Category: New Zealand

Milford Sound Underwater Centre, New Zealand
This is not part of the tour and costs and additional $25.

Underwater
Gives you the opportunity to get down to Milford’s salt water layer and observe the wealth of wildlife.

This isn’t like Loch Ness, where you might have the odd sock floating around, there are many fish, corals and life going on 10m under.

Friend
These fish were showing off for me.

Notice the particularly ugly one at the front.

Milford Sound – Underwater Center, New Zealand

Weblinks: Milford Sound Underwater Observatory

Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s top attractions.

The drive down takes 2hrs and takes in some dramatic countryside.

Knobs Flat, New Zealand

Mitre Peak, New Zealand

The area was discovered by a Welshman who got blown off course into the mouth of the sound and it effectively saved his life.

Milford Fjord
At the time, the English had no word for a fjord, so the Welshman named it Milford Haven, which was subsequently re-named Milford Sound.

Granite Peaks
You cannot fail to be inspired, the rocks here are mighty.

Two tectonic plates meet here, the Pacific and the Australasian which goes some way by way of beginning to explain how such a dramatic landscape was created.

As you drift along in the boat, its like someone has come and smashed the sides of the rocks away with a hammer.

Milford Tour Options
There are a number of choices and options, but most tours are done through boats.
The company I went with was Red Boats ‘Encounter’ nature cruise.

This takes in the sights, but without the bus loads of tour parties which congregate around the harbour area.

Here are some pictures when we set sail.

Most Popular
This is the most photographed view in New Zealand.

New Zealands Most Popular Photograph

The Entrance to Milford Sound, New Zealand

One of the advantages of the smaller boat was it’s maneuverability and ability to get close in to the rocks.

Waterfalls
This tour actually goes under a number of the waterfalls which run off the granite outcrops as you go along.

Bowen Falls, Milford Sound
Stanley Falls, Milford Sound, New Zealand
Pixie Falls, Milford Sound, New Zealand

It was hot, so we welcomed getting under the water for a bit of a cool.

Seals
Here’s some seals doing what they do best.

Seals, Milford Sound, New Zealand
Weblinks: Red Boats

Invercargill has penguins walking the streets in the winter.

I have heard this therefore it must be true.

To find out some more interesting facts to be had about the area, I’ve taken some time out to visit the Southland Museum.

There are some nice displays on Maori art. And other bits and pieces that indicate Maori efficiency at catching fish.

Here are some Maori clubs.

Maori clubs, Southland Museum, New Zealand

The Maori used a full bodied thrusting action to gain maximum effect from these stubby clubs.

Sub-Antarctic islands

Upstairs at the museum is a exhibit by Greenpeace about the southern islands or the sub-Antarctic islands.

Windswept, cold, full of seagulls.

Fate
Each island tells a story of unlucky travellers after being thrashed upon the rocks, clambering up to face death or starvation or de-hydration under grotesque circumstances.
Whalers, sealers or seamen were forced to eat whelks, limpets anything they could get their hands on.

Differing explorers suffered different fates, which are documented.

One group made a go of it.
By the time they were picked up they had cultivated 2 hectares of potatoes and harvested 3,000 seal skins.

Southland Museum, New Zealand
Weblinks: Southland Museum