Milford Sound, New Zealand

Friday, Jan 20

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Above: Mama and I enjoyed Pea soup and
hot tea as we entered Milford Sound. 

We arrived in Milford Sound, a fjord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island.  Milford Sound runs 9 miles inland from the Tasman Sea at Dale Point, the mouth of the fiord.  It is the farthest north of 14 fiords that make up the magnificent coastline of the Fiordland National Park.  Sheer rock faces that rise over 3,000 feet surround the fiord.
 

Captain Cook was the British explorer who discovered the eastern coastline of Australia as well as the Hawaiian Islands.  Also, Cook performed the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand.  However, Captain Cook missed Milford Sound on two occasions as he sailed along the Fiordland because the sound has a narrow passageway that is completely hidden from view from the ocean.  John Grono, a sealer, first discovered the sound in 1823 and named it Milford Haven after his birthplace in Whales.

 

The sound was stunning.  Although it was a bit overcast, we were still able to walk out on the font deck and see the waterfalls trickling down the rock sheer faces.  We also encountered Albatrosses, large seabirds native to New Zealand.  Albotrosses are among the largest of flying birds.  They can have a wingspan up to 11.2 feet, the largest wingspan of any living birds.   It was fun to walk around the ship and absorb the scenery.  Mama and I loved taking pictures together.  We even took a photo where it looks like I’m drinking the waterfall.
 

Five Fingers Point

Above: Each night we ate at our usual table with a view.  We made friends with our servers, Lukeman, Nuredin and Madonna.

Left: Granny and I saw a whale playing in the water on the starboard side of the ship.  Our own private show!  It's so fun to see animals in their natural habitat.  Unfortunately, I could only get a picture of his splash.