The Catlins & Milford Sound

The Catlins (south east of the south island) were indeed beautiful, and I was incredibly lucky with the fantastic weather too. I went to all the usual tourist hotspots: various waterfalls, Nugget Point (to walk along the thin walkway with cliff drop-offs either side, see seal pups playing in the sea and gaze at the fabulous rock formations at the end), Pourpoise Bay (to unsuccessfully look for dolphins), Curio Bay (to see some jurassic-aged petrified wood) and Cannibal Bay (to see sealions - I was REALLY lucky - there were about 15 on the beach!!). But despite just hitting the tourist hotspots, it was simply beautiful, and not at all crowded. The Catlins offers such unspoilt beauty, and has more 'scenic reserves' than I've encountered anywhere else. More nature + less people = winning formula!! :)

 Purakaunui Falls

Nugget Point

Some petrified wood

Slope Point 

About 7 or 8 of the sealions playing / fighting in the surf

I carried along the 'southern scenic route', heading to the southernmost point of the south island at 'Slope Point', where I got the mandatory photograph. Heading towards Invercargill, the plan was to head over to Stewart Island the next day to do a tramp. Uh-oh... what was that word? 'Plan'? Well that wasn't going to happen was it?! ;) The weather was turning for the worse, and I already knew from experience that I'm more of a 'fair weather tramper'. So I decided to head up to Milford Sound for a day or two, and come back down to Stewart Island later.

So I went up to Milford Sound, which is actually a fjord. It's quite magnificent, with huge mountains coming out of still lakes and waterfalls everywhere. Or at least that's what I've heard. Unfortunatley the day I decided to do it, there was no rain meaning no amazing waterfalls, and there was quite a lot of low cloud, meaning limited mountain viewing. It was lovely none-the less though. I'd also read that the drive there was meant to be one of the most beautiful in the world... but please refer to my previous sentence to see why I'm not completely convinced of this. I've seen far more spectacular beauty elsewhere - maybe I've just been spoilt by NZ's beauty, so it takes more to make me stand agape in awe?? Or maybe I just need to go back on a day when there's better weather!

We went under the waterfall :)

The fog was rising...

So after that, I got back to Te Anau (south of Milford Sound), I looked at the weather forecast (which, to be perfectly honest, doesn't really mean that much in NZ - the weather can change extremely rapidly!) and decided that Stewart Island probably wouldn't become sunny for a while. What other ones are there? Aaaah - the Routeburn track - that was recommended to me by a gut on the Heaphy track. And it starts up in Milford Sound!! Ok - I'll do that one! The weather's not meant to be amazing, but at least there'd be waterfalls to gawp at! And Queenstown (where it ended) looked to be sunny the day I arrived there.

So I booked myself into the huts, organised some shuttle buses to take me to and from the start / end of the tramp, packed my backpack and charged my camera battery! And that's where I'm at now. I'm in a hostel in Te Anau, aiming to wake up tomorrow before sunrise to catch a bus up to 'the Divide' where the Routeburn track starts (I'd better get to bed soon then!) I'll then spend 3 days traversing the most varied of the NZ Great Walks, and get back to my car Monday evening. Then... well I have no idea. But let's be honest - what does that matter?? ;op

To see the rest of my photos from Milford Sound, go to: https://picasaweb.google.com/104325393129888199376/201104NZMilfordSound?authkey=Gv1sRgCIaU8uam1IzHogE#