Eco Tours started a thirteen-hour day with a 7:30am pick-up at the Deco Backpackers. We headed to Te Anu and Milford Sound. For “Lord of the Rings” fans, the last scene of the third movie with an unimaginably beautiful cliff and water world background is no set but actually Milford Sound.
Along the road to Te Anu we got our first glimpse of the Merino sheep that produce the miracle fibre. Their wool does not itch, wicks moisture better than any technical fabric to date, keeps you warm even when wet, and has natural anti-microbial properties so doesn’t smell even after vigorous activity. (Can you tell I’m a fan an bought two “Icebreaker” brand hiking shirts.) It is recommended to wear the shirt a dozen times prior to washing. The brand slogan is “Treat it mean to keep it keen.”
To break-up the more than four-hour drive to Milford Sound we stopped in the town of Te Anu, which is the staging area for many alpine tracks including the Milford, to visit an endangered bird sanctuary and catch a quick snack.
This green little guy is from the only known alpine parrot species.
The weather began to change as we approached the coastal range and didn’t co-operate in the actual sound area with showers and fog, but the natural wonder still captivated.
The highest sea cliff in the world rises over a mile straight up out of the water. A 450-foot waterfall is dwarfed by the magnitude of immense rock faces and crags. Mixed in with the rocks are penguins and seals.
We were treated to a natural extravaganza on the way back to Queenstown. The sky and clouds are unbelievable with three layers of activity shifting simultaneously. The colors were not so amazing, as the incredible tangible depth of field. Standing in the lush grass one almost felt as if it were possible to be consumed or fall into the dimension of sky. Our group simply stood in silent amazement by the side of the road, and then burst into excited description after climbing back into the van.
Sound Knowledge
Milford Sound is actually no sound at all. The early western explorers initially mistook the waterway as being formed by the many streams that enter the geological area therefore making the Milford cliffs and watershed a technical water eroded/formed “sound”. In geologic reality, Milford Sound was formed by glacial erosion and therefore should really be called Milford Fjord. Primacy wins the day and Milford Sound although incorrect is the name that stuck.
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