This is New Zealand’s perhaps most picturesque, and most photographed scenery.

Milford Sound is technically a fiord, that is it has been created as glaciers melted and glided away. New Zealand has seen many ice ages, so plenty of carving has taken place.

Of all the sights, the Mitre Peak, so called because of its shape, is the most iconic.

I had to be the early bird, as I was picked up at my hotel 0715, and taken to the airport.

Air Fiordland has several small aircraft of the type Britten Norman Islander. It takes eight plus one passengers (the one sitting beside the pilot), and the pilot. Crammed in this small space for 35-40 minutes, all we could do was watch the scenery below and listen to the pilot guiding us over the mountain tops. Some of them acted as the Misty Mountains in LOTR.

We had to listen to the roar of the two engines as well, but we had ear covers.

So, a pearl band of Islanders took us on a splendidly scenic flight to Milford Sound. Even Captain Cook, did not discover its opening when he entered and mapped out the bay outside. The discovery took place much later (see this Wikipedia article)

An hour and a half later I had filled two memory cards and emptied my camera battery on the cruise we got from the bottom of the sound, out to the opening towards the Tasman Sea. Luckily, I also had my binoculars, which have served me well on walks and on water.

Certainly the most scenic excursion I have been to in New Zealand. It easily outdid the nice, but a little rainy cruise the day before on Lake Wakatipu with the TSS Earnslaw, a 97 year old steamer, still doing several trips every day of the year, except for one month of maintenance and re-classification in the winter.

So, my thoughts go to the three lovely young ladies in a restaurant in Wellington, who directed me to Milford Sound and the south island.

Now it is planning for the end of the trip. I’ll have to take a flight back to Auckland from somewhere here - Dunedin, or Invercargill.

Next report though, will be on the Queenstown Wine Trail. Since I am in Central Otago, this will be interesting, with a visit to Gibbston vineyards on the itinerary. Otago is well known for its Pinot Noirs, but also for many of its white wines.