A Near Perfect Day Down Under

Sailing Milford Sound

Yesterday, I was sad to leave Queenstown, but we got a rare treat because we got to sleep in until...7:45 am. We've been getting up at about 6:30 am for 8:00 am departures, but today we got a reprieve. After breakfast we began the long but gorgeous drive to Milford Sound. The day started out cloudy, but by the time we got to the Sound (which, if you'll remember, is actually a fjord), the day was perfect. We stopped often on the way there to take pictures. Once at "The Chasm", a place where the river has carved a lace-like pattern through solid granite, and once in a valley to take in the mountains. It was also an opportunity to acquire a really precious treasure - glacial water, right from the source.

Look, no filter!

We made it to Milford and set sail. And the day was perfect. Even more perfect than my first day here, if I dare say so. The sun was out and there was barely a cloud in the sky. The mountains coming out of the water seemed to sparkle. Truthfully, I have had very few more breathtaking experiences in my life. Dazzled by the scenery, my breath was literally taken away when I found myself drenched by an icy waterfall as our boat's captain steered the nose of our ship into the falls.

Glacial Shower

All afternoon, it was literally impossible to take a bad picture. I tried to take everything in and etch what I was seeing into my memory, because this place is one I do not want to forget anytime soon. With my head still swimming from the gorgeous day, we headed back to Te Anau for a venison pie dinner and a night at the Village Inn, a local place where every room is named after a different village mainstay. We stayed in the General Store, which was in between the Bank and the Butchery. It was hard to think about cutesy hotels with Milford on my mind though. A truly awe inspiring place.

Words Fail