Cruising Milford Sound

 My companion and I both returned home safely last night after a rather turbulent flight.  It is good to be home again.

This post continues the second day of our road trip, when we visited Milford Sounds.

There are several different cruises that go out into the Milford Sound – which is actually a fjord because it was created by glacier action.

The cruise we chose to do was the Southern Discoveries ‘Discover More’ one.  We were not disappointed.

Our boat was named the ‘Lady Bowen’ and she was smaller than some of the others but very comfortable for the eighty or so people we had on board.

The weather was cloudy with occasional misty rain throughout most of our trip.  I stayed inside most of the time, diving out onto the front of the boat when I wanted to take a special photo.

The fjord is a beautiful place, even in the mist.  In some places the walls rise shear up out of the water to reach toward the heavens.

There were waterfalls everywhere, some just mere trickles down the rocks.  I thought the Bridal Veil Falls were beautiful.

When we reached the Tasman Sea the swell was running at 4 metres.  I haven’t posted a video before so I hope this works as it gives a small idea of how the boat behaved.

Coming back down the fjord we paused beneath the Stirling Falls (shown in my Great Fun post of 17 November) for those who wished to get wet.   Apparently the water is rich in minerals and getting drenched is called a Glacial Facial.  No thanks!

Our next stop was off the boat to visit the Underwater Observatory.  This is a fascinating view into life beneath the surface, with 60 steps taking you down 10 metres to a viewing area.  Because this area experiences so much rain, a layer of fresh water sits atop the sea water.  This creates ideal conditions for deep-water plants and creatures to live at shallower depths.

For many years I have wanted to see living Black Coral (which is actually white) and finally got my wish.  Although my photos are not the best, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see this unique deep-water coral.

Back on board, our final stop was to look at the spectacular Bowen Falls before we docked in port once more.

By now I was more than ready to call it a day.  It felt like we had been sightseeing for two full days, not just one, and I and my companion were both thankful to return to our motel that night.

Margaret 😊