As soon as we arrived in Te Anau, a pretty little, touristy village, situated on the banks of Lake Te Anau, we booked in for the Glow-worm cave tour. A couple of hours later we were being whisked across the water to the Te-Ana-Au caves (which gave the lake its name). After a short video presentation about the life of a glow-worm, we were split into small groups to investigate the caves. Via a network of walkways and small boat journeys we were guided deeper into the depths of the impressive cave system. The noise of flowing water was thunderous as we went deeper underground and it was quite spectacular to see the waterfalls and whirlpools that had been carved out by the powerful rivers. Contrary to my expectations, the glow-worms were actually very clearly visible all around us and looked like tiny stars with a slightly greenish tinge. As they are very sensitive to both light and strange noises, the majority of the tour was conducted in complete darkness and silence (well as silent as it can be with two children in the party!). This meant that it was almost quite eery as we floated, in the tiny boat, into the "Glow-worm Cavern". Away from the thundering water, it was incredibly peaceful here and as we gazed upwards at the numerous glow-worms it was easy to imagine that you were outside on a clear night staring up at the stars. Although the actual time we spent in the caves was fairly limited, the trip was well worth doing.
The following morning we were delighted to awaken to a gloriously sunny day. This meant that the renowned scenic drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound could be enjoyed to its full advantage. Whilst all the scenery was beautiful, the highlight for me was the view that greeted us when we emerged from the Homer Tunnel - it was simply stunning. Along with most the other tourists following the route, not to mention the odd tour bus, we stopped at several view points to get some photos. We also had just enough time to do one of the walks to 'The Chasm' - a pretty waterfall within the forest.
Upon arriving at Milford Lodge we had a quick bite to eat before being picked up by the amiable Josh (our kayak guide for the afternoon). Together with an American couple, a German couple and an Israeli guy, we had signed up for an afternoon's kayak trip on Milford Sound. As we donned our stylish polypropylene under-garments, I couldn't resist a quick photo of Dan who really suited the bright orange, skin tight top! Wetsuits and life-jackets fitted, we were then taken by motor boat about ten miles into Milford Sound before the kayaks were unloaded into the water.
Getting into the kayaks from the boat wasn't as tricky as I had imagined and soon Dan and I were bobbing up and down in our two-man vessel as we 'rafted-up' with the other three boats for a quick safety briefing. Luckily we seemed to be a little more competent at kayaking than we had been at rowing and we soon settled into a comfortable paddling rhythm as we took in the amazing scenery around us. We had heard that one of the best ways to experience the enormity and beauty of Milford Sound was to do a kayaking trip and we would both certainly agree.
As we paddled towards a huge waterfall, Josh informed us that we would have a go at paddling right into it. Dan and I chose a line which took us almost right underneath the falls - it was fantastic to feel the sheer force and power of the water at such close quarters. On our second circuit we were both in such awe as we gazed up at the water thundering down on us that we both forgot to paddle and got stuck for a few minutes before the power of the water threw us back out again. It was great fun.
As we continued on, drying out in the sun as we went, we got some terrific views of New Zealand fur seals as they basked on the banks of the mountains. We were also lucky enough to spot some crested penguins as they frolicked in the water and dove down for fish.
Once we reached the halfway point of our journey, we rafted up in a sheltered cove and had some refreshments - Josh said that we would need the energy for the next part of the trip which would involve paddling right into the wind. By now some fairly serious rivalry had developed between Dan and I and the American couple - Chris and Kim - (who it seemed, if at all possible, were more competitive than us!) so we treated the journey back out into the middle of the fiord as a bit of a race. As we bowed our heads into the wind and spray, Dan and I relished the challenge as we got really stuck in to our paddling - it felt really good. And it felt even better to reach the middle of the fiord first!
As we all switched direction back towards the shore, we once again had the wind at our backs and enjoyed some leisurely paddling and banter. A short while later the wind increased and we found ourselves amongst some rather large waves which was great fun. It was even better when we had a go at 'kayak surfing'. Dan and I managed to catch quite a few waves at the right speed which meant we were carried on the crest for several seconds (with little effort from us) and were propelled a fair distance. This felt really good and it also helped us score a few more points against the Americans!
However, minutes later they got their own back as they powered past us to land on dry land first. We all felt pretty tired but had really enjoyed the afternoon. We arranged to meet up with Chris and Kim later on that evening for some much needed liquid refreshment in Te Anau. It was a great way of rounding off a really good day.
Andrea and Dan
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