Today we wake and have a light breakfast before hiking up to the waterfall which we can see from our campsite. Last night we met Philip and Helena from Germany who tell us about the (roughly) 45 minute walk up the dry river bed to the falls. It is a slow and steady incline over the rabble and rocks, but the falls are great. I take a cold (refreshing?) shower and then we both back off to wash up and brush our teeth. The ice cold glacial water wakes up both up and gives us a boost of energy for the day.
We complete the drive to Milford Sound — all the way to the end of the Milford Road, a test run for our kayak trip into the fiord tomorrow. A number of vantage points give us outstanding views of the Hollyford Valley and the surrounding mountains which shadow over us.
The drive is a visual treat. One particular stop we make is at the Chasm — a series of waterfalls in the Cleddau River which have carved sculptures out of the soft stone for the thousands of years they have been running.
Before you can get to Milford Sound, you must pass through the Homer Tunnel which barrels directly through the mountain. The tunnel is 1.2km long and descends 129m. Steep, narrow and dark, it causes Jenn some panic at the thought of all that rock overhead. This is her panicked shot...
Milford Sound, the town itself, is nothing more than a few lodges, a small airstrip, a cafe, many parking lots and a visitors centre. Everything is geared towards getting people out in the fiord to see the Fiordlands up close. We find our meeting place for our kayak trip and then quickly head back out. We
do catch a glimpse of the entrance to the fiord and what awaits us in the morning.
We have a wait at the tunnel on the way back as it is one direction only with a traffic light on each side (that only works from 9am to 6pm mind you) so it is a 15 minute respite while mostly buses plow through. We spend the time waiting with a very unconcerned kea bird who likes to pose for photos. We also meet up with Philip and Helena who are coming back from their boat ride through Milford Sound and we arrange to meet up for a hike to the alpine Lake Marian.
We saw Lake Marian yesterday from the Key Summit, so we are keen to actually hike to it. It is the most rugged trail we have hiked on yet — clambering over roots, rocks and mud. There have been a number of slides and avalanches along this route and that add even more challenge to the "obstacle course".
However, with the four of us chatting it seems to pass by without much effort as we spend the time trading stories about our lives in Germany and Canada. We talk about our travel plans and our outlooks on life. We seem to make a lot of German friends when we travel — we find that they are friendly, genuine and always interesting. Philip works for John Deere in Mannheim (and spent 6 months working in Oakville a few years back!) and Helena is almost through her internship as an anesthesiologist.
Over the rocks and mud we go! We are rewarded with one truly magnificent view of the alpine glacial lake surrounded by craggy mountain peaks. It is serenely gorgeous with the sun shining, birds chatting, and yet so very quiet. We feel grateful to be the only ones there taking it all in.
On the descent down, I take a tumble and almost start my own rock slide. Thankfully no damage aside from a few scrapes and bruises! At the bottom, while doing the "sandflies are swarming us" dance, we say goodbye to our new friends and then return to the Cascade Creek campsite where we find an ideal camp spot and resume our wild hand and arm gesturing.
don't you just love glacial geomorphology? all those arretes, cols, u shaped valleys, tarns, cirques, talus slopes and moraines??! And then the sedimentation following the retreat of the glaciers--you have pretty little rivers running down the middle of grassy fields in the valleys. So pretty. Have you seen any drumlins or terminal or lateral moraines from the views on high? any hanging valleys? OOH, i just shiver a little at the stories the land is telling!
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