...I wonder why locals call campsites "holiday parks"
...for the first time I see the Fergburger empty! It is at 6am but still :)
...I go on a trip to Milford Sound, New Zealand's most famed attraction. It's the world's second rainiest place so I'm not expecting pretty weather
...indeed it's grey most of the time but at least there is hardly any rain and the way there is very scenic - it's five hours by bus from Queenstown to the sound. The driver, Dean, tells us a lot of jokes and interesting anecdotes. Such as Queensland being established as a result of gold rush in the area. And our bus has a glass roof, which is cool.
...I am told New Zealand has many kinds of deer and steep fines for speeding ($180 for going 110kph in a 100kph area - come on!!!)
..on the way there we observe a very picturesque mountain range called the Remarkables, apparently used in the ads for the USA's Coors Light beer (of which fact the Kiwis seem to be very proud)
...our vessel turns out to be the smallest of the bunch operating the trip. It's cozy and the skipper, like the driver, is very funny and cracks a lot of jokes at the expense of the Australian cricket team (e.g.: what's the story behind the name Fairy Falls). Both the skipper and the driver insist that the Milford Sound is not a Sound but a fjord. It's a technicality really. If you're curious, google the difference :)
..it's not raining. Visibility varies but we have some glimpses of the sun every now and then.
...we get close to one of the waterfalls and actually get under it so anyone left outside would have been soaking wet (but everyone had gone in obviously). We also see two colonies of fur seals from up close
...we see the entire fjord, until it ends in the Tasman Sea. I also learn that there are great white sharks in the fjord, which prey on the fur seals, and also corals, which make it a worthwhile scuba diving spot
...on the way back I notice the bus driver doesn't pay for coffee at coffee stops. Nice!
...I finally get my first Ferg burger and it is totally worth the hour's wait. But I can't finish it, it's too big!
...I decide to make use of my ticket to the world's largest (supposedly?) ice bar located in Queenstown. I get it for free while booking the trip.
...I book a campsite for tonight. Enough sleeping in the car. And I need a shower!