From Queenstown I drove to the small town of Te Anau, which sits on the lake of the same name (actually the biggest lake by volume of water in Australasia). It took a 2 and half hour drive to get there. Although I had heard that the road was boring compared to others in New Zealand, I found it quite pretty.
On arrival I used my time to make an interesting trip across the lake to see a cave inhabited by thousands of glowworms. The cruise was scenic…..
……and the glowworm cave visit very atmospheric. There was an interesting explanation about the glowworms, which are the maggots of a fly called the fungus gnat. They make a nest of sticky threads and then light themselves up to attract flies and moths, which get stuck and are then eaten. The cave visit was conducted mostly in silence, with filming or use of mobile phones prohibited. The highlight was a boat trip, during which we floated in total silence and darkness through a tunnel, admiring the cave roof with its glowworms. It was like looking up and admiring the constellations of the night sky.
However, my main reason for coming to Te Anau was not glowworms. The town is one of the main access points to New Zealand’s Fjordland National Park, and in particular to Milford Sound, one of the world’s most famous scenic spots. This “sound” is more accurately called a fjord, since it is a long, deep inlet of the sea, with very steep walls, formed millions of years ago by the action of glaciers. It is possible to visit the area on a very long day trip from Queenstown, but I preferred to not to be in a rush and to have more time to explore. I had booked an 11.15 boat trip along Milford Sound, wanting to avoid the midday rush, when lots of tour groups arrive from Queenstown. I set off early along the Milford Road that leads to the fjords. It was incredibly beautiful, but on the way there I only had time to make a couple of stops.
I arrived in good time, parked my car and strolled through an empty parking area for buses to the ferry terminal. On the way I stopped to admire Mitre Peak, an iconic landmark of Milford Sound.
Soon I was on my way on a modern cruise ship, admiring some fantastic scenery.
I don’t think my sailing was sold out, so as we passed Milford Sound’s famous waterfalls, it was possible to take pictures without too much jostling from other tourists.
The cruise headed down the fjord to the beginning of the Tasman Sea, which separates New Zealand from Australia.
There, it turned around to head back to port. On the way back I could see why Milford Sound remained undiscovered for many years – from the open sea, the tall mountains of the shore appear to be continuous. It was only discovered in 1812 by accident by a Welsh captain, whose ship had been blown close to the shore in a storm. He named it after his home town of Milford Haven.
The time flew by as one spectacular vista followed another, and after 90 minutes we were back at the ferry terminal to disembark. It was now rush hour; long queues were waiting to board the ships moored there, and the parking area which had been empty earlier was now full with over a hundred buses. I drove back to Te Anau at a leisurely pace, pausing to visit some scenic spots I had had to rush past in the morning. These included the well-known Mirror Lakes, whose water reflects the surrounding mountains on a still day.
I got back to Te Anau in the late afternoon. It had been a very special day; Milford Sound fully deserves its reputation as one of New Zealand’s highlights, but I think I might even have preferred the spectacular drive along the Milford Road to get there.
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