrian, handed us boarding passes for the boat, and checked us all in in order of descending group size, meaning that I was last to board. I was pretty sad because I assumed this would mean I wouldn't get a window seat, as Adrian said every seat was taken (and a family with kids who appeared around 8-years-old would have to ride with the kids on the parents' laps). However, when I got on board I found that the single remaining seat was a window seat that a very old Cantonese women had put some bags on top of. I asked to sit there since it was the only seat, and she informed me that the seatbelt didn't work, which I said was fine. As we were leaving, Adrian announced that in New Zealand it is required to wear seat belts on buses. Please don't tell the police.

As we drove down The Milford Road (SH-94) north out of Te Anau, Adrian narrated the journey, informing us on the history of Te Anau, about how it is the second largest lake by surface area in New Zealand, and that the Navy mapped the lake and found it to have the most volume. He told us the history of the farm land in Te Anau, and then once we entered Fiordland National Park, told us lots of interesting details about the park. He also told us that the boat would board at 12:50pm and leave at 1 no matter if we were there or not, and that the day before a couple of buses had missed their boat, but regardless we would still make a couple quick stops for photos. Our first stop was just along the side of the highway shortly inside of the park to fully take in the view

Our second stop was at the Mirror Lakes, which are a series of very reflective ponds located right off the side of the road. Adrian dropped us off at one end, and we walked five minutes along a boardwalk to the other end where he had moved the bus.

A bit later we stopped near a small glacier-fed waterfall. Adrian said he drinks this water all the time and it is mostly safe, even though the Department of Conservation would tell you not to drink it. I had a taste, and the water was very cold, crisp, and refreshing. This stop was also right where we started to be able to see snowcapped mountains, and the contrast between the lush green in the foreground and the grey and white in the background was mind-blowing.

Around 12:40pm we made it to the Milford Sound boat terminal. We got off the bus, and were handed some box lunches, and told that our boat would be departing from Berth 5. We had a few minutes to use the restroom before boarding the ship.

Our two-hour-long cruise was operated by Pure Milford on board the Gem of the Sound, a catamaran. The boarding process began on-time at 12:50pm and we were greeted by a friendly crew. I got on board and went upstairs, but the deck was already full, and had to settle for a seat downstairs towards the bow. This ended up working in my favor, because I picked the seat right next to the door to the sundeck, meaning as soon as we departed and were permitted to go out to the front, I was the first one there.

During the cruise, we were free to roam around the boat to take photos outside or just relax inside. There were snacks for purchase, and coffee and tea was available for free.

The scenery was spectacular, and the crew were also there to share some interesting facts. For one, Milford Sound is not really a sound but a fjord. A sound is formed by rivers whereas a fjord is formed by glaciers. The water here is a layer of fresh water on top and a layer of salt water on the bottom, and the two layers don't mix completely, so there is a cloudy region where they are in contact. We saw some fur seals sunning on the rocks, these are juvenile males seals who will be able to return to the pod and challenge the older males once they have matured. On lucky days passengers could see dolphins inside the sound, but we weren't able to see any. We sailed for about an hour out to just in front of the Tasman Sea before turning around. The swells on the Tasman Sea can be tens of meters high, so typically the cruises don't go all the way out.

As the cruise turned around and headed back to the port, we got up much closer to the side of the fjord in a couple of locations. One of them was called Seal Rock because there are almost always seals sunning there. Another was Stirling Falls: we drove right up to where you could feel the water from the waterfall splashing on your face

After the cruise returned to port, we all got back on board the bus. Unlike the ride to Milford Sound, there would be no stops and no commentary from Adrian. We made it back to Te Anau in just over two hours, and I got in my car and headed to Queenstown, taking in the beautiful views along the drive.

I returned to Queenstown and checked into Tahuna Pod Hostel, where I had stayed at two nights ago. I was very hungry so I headed to a local pub Brazz for a steak and chips, which really hit the spot after a long day. It is funny how tired you can get after only riding transportation all day!