We woke with the approach of dawn and watched the suns rays gradually illuminate mitre peak - the cloudless skies meant it was a cool but magical morning.
We had to make sandwiches one last time for our journey back to Queenstown - there was a mental spring in the air as everyone was buoyed by their achievement even if some were nursing sore muscles and there was an odd whiff of deep heat in the air!
After breakfast we handed back our back packs and put our own bag and well knotted and labelled waterproof liner in the yellow pile ready to be packed on the bus - the yellow sticker meant we were getting off at the airport and it would be stowed in an accessible spot - we were the only ones! Getting off saved going back into Queenstown and paying for a taxi back - our hotel was close to the airport and in really easy walking distance.
As the weather was so nice most people walked by the Sound to the boat terminal for the much anticipated cruise up the Sound ( today's photo was taken as walked and shows the wetland area and Mitre Peak - so named as it looks like a bishops mitre.) A few arrived on the bus with Masako at 8.30. After giving out tickets we boarded the Real Journeys boat for our cruise along Milford Sound - it was really picturesque with waterfalls and the surrounding mountains making for an idyllic scene - on deck it was warm as the Captain kept the boat in the sunshine. On our way back we saw a pod of dolphins and basking fur seals - these were the first animals to be endangered due to hunting which nearly caused their extinction - luckily numbers are now recovering. The boat also went through a waterfall but by the time this happened I was back in the dry of the top lounge - I have had enough of getting wet under waterfalls.
Back in harbour we got on the coach and headed back to Queenstown via the Homer tunnel - in itself a feat of engineering which connects Milford with the outside world and allows 100,000 people easier access than the 14000 who walk the Milford Track. Apparently every March there is a naked race through the tunnel - all clothes off at the top end, run, and collect them at the other -after a hard winter it lightens the load!
There was a lot of sleeping on the coach and if not sleeping we watched the beautiful scenery of Fiordland National Park as we whizzed past it through the bus windows.
After being dropped off and waving goodbye to everyone we headed to the Hilton for a night of re packing - we finally got everything into 1 large bag and 1 one carry on each - I am not quite sure how we did it but my bag looked fit to burst - anyway we should not have to pay excess baggage fees tomorrow! One pair of old flip flops and one of Johns misshapen polo shirts were put in the bin which helped a tad!