We camped our next night south of Queenstown in a picturesque spot beside a lake. The wind was chilly which probably caused us to sleep in a little longer than normal but we awoke to a stunning view before hitting the road again.

Milford sound is awe-inspiring and getting there is certainly part of the experience. The alpine route is described as one of the finest in the world which makes the relatively long journey even more unforgettable. We had to travel around rough terrain before ascending an alpine route into Fjordland. Stopping for iconic pictures became a common part of the day and we too soon discovered the pesky sandflies we'd been warned of! When we reached the 'Homer tunnel' it cut straight through a huge peak and lead into a land of mesmeric proportion and shapeliness. The tunnel itself was epic as we travelled for what must have been 500 meters through a dimly lit hole in a mountain which was unbelievably constructed in the 1930's! Upon arrival we really were captured by the sheer magnitude of the sound. We had been travelling all day though so checking into the Milford lodge was a welcome rest-bite - we'd have more than enough time to check more of our surroundings the following day!

And what better way to explore than a cruise through the fiord! We awoke earlier than usual to get what felt like our first shower in ages (don't worry mum, I have actually showered at least twice a week :-p) before heading down to the cruise terminal to aboard the 'Lady Bowen' and start our 3 hour nature adventure. We were within touching distance of everything this magical place had to offer including the Stirling falls which actually featured in the X-men origins movie 'Wolverine'. It was really interesting to be guided through our surroundings and hear of tree avalanches and the way in which glaciers formed the surroundings. We also (thanks to our stay in the lodge) got a free winter upgrade that gave us a free lunch and entry to the Milford Discovery Centre. The centre was fantastic as it taught us about the culture, heritage and lives in Milford Sound. Not only that but it included an amazing floating underwater observatory! We got to look out at the sea life 10m below the surface! Despite no dolphins showing again, the highlight of the trip for me had to be the wildlife. We caught glimpses of the yellow crested penguin (the worlds second rarest) and the fur covered seals amongst the stupendous scenery.

On our way back up the state highway leading from Milford Sound we stopped at 'The Chasm' which was a strange rock formation sculptured by a crashing waterfall. The cool thing about it was that because of odd combination of both soft and hard rock, the waterfall had eroded away artistic passages whilst making everything appear such a smooth texture - it was absolutely mind-blowing! We then ventured back through the Homer tunnel to be greeted at the other side by a flock of 'very rare' Kea (flightless parrots). There was at least 7 of them as we stopped to take photos. They weren't phased by us at all as they proceeded in jumping up onto the vans for some iconic shots! Eventually, the road back around to Queenstown soon got tiring and we stopped by the same lake as we had done previously. We settled down and lit a nice camp fire to keep us warm for a nights sleep ready for our trip to Wanaka in the next day or two.