Getting Wet

We arrived at the boat ramp for the kayaks and spent some time getting ready for our adventure. These lobster traps were piled nearby, with the peaks of Milford Sound enticing us beyond.

The water of Milford Sound is cold and the weather is highly variable, so we had to dress for being cold and wet, even though the weather was sunny and warmish. The kayaking company provided fleece thermals and hats, waterproof pants, jackets and gloves, as well as the required vest and kayak skirt. It was all very colorful, as Jenny and Elissa show us in this picture in front of our van and trailer.

We finally did get in the water in tandem kayaks with guides in single kayaks. Here is one of our colorful guides for our 4-1/2 hour kayaking excursion. Was this guy's name Jeff? I can't remember, but we had actually seen him and another guide out on the Routeburn Track the day before.

Here we are "rafted up" for our orientation in the fresh water basin of the river harbor leading into the sound.

While we were getting our orientation we could see a small pod of dolphins entering the basin and starting to play in front of us. One of the guides paddled over by them and started getting them to follow him around. Soon we were paddling all over the basin getting the dolphins to follow us and watching them play around us. Here is an image of one riding our bow wave right in front of Claudia.

The guides said they were a family with a couple of very playful juveniles. We were amazed how close in to the kayaks they came, rolling over on their sides to take a close look at us. Here is one coming up for air between Jenny and Elissa's kayak and ours, with Milford Sound in the background.

It was difficult for me to get good pictures, because they would leave as soon as I stopped paddling to grab my camera. But Jenny got some good close-ups, like this one.

We could hardly believe our good fortune with the dolphins and the sunny weather. I think those dolphins would have played with us all morning, but we finally had to leave them and head out on our regular course around the sound.

Day 2 - To Milford Sound

Our second day began early so we could get down to Milford Sound to start our kayaking adventure. The early morning drive into Fiordland National Park was interesting, taking us through the 1.2 kilometer long Homer Tunnel. The tunnel is a testament to the perseverance of Kiwis, having been started in 1935 by five guys with pickaxes. They started from the far side which meant they had to carry all their equipment in. Two of the original five died in avalanches. The tunnel was completed in 1953. This picture out the window of the van shows a bus entering the tunnel. Traffic is limited to one direction at a time.

We descended into the deep shadows of the steep mountains of Fiordland as the peaks blazed in the morning sun high above us. This image only begins to capture the sensation, and gives you an idea what those poor guys had to tunnel through.

When we arrived at sea level we were greeted in the parking lot by a Kea. Keas are actually large, alpine parrots that roost above the tree line, but the climate is cool enough at Milford Sound that the tree line is not far away, and Keas can't resist tourists if they are nearby. Keas are known for their inquisitiveness and intelligence, but they can be a real pain, too, because they like to get into everything and pick it apart. This guy was drinking the dew off the roof of a car. A few minutes later we saw him dragging a stolen bag of bread around the parking lot and ripping it apart.