March 8, 2014. Wanaka, NZ. Milford Sound.

Today we saw the most dramatic scenery we have ever seen in our life. The Milford Sound is a huge fiord, on the west side of the Southern Alps. From Waneka, where we were staying, we took a small plane up and over the mountains to land at the end of the Milford Sound. From the airport we took a bus to the small harbor. For over two hours, we drove the Sound out to the Tasman Sea and back. The plane journey was amazing all by itself. We five passengers were enthralled by the views. It seemed like we could touch the tops of the mountains and glaciers. We flew over rock and snow and crept along the valleys. The flight was so beautiful that I forgot to remember that I hate little planes. The Milford Sound is unique. The mountains drop straight down to the sea on both sides of the sound. The walls are granite. The largest cruise ships are able to journey up Milford Sound. During our boat ride, we saw New Zealand fur seal colonies and a small albatross. And huge water falls. The scale of the place is what makes it so impressive. The plan was to make the journey this morning but the weather on the Milford Sound was not good so we finally left at 1:00. After we saw the entrance to the sound I was delighted we waited until the weather was good. Our pilot was excellent. We have lived to tell the tale!!