Milford Sound
Honestly, I would have preferred to see the Doubtfull Sound. And, again, I couldn’t find any tour within the time I have available. Thus, Milford Sound, it was.
It’s a 4 hour drive by bus to get there, and 4 hours to come back to Queenstown. Inbetween, you have two hours on the sound, which, actullaly, isn’t a sound at all. It’s a fjord. (A sound is a water basin, that get’s filled up with high tides. A fjord is shaped by glaciers, back in the iceage. Because of the open connection to the sea, it still have tides.)
Comparing Milford Sound to what I have seen in Norway (can you compare?), it’s more narrow, with steeper mountains around. There is basically no soil at those steep rocks, a bit of mos, and some stubbern trees, which try to hold on to cracks and edges. We saw the two permanent waterfalls and a few little once. The most falls there are no waterfalls, but rain-falls, only occuring when it is raining in the mountains. We got some geology explained, history of the place and nowerdays use. And we saw some seals.
To me, the Milford Sound is much to crowded. 10 mayor boats, didn’t count the little once. Airplanes, helicopters. And they wonder that seal colonies moved away, loosing a selling point.
And yet, it is a great place to see, to take in all the beauty, natural forces and little wonders!
On our way back to Queenstown, we visited a farm. They had a few animals in a frontyard paddock, a coffee truck and a gift shop. Didn’t see much more of it. Somewhere in the corn- and sunflower field was a maze, but therefore wasn’t enough time. Enjoyed this little sidetrip, anyway. Loved one specific breed of sheep they had. Looked cute. The alpacas played with some little lambs. The calves did ignore all the attention at hand.
Back in town, I had to fullfill my son’s asignment: trying a Fergburger. Burgers are not really my favorite kind of food. At this place, at least, it is really worth the experience! You definitely have to get in line to order. About 40 people affront of me. Took les than 15 minutes. And then the real wait begins. For your order to be processed. Close to half an hour. But don’t worry! Lots to see and watch. Enough people to talk to, between the row of afilliated stores and the (main) street. This really has its own buzz. The first shop is for icecreams, the second a bakery, the third the mainspot for the burgers and last but not least a little pub. The discription of the burgers make you wonder, what might it taste like. And that’s where the most conversations here are about. “Did you try…?” Did love this place. Do I love burgers now? Hm. Still doubt it.
