Thursday, May 18, 2006
Milford Drowned
Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park in the South Island is a huge tourist attraction. People come to admire the thundering waterfalls, the towering Mitre Peak and the lush green mountains reflecting in the still blue waters of the sound. The best way to do this is to take one of the many boat cruises on offer. Astonishingly Milford Sound recieves 7-8 metres of rainfall a year, leaving most tourists at the end of their 2 hour cruise cold, drenched, unable to see Mitre Peak and with a camera full of grey cloudy pictures. We were no exception to this rule.
Whilst waiting to board I indulged in a favourite pastime of mine...people-watching:
First up, 2 couples in their 60s - the wives had immaculately coiffed highlighted hair (soon to be ruined), jeans (I wasn't aware they were waterproof) and stiletto leather boots (non-existent grip failed them immediately as they slipped on the wet gangway.) Their husbands didn't appear to appreciate their efforts though.
Next up, 30-something guy, London socialite, black duffle coat with upturned collar, wooly scarf, bum bag, jeans (again, I must check their waterproof qualities) and flip flops. To coin a phrase used by most of my family...'Prat'!
Anyway, we boarded the ship already soaked having run (straight after lunch on full stomachs) from the car park to the wharf. Determined not to let the weather spoil the day, we took our positions on the top of the boat, whilst the aforementioned people began to make use of the free tea and coffee and took their places inside. Boring! We had chosen a smaller boat because it could get closer to things...namely waterfalls! The torrential rain had only served to accentuate the spray coming off them and we felt it face-on! We were also able to pull in close to a colony of seals basking on a rock who didn't seem bothered that a boat full of tourists were gawping at them from the side of the boat pointing cameras in their direction.
The highlight however had to be the visitors alongside the boat...several schools of bottlenose dolphins riding playfully on the wave of our boat just metres from us. It was magical and we actually have some photographic evidence this time, be they a little blurred!
Now I hate to quote the 'cool gang' from our Melbourne to Sydney tour who we brutally slated but to experience Milford Sound you really have to get wet, get out on deck and "get amongst it!"
http://www.mitrepeak.com/
# posted by Rhodri @ 7:12 am 
