Invercargill to Milford Sound

Greetings from Milford Sound, Fiordland, South Island, one of the Wonders of the World. This World Heritage site is beyond belief as Patrick would say. I actually hitched from Invercargill to Milford sound, one of the longest days of my life. My first lift was from a sweet couple with a great dog and a little girl. Tehy offered me a cup of coffee, did not drive me very far but put me on the right track and the man gave me almost two kilos of freshly caught and frozen blue cod, which I believe is about $36/kilo. Anyway I kept it wrapped and frozen and in my bag for the entire day's journey. Then I met an equine dentist, who knew! Then a series of lifts from a Kiwi couple heading to a beach, a van with 2 Chileans, 1 Canadian and 1 German, two guys studing rare species of plants and insects in Milford Sound, and finally a van full of mostly Kiwi rock climbers heading back to their base camp from town. By the time I actually made it to mIlford ZLodge I was pooped and a little bit of a train wreck considering my ordeal. I had no idea it would take so long or that the roads were so windy or how little foreign travelers helpmout other travelors on foot. It was such fun talking to this group of climbers. Climbing is almost an addiction for them. Such an adrenaline rush that they do it as often as possible.

The vistas as you enter the sound are breathtaking, huge gorges with snow capped mountains, winding steep terrain that feels like us in the north until you see a fiant fern tree and realize again that is subtropical as well.

I also saw a Kea, a rare parrot, that is protected and very smart, clever, amd destructive. It was climbing all over a truck trying to pull pieces off of it. Scientists do lots of studies with the Kea making puzzles they need to solve with trick doors, levers, etc for them to get to food. Great to watch.

That night at the lodge I made Ramen noodles and blue cod cooked simply in a little olive oil, had a shower and CRASHED! Tomorrow night I have enough fish to feed a few others. Ai just need to make some friends.