The Sound of Fog

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  Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand
Sunday, September 14, 2008

We were up early to get moving toward out objective for the day: Milford Sound a fiord in Fiordland National Park. We'll have to drive five hours to get there but the scenery is spectacular there. Gorgeous weather and no traffic. Perfect.
However, two hours out from our destination, the weather changed. It turns out that Milford Sound has the highest average rainfall in the country and, to keep its average up, today was a day for dense fog and light but steady rain. As we drove, we noticed signs saying that we were entering "Avalanche Zones" where no stopping at the side of the narrow roadway was allowed. But, we couldn't see where the avalanche would come from because we were enveloped in a cloud.
Upon arrival at the end of the road, we caught a glimpse of the beauty there. Pictures attached include a look at the round-rock beach at "road's end," a sheer rock cliff hosting a multitude of waterfalls, rocky rivers and a couple of hikers posing by Humboldt Waterfall(s) and Debi pondering if the suspension bridge we crossed was too short for a mini-bungy jump. Another hike took us to the "Chasm" a place where the roaring waters have eroded the softrock into gigantic honeycombs and had a conversation with a New Zealand bird, a Kea, looking for a handout.
We backtracked to Te Anau, a village two hours outside Milford Sound on the shores of the South Island's largest lake where we would spend the night. The sky cleared as we left the park and the weather became, again, gorgeous. The temperatures are mild, dropping to chilly at night.
The Kiwi accent is interesting. The number 10 is pronounced "teen." One lunch menu item which cost eighteen dollars was quoted to us as costing "ate-een." The TV newscaster spoke of the New Zealand dollars relationship to the Japanese yen, calling it the "yeen." You get used to it; but you don't. Speaking of TV, the news comes on and after about "teen" minutes, they switch to "The Sport." Rugby is then discussed for twenty minutes while you wait to hear the weather forecast.
Lodging is comfortable and inexpensive. We have paid anywhere from $100 NZ dollars to $165 NZ dollars per night. At 70 US cents to their dollar, that means our rooms have cost us between $70.00 US and $115.00 US. In Kansas City, comparable rooms would go for more. Wine is inexpensive, running about $50 NZ per screw-top bottle but dinner entres run $30 to $35 NZ while a full cooked breakfast is $14 to $18 NZ dollars. Fuel is $2 NZ per liter.
Debi commented at dinner that she is upset that she has nothing for me to unwrap for my birthday tomorrow. I've been celebrating my birthday all month so I have assured her that her concern is misplaced.

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Chasm Soft Rocks	Fog at "Road's End"	150 Foot Waterfalls are everywhere	Rocky Rivers Roar
Hikers at Humboldt Falls	Debi's suspension bridge	A Kea comes calling	Fog envelopes everything, almost

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