Day Fourteen - Routeburn Track to Milford Sound

day_fourteen
Originally uploaded by bpelley.

We hiked out of the wilderness today and waited for our bus to Milford Sound in a very cold shelter at the end of the trail. Our trail mix was getting a bit old and we had just had our last peanut butter and jelly sandwich so we were very happy when our bus pulled up. Apparently, the driver almost forgot to stop! We looked a bit strange getting onto a luxury tour bus in our hiking boots and three-day old clothes (no showers, either), but we settled right in and began to enjoy the amazing scenery along the road to Milford. Milford Sound (apparently it is actually a fjord not a sound) is the most popular tourist destination on the South Island. The forecast was for rain and overcast skies, but the weather luck was still on our side. We arrived in Milford and quickly boarded a small boat which was to be our home for the night along with 10 other passengers. The cruise was fantastic and just what we needed after our wilderness adventure. After a quick safey review, we were served hot bowls of tomato soup, bread & butter and hot tea! I think these might have been the best bowls of soup we have ever had. We cruised the entire sound after the soup and it while it was a bit gray, we could still witness the awesome majesty that is Milford Sound. Towering cliffs plunge directly into the ocean and dozen of waterfalls (hundreds after heavy rainfall) cover the cliffs. The fog added even more mystery to the scenery. Our boat captain, Kieran, seemed to like to position our little boat right under the falls so that we could all get soaked. One of the passengers, a crazy Irishman, liked to get right under the falls wearing nothing but a tshirt and shorts. The food part of our adventure continued with a delicious BBQ. We later went ashore on a smaller craft to hike up the last of the Milford Track (the most popular track in NZ). After returning to the boat to a tasty dessert, we called it a night and curled up in our bunks below deck. We had to be very careful not to move too quickly in the night because the ceiling was about 8 inches above our heads! After three nights in the huts, it was very nice to hunker down in those comfy beds.

For more pictures from Day Fourteen, click here.