New Zealand has some wonderful scenic routes but the road trip into Milford Sound (MS) from Queenstown has to be most breathtaking of all and widely regarded as one of the best drives in the world. A precariously windy road which takes you over snow capped mountains, through green valleys and plains, past rivers, chasms, lakes (which are so clear and calm they mirror the surounding mountains and were so big that we drove along side them for over an hour!) red scrubland and forests, it really is spectacular. Quite often in winter the road is closed due to risk of avalanches and black ice and thankfully therefore we were at the beginning of the Kiwi winter rather than midway through. That said the mountain tunnel which we had to go through (and which looked unfinished) was a bit scarey because of the icicles forming on the roof and the fear of skidding on the ice below but well worth the view of the stunning mountain range on the other side. MS was the iceing on the cake. The gigantic fiord created by Glaciers in the last ice age, appear to look like small snowcapped hills with a large river running in the middle due to a phenomenon called dwarfing which makes them look smaller than they are. You have to remind yourself that most of the mountains are in fact higher than Ben Nevis and some of the waterfalls are three times bigger than Niagra Falls! The best way to enjoy the Sound is on a boat cruise which takes you past lush green alpine rain forests to the mouth of the fiord before returning. Sadly, didnt spot any dolphins but saw some Gannets and fur seals. Quite an unforgettable.
There is only that one road into MS and so you get to do it twice on your way out which is great. Pushed on further south to pick up the Southern Scenic Route from Te Anau which takes you through beautiful rollling countryside, farm and scrubland and chocolate coloured mountains with white iceing on them! Stopped at Waipapa point (the scene of NZ's worst civil shipping disaster when in 1881 131 people lost their lives) and saw some sealions near the lighthouse. Pushed on to Curia Bay just before dusk and was lucky enough to see the rare NZ yellow eyed penguins making their way back to their nests.They waddle along what appears to be a normal rock bed but which is in actual fact is 170 million year old fossilised forest!
