Milford Sound

We had to be ready for the coach at 7:30. I woke up an hour early so I could FaceTime home but Niall was on his way to football.

We stopped off to pick up people from different hostels and the people who had done the bottom bus and J was one of them. We were all do happy to see him!

We had to be at Milford Sound to catch the 13:30 boat. It was a long journey but very scenic. We stopped off in a town for half an hour were we all bought a pie. J managed to eat a rice ball, meat pie and blueberry pie.

The weather wasnt the best but it wasn't raining so we could get out and take photos at the different scenic spots. Waterfalls, mountains, rivers and lakes. We saw this crazy parrot that was chewing on the bus aerial.

We drove through a tunnel that went through a mountain. The roads were windy and bumpy. There had only been an avalanche a few weeks earlier and you could see all the rubble it that had fallen. Men were still working on clearing the road, they looked like specks next to these huge rocks.

The boat through Milford Sound came with a buffet lunch. As soon as we got on the boat we were given a tray and plate and helped ourselves. Great buffet with rice, pork belly, chicken, salad, cous cous, spring rolls, samosas, beef stew, roast potatoes, fish bites and fruit. I went for rice and pork belly and fish bites with salad nom nom! One plate was good for me but good ol J managed to eat three I was very impressed! We shared the table with a hungover guy from New York who was eating a plate of chicken and pork. I got a photo with him and waddles.

The captain was commentating and every time he mentioned a seal, penguin, dolphin or waterfall we ran outside to take a photo or two. The penguins were so tiny and camouflaged by the rocks but I saw them shuffling out of sight too cute! The seals were pretty visible but they did look like big rocks and stunk. The dolphins were HUGE and swam in pods close to the boat it was all very exciting. The boat got so close to the waterfalls. The best moment was an old Japanese lady taunting the waterfall to fall on her and then the boat got so close the waterfall actually came onto the deck and we all screamed and leapt out of the way!

We went to a floating observatory, that had some information about the place, it's history, how they protect it etc. we saw black coral which is protected and worth lots of money so people are heavily fined if caught poaching. The guide told us about a fish that decides if it wants to be a male or female, like a switch in its head.

Milford Sound is a beautiful place. It felt mysterious and unreal like a mythical place out of a story book or the set of a film; waiting for a pirate ship to emerge from the mist.

It was a great trip but a really long time being on the coach getting there and back. It was also our last night in, which meant we had another all day coach journey the next day. We wished we had a few more days in Queenstown and the chance to lie in but by moving our buses would mean we wouldnt get back to Auckland in time for our flight.

We went for a farewell Queenstown and New Zealand family (Laura, Steph, Rachael, Pete, Gail, Vicky, Ji and Neil) drink and ate 2 huge (20inch) Fat Badgers pizzas.