Our journey south of Queenstown lasts only three days, but we pack in quite a bit: a cruise of Milford Sound, a visit to Stewart Island, and a handful of scenic attractions along the way, which I’ll highlight in this post.
Random: we paid to use the toilets in Te Anau (how very Urinetown of them). But that’s not why I took the photo… I find it hysterical that these toilets are described as “user friendly.”
Here are some images from the entrance of Fiordland National Park en route to Milford Sound:
This tunnel is only one lane wide so there’s a timer on each side counting down to the green light.
That evening we stay at historic Gunn’s Camp. A generator supplies electricity until 10pm, at which time the entire camp goes dark.
Our host at Gunn’s Camp sells local jade jewelry.
We are assigned to cabins with six beds of the bunk variety.
(I giggled while typing that.)
There’s a large building with a communal kitchen and sitting area.
Most of us hang out here from sunset until our 10pm “lights out” curfew.
While English is the common language amongst our tour group, almost everyone speaks a different native language (I’m an exception, of course). As I edit photos after dinner, I observe my fellow passengers playing cards a few feet away and it’s fascinating to hear them communicate the rules and strategies of the game. Language is most effective when reduced to its simplest parts — in this card game, for example, one player refers to the Queen as “the girl” and everyone knows what he’s talking about.
The next day we walk to Humboldt Falls, which our guide tells us is the fourth tallest waterfall in New Zealand.
We complete a short walk to the Chasm, a slot canyon with another waterfall running through it. This one is New Zealand’s 10th tallest waterfall.
(I’m totally kidding.)
In the parking lot we encounter a kea bird, which is the world’s only alpine parrot according to Wikipedia. They are VERY friendly with humans… and car tires. Occasionally they do damage.
Another scenic destination is this swing bridge which holds a maximum of five people at a time. We don’t test its limits.
Mirror Lakes is another attraction worth checking out.
The “mirror lakes” sign in the photo below is upside down, but appears right side up in the reflection. Clever..
Our Stray bus driver pulls over for this scenic view on our way south to Invercargill:
And finally, below left is the key to the storage shed at our hostel in Stewart Island. I describe it as “very Secret Garden” when the guy at the front desk hands it over. Below right is a reminder of the coffee lingo here. They use words like short, long, and flat to describe their caffeinated beverages.
Want to know a harsh reality? I’m not sure I’d classify a single cup of coffee here as “good.” I choke it down because I need the caffeine but it’s not tasty. Most of the time I go for a moccacino (a drink I’d never order in the U.S.) because the chocolate flavor detracts from the awful taste of the espresso. Part of the issue may be their soy milk (I have a milk allergy and always drink soy). But now I am in Australia as I type this and I’m happy to report the coffee is much better here. Hallelujah!
