I typically despise
tour buses in every conceivable manner.
Although they provide an easy and no thinking approach to a trip (which
is great for some people), it also takes away any spontaneity and adventure one
might have otherwise. Watching a large tour bus pull up and defecate
its confused and starry eyed passengers, makes me slightly ill, and makes me
feel sorry for their unimaginative approach to traveling. I say ‘typically despise’ because I finally
broke down and took a tour bus, one of the 200 a day, to the Milford sound. And I actually thoroughly enjoyed myself. Not so much because I was on a tour bus, but because
the Milford sound is exceptionally gorgeous.
In fact, I generally try to steer clear of any monstrous tourist
destination such as this, simply out of principle. And spite.
However, once I saw pictures of this incredible fiord, I knew I had to
go (and it is pretty remote, hence why I didn’t hitch-hike). (FYI: It’s called Milford Sound, but the ‘Sound’
is actually a fiord which is a valley carved by a glacier and filled with
water). We drove on the tour bus for two
hours through lush valleys surrounded by sheer cliffs and mountains on all
sides, and then we boarded a small cruise ship.
It was quite cloudy, and by the time that we got out on the water, it
began to rain. Normally, rain can be a
bad omen on any excursion, but fortunately rain in the fiord can be a wonderful
blessing. On top of being surrounded
with impossibly beautiful cliffs plummeting into the fiord, the rainfall
creates hundreds of gentle waterfalls cascading down the granite rock which makes
for a truly spectacular vision. Additionally, the low hanging clouds provide
almost an ominous mystique that a clear day would not. In fact, our bus driver said that you have to
go to Milford Sound three times: Once when it’s clear, once when it’s pouring
rain, and once in the winter when the mountains are covered in snow. I guess I’ll just have to come back.
 |
| The Farm |
 |
| Lake Te Anau with Fiordland behind |
 |
| Lake Te Anau at sunset |
 |
| These seals were chilling on this rock and just held this pose the entire time |
 |
| The camera doesn't capture all of the layers of mountains |
 |
| Two native Kea parrots. |
Aside from the spectacular stuff, my wwoofing situation is
merely amazing. I am staying with a Polish woman named Alina, and her house is
right in the town of Te Anau on the outskirts of Fiordland and on a mountain
inundated lake. The farm (which is just
outside of town) overlooks some awesome mountains to the east and grows
blueberries, raspberries, and various other goodies. We work hard but prepare three delicious international
meals a day and in the evening I walk along the lake. Wwoofing is one of the best things that has
ever happened to me (since I can’t exactly afford luxury accommodation).
