Cruising Australia and New Zealand (Part 2)

The Tasman is known to be one of the roughest bodies of water anywhere and through the years, has taken its toll. We were warned and warned to expect heavy seas, and while it is true we have been rocking and rolling across the water for almost two days as I write, by and large, it has been a fairly smooth crossing. Yes, one has to hold on a lot, washed our hair with one hand while hanging on with the other, worked out while hanging on to the treadmill rails for dear life, but the Captain has told us over and over, that we had a smooth crossing. Could have fooled us!

In the morning, we will be at Milford Sound, New Zealand, and the most scenic part of this cruise will begin.

Right on schedule as dawn broke, we reached the entrance to craggy, mountained, fiercely wooded, Milford Sound and it was all that we had been told. Gushing waterfalls fell on either side of us as we slowly and almost silently floated down the sound headed toward its 8 mile extremity. The sight was amazing. The sun came up making the scene majestic, and as the newly lighted morning revealed Milford, we saw graceful snow capped mountains in the distance. We cruised the sound, saw important sights, and knew why Rudyard Kipling had called it the 8th wonder of the world.

We have exited the sound after about two hours of delight, and are cruising down the rugged coast of this outstanding National park. The weather has turned a bit gray but we have been told how lucky we were to have avoided rain and the much higher winds than we actually experienced. Tonight, we will head for Dunedin and a day of on shore sightseeing.

After leaving the rugged coast of Milford sound, we headed for Dunedin and as we glide into port in the early morning sunlight, this pastoral area is breathtakingly beautiful. Along the water’s edge there are little cottages, and in the hills, sheep are roaming free, looking, for all the world like little white specks in the distance. It is a bit of Ireland and Scotland here in the Pacific, so close to Asia. We are almost speechless as we take in the view.