Aboard Dignity (Lagoon 420) Blog

The alarm went off at 7am. We’d packed as much as possible the night before so we groggily arose and packed the remainder of our stuff and the tent. Fortunately the night had been warm and there was no dew on the tent. We had time for breakfast before setting off along the road to Milford Sound.

The sky was overcast and rain did fall on our way north. At one point we wondered if we’d made a bad gamble on the weather. However, the low clouds were sporadic and we were able to see most of the mountains around us. As we approached the tunnel we were rewarded with water cascading down the bare bowls of the valley ends. Exiting the tunnel we were presented with an awesome sight of the valley beyond with more cascading falls from the very recent rains.

We arrived at the visitor center with over an hour to spare so we checked in and went for a wander around. The was a 15 minute return hike to a lookout point that took us about 5 minutes. At one point we spotted a penguin sitting in the bushes and took a few pictures.

The boat we’d picked was the Mitre Point service because we’d (correctly) heard it was the smallest boat out there and that we would be able to stand at the front of the boat getting close to the places we would be taken. When it was time to board the boat we made our way to the front and settled down. The cruise around the sound took a couple of hours. The scenery although mostly lacking sunshine was pretty spectacular. On a couple of occasions we saw fur seals basking on the rocks and we were taken very close to a few waterfalls. The last week had been quite dry so a lot of the falls were dry too but the main ones were flowing with vigour.

On the way back from the sound we stopped off at a nearby place called The Chasm where water had turned the rocks into a honeycomb with holes large enough for trees to get stuck in. I forgot my camera on this one and had to take pics with my phone.

At ‘The Divide’ where we had planned to hike a small part of the Routeburn Trail we stopped to check things out. The clouds overhead were quite low and would give us no view if we climbed up to where we wanted to go. Helen was feeling as though a cold was coming on so we skipped this hike and headed back into Te Anau to shop and then onto the Backpackers to settle in.

And the Barnyard Backpackers is where we are. We’ve had a good night’s rest. The shared area in the barn was quite cozy in the evening with a real log fire blazing. We’ll be here for a few days. The rain has started but is not yet strong. We’re feeling the need for a couple of days of rest following our recent activity and this seems a nice place to get it. There is no internet hotspot here but I can use my phone as a modem. It works fine in the barn but here in the room the signal is weak. I’ve managed to have a session by putting my phone up on top of the curtain rail.

Where we are staying is right by where jet-boating down narrow canyons all began in New Zealand. There are at least three outfits offering jet-boating experiences round here all about the same high price. We opted for the one that required a long bus ride to get there for no extra cost. The reason being was that the bus took us almost to the top of a nearby mountain before descending down a hair raising track the other side down to a higher section of the Shotover River. The bus ride, with commentary from the driver, became a bit of a tour and made for a better value deal all round.

With our nerves mostly intact the occupants of the bus transferred to two jet boats that whizzed up, then down, a narrow section of river with rock cliffs climbing either side and plenty of seemingly impassable shallows. The drivers were fortunately very skilled at what they did and made it a fun ride. There were a few stops to look at abandoned / destroyed gold mining equipment reminding us of the differing fortunes of the area in past times.

Back on the bus we were taken to a former bungee jump site for the view and a needed (for some) break before returning the way we came.

As it was now mid-afternoon and we had missed lunch we drove into Queenstown for a wander around and to eat out. We opted for an Irish pub on the waterfront and managed to get balcony seats so we could watch the world go by while downing Guinness and our stew/bangers and mash. Queenstown is in a very picturesque setting but was a bit too busy for us. We’re glad we’re camping up in the hills.

Our plans are to head towards Te Anau and Milton soon. However, the weather gods seem to think the recent good run on the weather has been enough for us and the look ahead is not promising. We’ve decided to stay here an extra day and decide what to do tomorrow. Today we’ve picked a couple of hikes to do.