My first visit to Queenstown has had to be short and sweet; I have had to allow enough time to see the places in between here and Christchurch so that I arrive in time for the Rugby Test Match. I will be returning though as I have a skiing trip booked!

From Queenstown I took an excursion to Milford Sound. Milford Sound is a fjord within the Fiordland National Park. It runs 15 kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock faces that rise at least 1200 metres either side. Rain forest trees clutch precariously to the cliff faces while seals, penguins and dolphins are said to frequent the water.

The drive to the Sound was long but scenic and the driver pulled in at a few stops along the way which made for good photo opportunities. My favourite was the Mirror Lakes which was exactly as it's name suggests; it reflected everything perfectly, it really was quite something. Once I had arrived at the Sound, I joined a boat cruise. Although not very long, it was again, very scenic, unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to see a dolphin, or a seal, or a penguin, but it was a nice trip all the same. The Sound was quite eerie and mysterious and on the fairly overcast day that it was, this was emphasised even more so as long, grey clouds hovered close to the mountain sides.