| On the
way to Milford Sound / Milford
Sound
Today is a LOTR-free day, as we visited Milford
Sound.
On
the way to Milford Sound
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We
headed off in the morning on SH 8 (Milford Road) which
will take us all the way to Milford
Sound. This is the beautiful
Eglington Valley, enclosed by mountain ranges on either side. The
day looks very cloudy but so far no rain.
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We
stopped by Mirror Lakes, which are famous for their near perfect
reflections of the mountain scenery during still days.
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The
waters weren't completely still on the day, so the "mirror" effect
is not there, although you can still make out the outlines of the
mountain range.
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This
is Hollyford valley, enshrouded by mist.
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The
entrance to Homer Tunnel, which is 1219m long with a gradient of
1:10. Construction of the tunnel began in 1935 but it was not finished
till 1953.
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There
are sheer mountain ranges on either side of the entrance to Homer
Tunnel. These snow deposits are present all year round.
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Inside
the Homer Tunnel.
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Densely
populated and moss-covered beech forest at The Chasm, a popular tourist
stopping point.
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The
Chasm is a very deep and narrow gorge cut through space between rocks.
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The
Cleddau River plunges into the chasm.
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Milford
Sound
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At
Milford Sound, we are greeted by an impressive view of Mitre Peak
(Rahotu) which rises 1672m above the sea.
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Our
cruise boat, operated by Real
Journeys, arrives to pick us up.
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The
boat looks like this (actually, this is a shot of a sister boat,
not the one we boarded).
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This
is a picture of Bowen Falls, 160m, named after Lady Bowen who visited
Milford Sound in 1871.
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Some
New Zealand fur seals lying on rocks. They tend to feed on squid,
octopus and barracuda at night. |
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This
mighty Stirling Falls, 155m, named after Captain Stirling of HMS
Clio. |
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