Day 12 – Cruising Fiordland National Park

Pohiri – (Maori Welcome)

    Yesterday we sailed through the Fiordland National Park. A guide narrated information about each sound as we sailed through. We sailed through Dusky, Doubtful, and Milford Sounds. As they were narrating they allowed us access to the bow of the ship. Unfortunately, it was raining and we found that they best place for us to view the Sounds was on our own balcony. We could have the TV going at the same time, so we could learn the history of each sound as we sailed through without getting soaked. It was also very cold out and about.

    As in so many places we have visited, from 1792 to 1820, sealers slaughtered hundreds of thousands of seals. Today they tell us the fur seals are coming back but we only saw a very few animals.

    Of course, for the geologists who are reading this, sounds are flooded river valleys whereas fiords are valleys carved by the tremendous pressure and power of glaciers during successive Ice Ages, then later flooded by the sea as the ice melts and the sea level rises. So, these were technically fiords and not sounds. It is now flanked by steep mountains rising some 9,000 ft above sea level, sheer rock walls clad with thick temperate rainforests which makes it virtually impenetrable except along its 310 mile hiking trails. Glad we sailed through. It would be tough walking. The water falls were spectacular. They told us that when it is raining it is more amazing than when the sun is out. 

   Milford Sound was our last sailing in New Zealand, and is the best known. Bowen Falls, which is pictured, drops 530 ft. was quite wonderful. Now onto Melbourne, Australia

“Seek and you will find. Don’t be willing to accept an ordinary life.” – Salle Merrill Redfield

Haere ra (Goodbye)

More to Follow

Tom and Holly