Milford Sound

If you have ever searched New Zealand, pictures of Milford Sound likely came up. That is because of its breathtaking stature and landscape. (You may also have heard of it because portions from Lord of the Rings were filmed here – although rumor has it the land doesn’t really exist).

Because of the long drive, we left Friday for the trip. We first stopped in Queenstown to pick up our supervisor, and then continued down to Te Anau. On the way to Te Anau, we stopped at a souvenir shop and then again to let sheep cross the road. (Yes, there were actually sheep walking across the road!) I quickly asked as the man on the side of the road as we drove by slowly if the sheep were lost/got out, realizing they were changing pastures and everything was normal. My excitement was really high, though!

We finally made it to Te Anau, our resting place for the night.  We checked into what we thought was a hotel, quickly noticing it was more of a cabin. Fortunately, Emma and I were used to this way of sleeping, as it was the same as our camping trip at the beginning. Still, not expecting to find this, we were totally unprepared. No towels, no washcloths, no soap or shampoo… Despite these minor mishaps, I slept great (after taking my mattress off the top bunk and laying it on the floor). The next morning was early, as we still had a 2 hour drive ahead. We stopped for breakfast, and then I took the keys and drove us to Milford Sound! (Apparently I get a little too close to the side of the mountain, stressing out some of the backseat drivers – OOPS!) We all made it safely, however, and prepped for our cruise.

We scheduled a 10:45 A.M. cruise to last 2 hours. Along the way, we sailed through waterfalls, dolphins, sea lions, and two (crazy) people climbing the rocks – See Facebook photos for proof! Then, we headed back to complete the full drive home. Along the way, we stopped at the marked places we missed on the drive there. We also stopped back in Te Anau for dinner and then Queenstown to drop our supervisor off. These stops made the drive more manageable!  (It is only about 5 hours in total, but the roads make it feel much longer)

Although this was definitely one of the busier weekends, it is something you must do if you ever find yourself in the south island of New Zealand. (I have heard Doubtful sound is great, too!)