January 3, 2011 was the day I realised how long holidays can be. Waking early, I settled the account at the hotel and drove back in to Dunedin. In many ways it was much more like a small country town in Scotland than the capital after whom it is named; a very unassuming town to be the home of New Zealand’s top medical school! My aim was to check out the lambskin coat manufacturer. I had discovered the previous day that it was a simple high street souvenir shop – not even a factory outlet! I got there just before 9.30a.m. only to discover that not even Starbuck’s was open – public holiday. Nothing open until 10.00a.m. A quick coffee to send me on my way and a disappointing visit to the shop whose stock was much less than I had expected and I was off towards Queenstown. A number of people had told me this would be one of the highlights of the trip, especially if I managed to fit in a visit to Milford Sound.
Away from Dunedin by 10.30a.m, I headed for the Taieri HIghway and the road to Queenstown. Fortunately, I pulled off at the first exit to fill up with fuel, remembering that I had been warned not to let the levels get too low in case there was a longer distance than I expected between filling stations: there was! Once again the drive was through rolling hills and was enjoyable despite the greyish skies. Suddenly, about mid-day, the clouds lifted and the sun broke through gloriously. There was a farm shop at the side of the road which also served as a roadside cafe. I was in the Roxburgh Valley, fruitbowl of Central Otago. The shop was selling boxes of mixed fruits – apricots, for which the area is famous, peaches,cherries and plums for $7.50 and they also had fresh fruit icecream. Vanilla icecream mixed with fresh apricot has to be tasted to be believed! Wish I could have gone back every day!! It set me up for the remainder of the drive to Queenstown – and the sunshine was perfect for such a drive!
Arriving in Queenstown mid-afternoon had me searching for accommodation again. Tried all the usual places but they were overly pricey. Then decided to try Rydges, right on the lakefront and they were able to offer me a room at a reasonable price for the two nights I wanted. I was really glad to have agreed to it when I saw the view from the window!! I was looking out over The Remarkables and benefited from glorious light over the lake and wonderful sunsets. The next morning I even witnessed sunrise as the trip I had booked to Milford Sound was to leave the hotel at 6.45a.m.. I had decided to be driven for once.
It was well worth the early start as we travelled from Queenstown to Te Anau in the best hours of the day, with some lovely shades of green in the fields and blue in the lake, then combining into the lavender of the rocky hillsides. In many ways I regretted not having more time to spend in this area, but count myself fortunate to have seen it on a really good day and into have travelled in a way that enabled me to really appreciate my surroundings. I was amused that one of the indicators of a good tour company was that they used a glass-roofed bus. I had never come across this idea before but it really did help to see the mountains towering above us as well as alongisde the road as we journeyed.
This trip has helped me not to make assumptions and to question commonly-held beliefs: to reach the ‘South’ Island we sailed west and now travelling to Milford Sound, which I had always understood to be on the south coast of the south island, I found it was actually NORTH of Queenstown – but had to travel south first to get there because of the mountains. Te Anau seemed a pleasant little town and it would have been fun to see the caves. I could possibly have booked one night there but eventually, as the weather changed, was glad not to have done.
The stops along the way provided information I might never have discovered had I travelled alone: Lord of the Rings locations, reflective pools, even the fact that I was in the Cleddau Valley. But, most important of all, I was pleased not to be driving when we entered the tunnel and I realised that we were just driving inside the rock – there seemed to be barriers to prevent us driving into the rock but no protective cover. And the lights changed ever fifteen minutes to let the other side through. SO GLAD not to be driving alone through that!
As always, being out on the deck was exhilarating and I made a beeline to stand on the bow below the bridge as we sailed out into the Sound. My only recollection of anything similar was of parts of the Yangtze, though that’s generally much wider. Putting Norway on the list of ‘must-see’s now, to be able to compare. The commentary mentioned the difference between a ‘Sound’ and a ‘Fiord’ and suggested that Milford Sound was inappropriately named. Strictly speaking, it should be Milford Fiord.
As was my experience in Strahan, Tasmania, I didn’t choose the most expensive travel option – I travelled with Great Sights and Southern Discoveries (the red boats if you’re actually at Milford Sound) and was very happy with my choice. They provided a very substantial packed lunch of local produce and there was coffee and tea on board at no charge. The crew had real senses of humour and the commentary was good. At no time did I feel in any danger. Although it was a holiday season neither the bus nor the boat were full and my fellow travellers were pleasant.
The two hours flew by and it was all too soon time to board the bus for the journey back to Queenstown. A good opportunity to relax and enjoy the passing countryside. And so it was that I sat back and enjoyed the ride right to the hotel and then was able to gaze in awe at another Queenstown sunset.
Living the Journey 