Scenic Overload

I am two, very full, days behind on the blog because we spent last night on a boat. So this will be a busy recap of two days that I will never forget.

Rain or shine, I have come to the conclusion that New Zealand is the most beautiful place I’ve ever experienced. Mountain for mountain, it can’t compete with the great Rockies of Colorado. But if you take into account the myriad landscapes, rain forests, glaciers, turquoise lakes, green rolling hills, the towering fiords and the immense craggy peaks – I’m not sure if there is any place like this in the world. I’m on scenic overload right now because we experienced all of those places in the last 36 hours.

Day 1

Yesterday, we woke up to sunshine over Lake Te Anau. When the skies cleared we realized the drama that had been hiding from us over the last few days. We were completely encircled by white peaks in every direction you looked. Those floor-to-ceiling windows suddenly became that much more important. We caught the morning sunrise before breakfast when their skies were at their clearest – then we went out to enjoy some poached eggs on ciabatta bread with bacon and hollandaise sauce, with the bright sunshine and views to keep us company. Then after taking more photos, packing up and having a lovely farewell conversation with Russ and Joan, the inn keepers, we were on the road to Milford Sound by 10:30.

The morning sun revealed this view from our room over Lake Te Anau.

Our room was the furthest right at the end.

The plan for the day was to work our way along the 2-hour drive into Milford Sound, stop along the way for a hike and then make it to catch our boat by 4:30 to take our overnight cruise into the fiord. We were really lucky. Because of the severe rains, the road to Milford Sound had been closed for landslides over the two previous days. We had been holding our breath on whether or not we could get in to catch the boat. But the rain had finally stopped and the road was only closing at night, so we were safe to get to our destination.

This road is incredible. We learned a lot about how early New Zealanders built it in the 30s. The government wanted to open the fiord for tourism, so they literally put a road through mountainsides where no road should ever go. And to get to the fiord, they needed to build a one-lane tunnel through a massive granite mountain. It’s still sketchy, and there are still landslides on either side of it when it rains really hard (which is what closed the road this week). Otherwise, this road weaves through giant valleys and towering cliffs, rivers, waterfalls, meadows, sharp turns, snow, rain forest. It is impressive. And the closer we got to the start of the fiord itself, the more the clouds, mist and rain returned to us too.

Around noon we stopped for our hike. We planned to trek up to the top of Key Summit, which has amazing views of the local ranges and the entrance to Milford Sound. It’s about a 5-mile roundtrip hike – first half straight up, second half straight down. The first part was on switch backs in the rainforest. We went up and up and up through the giant trees. Not only was it misting again, but the trees are always wet and dripping. The higher we got, the more we were into the clouds. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the summit and the last 15 minutes were above the tree line. The clouds had encircled us, but as we moved and they moved we were able to catch faraway glimpses of mountain tops – some rolling and green with jungle, others rocky and blanketed with snow fields. The top was windy, wet and cold – but spectacular. There was a nature loop on the summit through alpine bogs with incredible 360 degree vistas. We huddled behind a rock and enjoyed another lunch with a view. Then we headed back down quickly and made it to the car in about 40 mins – with plenty of time to make the final 30-min drive to the boat.

Mt. Christina peaking out from the clouds from the top of Key Summit.

Views from the hike back down Key Summit.

The last stretch of the Milford Sound Road is definitely the most dramatic. You work your way through the inclined, one-lane, rustic tunnel and come out into a fantasy land on the other side. When you look back, you just see this massive sheer granite rock face that almost blocks out what sun there is behind the clouds. And in front, you work your way down a serpentine road through glacial cut valleys until you reach the entrance to the fiord.

When you arrive, the first view you see is the one that is used for the backdrop of this blog – Mitre Peak. Of course, we saw it then – but we were hurrying to the boat. And it was supposed to be more clear the next day, so we waited on taking a picture of our own. We failed the primary lesson we’ve learned in this country – if you see a shot, take it. Who knows if the clouds will let you do it later.

By the time we reached the boat, it was raining. But we soon learned that it pretty much always rains in Milford in the summer. Their last clear day in the fiord was sometime in early December. All of the pictures from the brochures were taken in the winter – and even those clear days are few and far between in that season. But no matter, the beauty of the fiords is in their drama. And we definitely experienced plenty of that.

We booked an overnight cruise with a company called Real Journeys. It was on a small sailing cruise ship with about 30 state rooms called the Milford Mariner. The boat was a good size, so it really absorbed those 60 passengers. For much of the time, it felt like we had the place to ourselves.

Boarding the Mariner.

We left the dock around 4:30 p.m., and after our safety presentation, we dropped our stuff off in our private cabin and headed up on deck. That evening we were going to cruise along the fiord for about an hour before mooring in a cove overnight. Of course, it was pouring with rain again, but that didn’t stop us. Dave and I were out on the bow with our rain gear (with only a handful of brave souls). We saw seals, maneuvered under a few waterfalls and took in the dramatic views.

Our cabin on the boat.

Checking out the waterfall from the front row.

After mooring in the cove for the evening, we had the option of kayaking. We were not going to let a little wind and rain stop us. About seven of us climbed into kayaks and set off exploring. I’m not going to lie – it was cold, I was soaked, the water was choppy from the wind and we were tired from the hike earlier that day – but it was still really fun. Dave and I went off exploring the cove on our own for about an hour. By the end of it, I was shivering and starving for dinner. We peeled out of our drenched clothes, warmed up and made it in time for the dinner bell at 7.

Considering we were on a boat in the middle of a fiord in New Zealand, dinner was lovely. We had assigned seats – and we were combined with two really great couples – who were our age and had all actually been out on the water in kayaks and a tender when we were. So we were all recovering and warming up together. One couple was from Sydney Australia. She was an engineer and he was a technical manager at a large global paint company. The other couple was currently living in Singapore, but she was German, he was Australian – and the met years ago when they were both living in Auckland, New Zealand. She is a school teacher and he is an international jet pilot for JetStar. The buffet dinner was delicious and plentiful – and we had a nice long evening chatting and sharing stories. After dinner, the boat staff gave a short, amusing and informative slide show about Milford Sound –and we learned a lot about weather conditions and how we were actually pretty lucky weather-wise with what had been dealt to us.  

By then it was about 9:30, and Dave and I bundled up and went out on the deck to take photos and watch the light fade away. Again, we were the only people out there. It was magical. After a long day we were exhausted, so we headed to bed by 10:30 and set our alarms for 4:30 a.m. When you’re on a boat in Milford Sound, you need to get up in time to watch the sunrise. Plus, breakfast was at 7 a.m. sharp.

Night views from the boat, looking at the companion ship moored with us in the cove.

Evening in Milford Sound.

Day 2

At 4:30 a.m., it was cloudy (of course) and still dark. So we snoozed until about 5:15. Dave bundled up and went outside with camera and tripod in tow. I joined him up on deck at 6 a.m. Again, we were the first people up and out there. Even with 60 people, we had the place to ourselves.

The morning mist, the quiet, the fresh snow on the peaks from overnight and the seals swimming nearby – all things I could easily wake up to every morning. It was so peaceful and sheltered – like waking up as part of a painting, not like anything in the real world.

Early morning in Milford Sound.

Early morning, the other boat leaving the cove ahead of us.

We rejoined our new friends for a large breakfast buffet and by 7:30, the boat was moving for part two of the tour of the fiord. It was cold, windy and cloudy – but at least it wasn’t raining. The mist still necessitated full winter gear and rain coats. Dave and I were up on the bow for the ride out to the end of the fiord. We saw more seals, towering peaks and waterfalls. And then we briefly headed out into the open water of the Tasman Sea – which was quite a rolling ride. Then we turned around to head back to port. We turned around right into strong winds and light rain. By then, I was tired of being wet and cold, so I went to our cabin and hid under the blankets for about 40 mins until we got back to the docks at 9 a.m.

Looking back into the fiord from the Tasman Sea.

Seals hanging out after their breakfast.

When we got back, we soon discovered that today Mitre Peak was completely covered in clouds. We still took some pictures – which are great. But the full uncovered peak will live only in our minds and other people’s photos for now.

Mitre peak is the mountain the middle with the blanket of clouds.

Then we hit the road. We had a seven-hour drive ahead of us, through some of the most dramatic landscapes on the South Island. Our plan for the day (even though we had already been up for almost 5 hours) was to drive, stop, take photos, drive, stop, take photos, eat, drive, stop take more photos. And that’s exactly what we did. The drive started with the two-hours heading out of Milford Sound and back through the tunnel to Te Anau.  There, the sun returned to us and we stopped and picked up some meat pies for lunch (yum). Then it was the two-hour drive back to Queenstown. And that was a nice surprise. When we drove that route out before, it was socked in and raining. Now it was blue skies in every direction and what a treat. The incredible landscape reminded us very much of our favorite spots in South West Colorado in the San Juans – green rolling farm fields with huge craggy white capped peaks lining the background.

Heading back on Milford Road, up toward the tunnel.

Englinton Valley on the road between Milford and Te Anau.

Along the road between Te Anau and Queenstown.

From Queenstown, we headed into new territory. The drive toward Wanaka and up in the direction of Mt. Aspiring National Park was breathtaking. Huge turquoise lakes and gorgeous mountain views were everywhere. Words can’t do it justice. Around every corner, our breath kept getting taken away.

Looking down at Lake Wanaka.

Then we were about two hours through Mt. Aspiring National Park. Massive rainforest mountains, with white peaks showing up now and then. Wide river valleys with blue glacial waters and waterfalls overhead – just about everywhere.

Thunder Creek Falls in Mt. Aspiring National Park.

The final hour of the drive was up the West coast toward Fox Glacier. Here, the landscape changed dramatically. The trees along the coast have a tropical, jungle feel. The river beds drain into the Tasman Sea and towering trees with high canopies line the shores and head up into the mountains. It was different than any landscape we had ever seen in person. And as we drove north, the Mt. Cook range came into sight with massive peaks surrounding Mt. Cook (the highest peak in the country) and working their way down to the ocean.

A few days before we had been on the Eastern slopes of Mt. Cook – and our viewing of the mountain was thwarted by clouds. Today, we were in luck. Here along the West coast, high above all of the other peaks, Mt. Cook and its sidekick Mt. Tasman, dominated the skyline with their brilliant white spires.

We pulled into the town of Fox Glacier around 8 p.m. and checked in here at our new homestay, Misty Peaks. Dave, our innkeeper, greeted us warmly with wine and friendly conversation in his kitchen. Because we are here for four nights, he upgraded up to the honeymoon suite. It’s like we have a wing of the house to ourselves. But the most important thing is that you step outside and right there, literally right there, Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman are looming over you. I think I’m going to like it here for three more days of adventure.

We had a nice night chatting with the other guests from the UK and having dinner at the local ale house. On the way back, we happened to time it just right to the sun setting on Mt. Cook and Mt Tasman. The white peaks were turning pink. We drove down a back road to get a good view, but we couldn’t make it all the way to the best spot in time – the color was starting to fade. So we quickly pulled off the side of the road, hung out with the sheep and Dave caught a few dramatic photos of the twin mountains full of color. By now we have learned our lesson, take the pictures at that moment because who knows if Mt. Cook will make another appearance for us while we are here.

Mt. Tasman on the left and Mt. Cook on the right.