One Look Across the Water (Te Anau to Milford Sound)

Hello again, dear reader. This post will be characterised by photographs, a lot of them. They often tell the story better than I. To begin at the end, of the last post at least. The sunset pictures finally loaded.

Colour in the southern sky.

Pretty beginnings.

Angry cloud.

The sunset was best viewed from the lakefront. We were sitting outside our unit ,soaking up the afternoon sun as it faded behind the mountains when I noticed some colour in the sky. Curiously, it was not from the west where the sun was disappearing. The first colours were in the south-east and gradually moved south-west, they never reached where the sun set. Interesting.

The next morning, we were awoken by the alarm. An uncommon experience in the current phase of our lives, but we had to be ready to board the bus for the Milford Sound tour at 8am. The tour was limited to 15 people and promised 19 stops in all, including the Milford Sound cruise. The concept was to stop at a particular point either on the way there or home, depending on the weather and the crowds. John, our tour leader/driver did an excellent job with commentary.

There were plenty of big buses from Queenstown on the road but we believe touring from Te Anau was the better option. We were able to spend more time exploring interesting side trips and were also able to get into some places the coaches would not be able to access because of size.

The weather was variable. We started in sunshine at Te Anau and drove through mist, rain and cloud before arriving at the Sound. There we experienced rain and then clearing conditions and finally full sun.

1. Lake Te Anau's south fiord.

What? You expected a caption? See the title.

2. Te Anau Downs

3. Eglinton Valley

Just back down the road was the area used to film Frodo's escape into the forest of the ents.

Used in The Lord of the Rings.

4. Mirror Lake

5. Cascade Creek

We had morning tea here. Excellent date scones.

You guessed it, Cascade Creek.

A South Island Robin on the wing.

There he is in the shrubbery.

6. Lake Gunn

The conditions weren't right for a stop on the way to the Sound, the return journey proved perfect. Maybe even better than Mirror Lake.

7. Hollyford Lookout

If you look really hard you can see the Marian Cascades we walked to.

8. Marian Cascade

9. Falls Creek

10. Monkey Creek

11. Homer Tunnel

The tunnel was named after the guy who dreamt up the concept, not Homer Simpson, although there are similarities. Tunnel through the mountain he said. It'll be about 200 yards he said. Actually it was around 1,400 yards (1.3km) and the tunnel came out half way down a cliff face.

The timber structure is the tunnel exit point.

12. Tutoko Bridge

13. Milford Sound

Hmmm, weather.

Seal and pup

Great view, eh?

Blue sky.

More seals in action. Or should that be inaction?

After leaving at 8am, we were dropped back home after 5:30pm. A long day, but a great day. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the company of our fellow travellers on the mini-bus. A varied group from the Netherlands, the States ( Utah and elsewhere), England and Queensland. It was a walk into the shopping area to grab a pizza (average) and sit in the fading light enjoying a wine and taking more photos of the Te Anau sunset.

It begins.

Not the fiery colours of last night.

Still stunning.

And today's title is another Dragon classic from their O Zambezi album of 1978. any look across the water here is beautiful and often looks like a mirror. Have a listen.