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Milford Sound, by steamship to Queenstown and over NZ’s highest road pass to Wanaka

Milford Sound

A boat trip of just under 3 hours took us out to the ocean and back. The vegetation cover on the steep shores is very thin, yet trees grow, which now and then crash into the fjord in a “tree avalanche”, to be seen in one of the pictures. The steep shores are really high; the size comparison perhaps works through the excursion boats photographed in some pictures. As the only lodge with campers was full, I had to pitch my tent near the road in the evening; it was somewhat uncomfortable because of the many sand flies there, and the next morning I was greeted by a kea and set off early, 900 m of climbing, back through the tunnel and to Te Anau.

Queenstown

From Te Anau along an unpaved road (actually a dead end for cars, but a few were on it all the same) past the Mavora Lakes to Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak Station, and from there by steamship TSS Earnslaw to Queenstown. The unpaved road, always rising slightly, and of course a strong north wind made the day quite strenuous. Queenstown was rather overcrowded and after fish & chips I fled for a night to nearby Arrowtown.

Lake Wanaka

High road passes are not to be found in New Zealand; I rode one of the highest between Arrowtown and Lake Wanaka: the Cardrona Pass with about 1120 m does not even reach the height of the Brenner Pass :)

Wanaka, the lakes there and the nearby national park, as well as Roys Peak (1578 m), which I climbed in the afternoon, were worth the trip.

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