7/18-7/19 Recuperating in Queenstown
- Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the world. The beautiful resort town was names as "fit for a Queen'. It's a good place for Ian to catch up some rest.
- LG took Ethan to try ski again in Cardrona. While the clouds hover over Queenstown all day, Cardrona ski field on was sunny all day.
- The next day I took Ethan to walk around downtown and the Queenstown Garden a bit while LG played more golf on the "most scenic golf course in NZ".
- Late in the afternoon, we went to Kawarau Gorge to witness some bungee jumps from the Kawarau River Bridge, home to A.J. Hackett's very first bungee jumping platform. Few km along the gorge, we tried wine and cheese at a couple of Gibbston Valley wineries which produces some of the finest Pinot Noir in NZ.
7/20 South toward Fiordland
- After a quick stopover at Underwater Observatory to see some large eels and trouts and feed some diving ducks, we headed toward Glenorchy which sits at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu. The 45km lakeside drive offers breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu, hanging valleys, and sheer mountains. Stopped at Bob's Cove to have a view of the Remarkables.
- Glenorchy is the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park and the starting point for many serious multi-day treks. Given the time & weather constraints we just did a quick lagoon walk amidst wetlands with alpine views.
- Taking the same lake road back to Queenstown, we headed on SH6 following the lake toward south of the Remarkable mountain range. With the same breathtaking views of mountains and lake, we finally completed our long journey on SH6 started at Nelson over a week ago.
- After crossing some rolling tussock lands and driving on some of the straightest stretch of roads in NZ, we arrived at Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park.
7/21 Awe Inspiring Milford Sound
Fiordland - named for the 14 fiords that carve into its western coastline. Fiordland is the work of over 500 million years of constant sculpting. Fiordland contains some of the most dramatic scenery in the world, including Milford and Doubtful Sounds. At 12,000 sq km, Fiordland is NZ's largest National Park and has been designated a World Heritage Area for its unique landscapes.- Milford Sound Road - The road itself can be a travel destination. It is highly scenic and aligned with many lookouts and short walks (Mirror Lake, Chasm, Hollyford View, Lake Marian, Lake Gunn)
- Milford Sound - northern-most of 14 fiords with breathtaking landscape.
Te Anau is of Maori origin, meaning 'rushing waters in a cave' and Te Anau's actual caves were lost in Maori legend until being rediscovered by a European explorer in the 1940s. At 12,000 years old, they are relatively young and are still being formed by water action.
- We visited glowworm grotto deep inside the cave which was totally fascinating. After cruised across Lake Te Anau to Cavern House at 7pm, we journeyed underground to see rushing water sculpting the rock formations, then glided through in complete silent darkness to the glowworm grotto, which was like night sky shimmering with glowing stars. Returned to Cavern House to view some displays.