We wanted to do an overnight cruise to one of the Sounds and debated between Milford and Doubtful. After much conflicting research (all of which said both places were fabulous and could not be missed), we decided on Milford. I was worried that it was going to be overrun with tourists, really the only factor working against Milford Sound. But we were very fortunate. I think we only saw 3-4 other boats on the Sound the entire 12+ hours we were on the water. You can tell from the photos how desolate our afternoon/evening/morning were. It was pretty special.
Little waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs around us.
We drove into a different one to feel the spray. It wasn't warm out, so I stayed dry.
On the way out, we drove past these rocks. See the brown spots?
Seals! Sleeping fur seals.
We sailed further down the Sound.
More waterfalls. The perspective gets incredible warped on the water when enclosed by the giant fjords. This waterfall is fifty stories tall (that's what the guide said, but I think those were short stories). Still, it gives you an idea about how clueless you are to how tall everything is.
Here are two shots from further away.
Again, the waterfall is fifty stories high.
Our trusty ship, the Milford Mariner, and its three stories help provide a little perspective.
Fourteen of the passengers, including us, boarded a smaller motor boat so we could buzz around and watch for penguins along the shore. We saw this guy on the rocks. He had orange eyebrows.
And then right next to our boat, a lone seal was swimming.
When they swim, they spin, around and around. I was stunned. I had no idea that's how seals swam.
Some more eye candy.
The dinner was good. The sun set and we braved the cold to look at the stars. It was pitch black outside, and, oh, the stars were out. It was amazing. Our attempts at photographing on the slightly-moving anchored boat were no good. But, I promise, the stars were incredible.
We woke up early the next morning for breakfast and then we headed outside to experience the sail out to the Tasman Sea.
It was very cold, but the morning light, the quiet, the fiords, the open water, the fishing boats--it was all magical. Unlike anywhere I've ever been.
Inevitably, we had to head back to the harbor. Even though we were going back the way we came, new beauty was around every cliff.
Final waterfall.
And then we found a pod of dolphins. Our ship was very excited to see dolphins. Our boat caught up with them and they swam over so they could draft off of us. They were huge. Apparently, they're larger than most bottlenose dolphins because of how cold the water is, so they have extra layers of fat to keep them warm.
On the way back in, the seals weren't sleeping anymore. I took a video and there was so much going on that I didn't know what to focus on, so I stayed wide. Please notice the seal trying to jump up on the giant rock on screen left at the end of the video. He kept trying a few more times after I stopped rolling. Our wildlife expert (who you can hear in the dolphin video) looked at me and said, "I don't think he's gonna make it." Too funny.
Back near the harbor, the light was still stunning, and the wind was finally at a minimum.
The sun continued to rise and the rest of the day was waited for us.
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