Putiputi - Flower

Driving into Milford we were asked to close our eyes, like children, and emerging from the Homer tunnel like this was exciting; what were we going to see? Were we going to be met by clear weather, and a stunning vista of mountain walls and open skies?


No of course we weren't. It was raining, and the thick grey cloud hung about us, obscuring the view of the landscape. Still, it was with great excitement and optimism that we arrived for our boat-trip at the terminal, boarded our craft, and stowed our luggage below.


We had placed ourselves in the trust of RealJourneys, a company that operates tour buses and boats in and out of Milford Sound. Our launch was the Milford Mariner, a very well fitted craft with ample viewing decks, a full kitchen, flushing loos, hot showers and a licensed bar. It could carry about 65 but there were only 30 or so of us on this trip, in the off-season. Service was excellent, and I would recommend this trip to everyone and anyone. We were accompanied by a posher and more expensive launch the Milford Wanderer, which features in two of the photographs below!



As we left the small jetty at Milford and headed-out into the sound, we began to see the great cataracts emerging from the cliff tops and crashing their way down into the water. All around us the water trickled and flooded. Light drizzle and wafting fog became steady rain, and spray surrounded the bow of the ship, until I was throughly wet all over, and thankful for my raincoat and plastic over-trousers. I was largely on my own for these first few minutes as we headed down the sound, past waterfalls and darkened shores. To my surprise many of the passengers opted to sit indoors, as though this was any-old trip, a pleasure boating exercise on a duck pond perhaps. This proclivity continued through most of the trip, with only a few passengers venturing forth for any long period of time, and I felt isolated - as though my behaviour of staying out on deck was strange. Though to me, it was their behaviour that was the stranger, as they were missing-out on all the wonderful things I saw. Surely it was complaints of cold, and the rain, that caused people to stay below deck - and not a lack of wonder for the environment of Milford Sound?

The highlight of the first day was kayaking on a small tour of the bay where we had moored for the night. Apart from getting even wetter in the rain and splash of the paddles, we were given an excellent commentary and shown some of the more interesting aspects of the sound. For example the surface water is a fresh mixture of rain water and silt washed from the mountainous sides of the fiord. This layer is quite earthy to the taste and not too salty. Below this layer (about a metre or so) is the seawater, which is home to many deepwater species which exist close to the surface here in Milford Sound, due to the relative calm and the light-filtering qualities of the surface layer. Black corals, anenomes and varieties of squid are all found here at surprisingly shallow depths. We also saw a seal pup hauled-out on a rock, and Fiordland crested penguins, one of the most endangered, hopping about and making a racket just onshore. At one point along the cove is a great iron chain and anchorage discarded from some vessel many years ago. It highlights the peculiar history of man in this area, not least how recently it is that Milford has come to be inhabited, and how fragile that inhabitation continues to be. Although beautiful, and a boon to sailors travelling the South West Coast of New Zealand, this is not a hospitable place. Overnight we had a beer and talked about murihiku - the shadow land of Fiordland, and then got an early night. I was up at six for sun-rise and saw a wonderful starry night over Milford.



Day two of the Milford trip is coming up . . .