Rain rain go away come back another day. We slept well despite the rain lashing down all night. I had my ear plugs in which blocked out the rain and Ju's snoring - even with the plugs in I could her both. Our Kayaking tour was due to start at 8.30am. We led in bed debating as to whether it would go ahead. I was secretly hoping it would be cancelled and we could simply ride the tour boat around Milford Sound. There's nothing worse than lying in bed warm listening to the wind and rain outside knowing you have to go out on the water, get wet and cold. Come to think of it there is something worse, being bitten by bloody sand flies first thing in the morning. They land on you and within seconds they bite. For such a small creature they create a lot of discomfort - I hate them even more than moskitos.

I hadn't really given the Kayaking much thought. I am quite a cautious person in some respects and I didn't think this activity was much to worry about. This train of thought was soon to change after meeting our English guide called Andrew. He was the same age as me which was reassuring. Most guides up until this point had been half my age. In theory a mature guide should have less to prove and hopefully would be more experienced. However despite all this we had to sign our lives away and specify a next of kin. Our guide gave us a mini briefing before setting off to the dock. Apparently the weather could change in a flash which could result in 5 foot waves - this would cause instability and the kayak would probably capsize... joy, I can't wait.

Changed and ready to set off we were given a few last minute safety instructions by the waterside - one of which was the 3 BBB's - I thought that was a pint?!. In the event of a capsize, BREATH (the water is very cold), BUDDY (as we were using two man kayaks, check your buddy ok) and finally BOAT, make sure you hang on until the instructor comes to assist. Another useful tactic if the weather was to turn bad is to 'raft up'. As the name suggests all the kayaks line up and hold each other creating a raft. This is more stable in high winds and choppy waters.

I felt nervous - I / we really didn't want to CAPSIZE. We set off following the lead of our guide. The water was relatively calm at this stage as we paddled across the Deep Water Bay. The rain was still lashing down and I had to do a reality check to figure out why I was doing this. Despite my nerves we crossed the bay to take in the first sight which was a magnificent waterfall. All the recent rain meant the mountains and cliff tops were strewn with waterfalls everywhere. After a short stop we moved on. The waves became quite choppy as the wind picked up. Despite performing such a simple task 'paddling' the process takes a lot of concentration and I had to remind myself to look up and take in the views.

After an hour on the water I felt more at ease. We saw a Royal Crested Penguin and two Sea Lions. We were really close to them - one advantage of being on a kayak as opposed to a your boat was you can get up close to all the action. We inspected a few more waterfalls along with areas of cliff tops that had had a tree avalanche. This is caused when trees start to grow on moss and grass. The roots have difficulty digging into the rock over a period of time and as a result when they reach a certain size they fall causing a domino effect knocking down all the other trees in their path. The water was getting choppy and we were bobbing around all over the place. Our guide instructed us to cut across the fiord. Half way across the waves increased in size and it became difficult to paddle. We were instructed to 'raft up' and at this point Andrew decided to bring out his sail for the first time this season. He rigged up a basic sail using the ores and all man power available - we must have looked a sight to the tourist boats as we navigated through the swell.

Safely on the other side we moved down the coastline pretty much in the same manner we had come up it. The water was a lot darker and more choppy but this didn't dampen our high spirits. Julia and myself were now in harmony paddling away like two pros. We had a tough section to get through before we could return to the dock. The water from the main river was now flowing against the incoming tide. This meant there were huge rolling waves to navigate over. With a final push we exhausted every muscle to overcome tide and river. I was glad to get out of the boat. After 3 hours my bum was wet and my feet cold. It was also 2.30pm and we hadn't had anything to eat since 8am.

The kayaking was great fun. I am glad we did it. I managed to catch 40 winks back at the lodge before we set off out for one last look at the Sound before departing tomorrow. Luckily the sun was out and the clouds partially cleared away. I was foaming at the mouth snapping away at the vista. Ju got some amazing 180 and 360 degree shots which will look great on canvas. Milford Sound reminded me of the Norwegian Fyords. However like I always say it's difficult to compare countries and landscapes as each has it's own unique characteristics. I do have a favourite though - and that's the Alps!