Te Anau
We arrive at Te Anau to blue skies and a hot sun.
The town of Te Anau, and our campsite for the night, is right on a lake of the same name. As we take a walk to check things out, the first thing we notice is the sea planes and helicopters. Helicopters will be a feature of our lives over the next couple of weeks.
We chose Te Anau as our gateway to see the famous Milford Sound. So it would seem, did everyone else.
Milford Sound is one of New Zealand’s top experiences. Indeed, in 2008 it was voted as the best tourist destination in the world by travelers.
To keep ahead of the crowds, we got up at 6, in the dark, to be on the road by 7.
By happy coincidence, 7 o’clock is also when Miles Better Pies opens. We’d heard that pies are a pretty big deal in New Zealand and everyone we’ve talked to seems really proud of this.
Excited to try NZ pies for ourselves, we went for two Steak and Cheese. However, whilst I was carefully carrying them out to the van, they were so warm and smelled so delicious that I went back for a Bacon and Egg Pie to supplement my meagre ‘first breakfast’.
It was the right choice.
Milford Sound
The road to Milford Sound is pretty spectacular. If you had a motorbike or sports car, and could avoid all the motorhomes, it would be one of the best drives too.
We stop frequently on the way down. Notably at Mistletoe Lake, which we enjoyed as the sun rose, then Eglington Flats and Mirror Lake. We got there before they were too busy and at just the right time of day. They were all stunning.
It’s a slightly hairy approach road to the long, single file tunnel that has been roughly cut through the cliffs but that’s nothing compared to what’s awaiting us on the other side.
The landscape seems to change from normally, rugged New Zealand to something prehistoric looking. Seriously, we wouldn’t have been surprised to see dinosaurs in the forests. The road winds very steeply downhill towards the sea.
Stopping to let some cars pass, we walk up to The Chasm. It seems to have been deemed so dangerous that the bridge at the end is closed. Even if we’d been able to walk on the insubstantial looking bridge over the black void below filled with the sound of angry water, I’m not sure we would have.
Milford Sound is amazing. It’s just incredible. Our photos and writing just simply won’t do it justice. If you have the chance, you should definitely visit.
We jump on the first available Milford Sound tour and are pleased to find ourselves on a smaller boat that takes us out for two hours. Touring up and down the sound we get as far as the Tasman Sea. It’s a great experience and we enjoy an amazing day.
The drive back is fun too and it’s been a full day by the time we get to Te Anau.
To our happy surprise, the pharmacy recommended ‘sand fly repellant’ has done a fair job….. we should have put that on the next day too in hindsight… but that’s a tale for another time.
Thanks for reading,
Sally and Toby
Oh, and the pies were amazing!
Milford Sound
Milford Sound maybe on of the most popular tourist spots in New Zealand but it’s also one of the wettest.
It has a dual name, being called Piopiotahi by the Maori and later named by a welsh settler after his home town of` Milford Haven.
It turns out we got lucky with a sunny day to visit. It typically rains here more than 180 days of the year. And when it rains it really comes down too. The average monthly rainfall is more than half a meter.
The waterfalls may have been less dramatic but we’ll take our sunny day.
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