The Adventures of Barry: If A Milford Fjords In The Woods, Does That Still Make It A Sound?

I'll leave Queenstown for my next entry. The day after my Bungee I took a day trip out of Queenstown to an area called Milford Sound which in fact is not a sound at all but a Fjord and part of New Zealand's Fjordland National Park.

It's actually quite a lengthy bus trip for a short cruise around the sound, but the scenery is dynamic for long sections and at other times I was able to catch up on some much needed rest (as I said I'll get back to talking aboutQueenstown later).

On the way in we stopped at the scenic town of Te Anau where you can get snacks while admiring a large plaster bird and at Monkey Creek which is fed by a glacier. You can actually fill your water bottle with pure cold and most importantly safely drinkable glacial water. I also love the name. After that we passed through a valley which was used in Jurassic Park 2 (the only movie location I've seen in all of New Zealand that wasn't from Lord of the Rings or any other Peter Jackson film).

(from Jurassic Park 2)

(into the Fjord)

There isn't much to say about Milford Sound itself except how beautiful and indescribable large it is. Even the pictures can't show you how small you feel in there.
The Sound is also one of those places that gets lots of rain so of course they chat up how it's better to see it in the wet weather because the run off creates spectacular waterfalls that aren't there when it's dry, but I think I got the best of both because the rains stopped early in the morning leaving onlyoccasional hints of drizzle during the cruise and lots of waterfalls.

(where the fjord meets the sea)

In the last length of our circuit we pulled up next to a seal colony. I know it's my third one already but I can't get enough of them. It's not like we get to see them laying about on cherry beach in Toronto. I think it's amazing seeing animals like these living free in their own world.